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Recent research suggests that trait cheerfulness triggers larger state cheerfulness variations after facing amusing and sad clips. The present study aimed at replicating and extending these effects. A sample of 80 psychology students (68 women) was selected depending on their scores in trait cheerfulness. Participants watched a set of positive and negative pictures, which was accompanied by statements, and were asked to report their affective states before and after watching them. The results showed that high versus low trait cheerfulness participants reported a larger increase in state cheerfulness, valence, and joy measures after the positive induction and a larger decrease in state cheerfulness after the negative induction. The results replicate and extend previous findings and support the idea that high trait cheerfulness people are more sensitive to the affective environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The State-Trait Model of Cheerfulness assesses the temperamental basis of the sense of humor with the traits and respective states of cheerfulness, seriousness, and bad mood. Cheerfulness is a dominant factor in current measures of the sense of humor and explains both, the disposition to engaging in smiling and laughter, as well as humor behaviors, and trait seriousness and bad mood are antagonistic to the elicitation of amusement (albeit for different reasons). Several studies have shown the validity and reliability of the STCI questionnaire in German and other language versions (i.e., Spanish). In this study, the English language version with 106 items (STCI-T <106>) was translated, checked for its item and scale characteristics, and tested with a confirmatory factor analysis approach (N = 1101) to investigate the factorial validity of the STCI-T <106> scale. Results show good psychometric characteristics, good internal consistencies, and a fit to the postulated underlying structure of the STCI-T. Then, the standard form with 60 items (STCI-T <60>) was developed and the psychometric characteristics initially tested. In an independent sample (N = 169), the characteristics of the standard form were compared to the parent form and German equivalent. It showed good psychometric characteristics, internal consistencies, as well as a good self- and peer-report congruence. To conclude, the STCI-T <106> is the measure of choice for the assessment of the temperamental basis of the sense of humor and the separate facets of the traits, while the standard form (60 items) allows of an economic assessment of cheerfulness, seriousness, and bad mood, free of context-saturated items and humor preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to study whether trait cheerfulness modulates changes in state cheerfulness as a result of exposing participants to affective stimuli. Two studies with a within-participant experimental design were carried out. Forty-eight (33 women) and sixty-four (45 women) undergraduate psychology students were selected as Sample 1 and Sample 2, respectively, for scoring high or low on the Trait Form of the State-Trait-Cheerfulness Inventory (STCI-T; Ruch et al. in Humor Int J Humor Res 9:303-339, 1996; Ruch et al. in Personal Individ Differ 22:477-491, 1997). Participants watched amusing, neutral, and sad film clips and reported their affective states before and after viewing them. In the second study, heart rate and skin conductance level were also recorded. Results showed that people with high trait cheerfulness reported greater changes in state cheerfulness when exposed to both amusing and sad film clips, showing larger increases and decreases in state cheerfulness, respectively, than participants with low trait cheerfulness. Effects were not mediated by social desirability. Furthermore, people with low trait cheerfulness showed a greater heart rate deceleration during the visioning of the clips compared to high trait cheerfulness participants, especially in an amusing scene with high emotional load. No modulation on trait cheerfulness was found for skin conductance level. Data with self-report and electrophysiological measures are discussed, highlighting that high trait cheerfulness people are more permeable to affective events, perhaps showing a better understanding and management of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Temperamental basis of sense of humor were assessed on Spanish population. [•] Satisfactory psychometric properties were found for the Spanish version of STCI-T. [•] Increments in seriousness scores were observed among older participants. [•] Relationships between STCI-T scores and personality and well-being were replicated. [•] Validity evidence was provided for using the Spanish version of the STCI-T. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This article gives a didactic introduction to the analysis of multitrait-multimethod data with models of multilevel confirmatory factor analysis. In particular, the principles of the multilevel CT-C(M-1) model for interchangeable and structural different methods are explained in detail, and the first application of this model to more than two structurally different methods is presented. The model is illustrated by an application to the analysis of the convergent and discriminant validity of the trait subscales of the State-Trait Cheerfulness Inventory (STCI-T, ). The results show that the STCI is a reliable and valid questionnaire for assessing the temperamental basis of sense of humor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]