Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale – MSHS
Measures individual differences in the sense of humor across multiple dimensions including humor production, coping humor, and humor appreciation.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale – MSHS was developed by J. A. Thorson & F. C. Powell (1991). It is designed to measure Sense of Humor. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 24 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Humor creativity and uses of humor for social purposes, Uses of coping humor, Appreciation of humorous people, Appreciation of humor.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Humor creativity and uses of humor for social purposes | 1,3,5,7,9,12,15,18,21,23,24 | 11 |
| Uses of coping humor | 2,6,13,16,19,20,22 | 7 |
| Appreciation of humorous people | 8,11,14 | 3 |
| Appreciation of humor | 4,10,17 | 3 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Strongly disagree, 1 = Disagree, 2 = Undecided, 3 = Agree, 4 = Strongly agree.
The scale includes 6 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 96. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low sense of humor: 0 – 32
- Moderate sense of humor: 33 – 64
- High sense of humor: 65 – 96
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.90.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.