Participant information letter

Dear Ms./Mr.

I am Jad Berbari, a student at Haigazian University from the Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences. I
am currently carrying out a research study titled Humor Styles as Predictors of Psychological Wellbeing
and Resilience in the Lebanese Population advised by Professor Hanine Hout

You are being asked to take part in this study since you are a Lebanese adult aged between 18 and 65
years old.

Kindly read the below information to decide whether you would like to participate in this research
study.

Purpose of the Research Project

This research study aims at better understanding the use of different humor styles among Lebanese and
the consequences thereof on resilience and wellbeing. This study will contribute towards the partial
fulfillment of my academic study requirements at Haigazian University.

What will I be asked to do?

 If you choose to participate in this research study, you will be asked to fill in a questionnaire.
Your participation will include a survey that entails statements that you will have to rate based
on agreement as well as a demographic form. Filling the questionnaire will take approximately
15 minutes.
 Participation in this project is voluntary You are free to withdraw anytime without having to give
any reason for your withdrawal.

What are my rights?

 Participation in this study is completely voluntary, anonymous and confidential. Your name or
any other identifying information will not be asked
 Data you provide along with data from all participants in the present research will be stored in
aggregate in a password protected folder. The data will be analysed and reported in aggregate.
Only the principle investigators of this study will have access to the compiled data which will be
stored for a period of 10 years post data. During this time, you have the right to inspect the
data.
 You have the right to withdraw your consent or discontinue participation at any time for any
reason. Your decision to refuse participation or withdraw will not involve any penalty or loss of
benefits to which you are entitled. Discontinuing participation in no way affects your
relationship with Haigazian University.
 This research study has been reviewed and has received clearance from SBS Ethics committee at
Haigazian University. If you have any further concerns about your rights as a research
participant, please, do not hesitate to contact Professor Hanine Hout at
HANINE.HOUT@haigazian.edu.lb.
What are the risks and benefits of participation?

 Participation in this study does not involve any physical risk or emotional risk to you beyond the
risks of daily life
 You will receive no direct benefits from participating in this research; however, your
participation does help researchers better understand the use of humor styles in Lebanon and
their repercussions on wellbeing and resilience.

Contact information
If you have any questions or concerns about the research you may contact:

Name: Jad Berbari

Telephone: +96170965548
Email: JBERBARI@students.haigazian.edu.lb

Participant consent

Humor Styles as Predictors of Psychological Wellbeing and Resilience

in the Lebanese Population

Please read the following statements and place a check mark in the boxes adjacent to them.
I have volunteered to participate in this research project conducted for purposes of study.
My participation is voluntary and does not involve payment of any kind.
I agree to participate in this research project conducted for purposes of study. My decision
is voluntary and does not involve payment of any kind
I know that I can choose to withdraw from participation any time without any penalties or
consequences whatsoever. I also hold the right to decline to respond to any question(s)
that I may feel uncomfortable with.
My participation involves answering a questionnaire for approximately 15 minutes.
I have been assured that the researcher will maintain my identity confidential.
I have been assured that the information from this survey will be used for the purpose of
academic study only.
I have received the assurance that this research study has been duly reviewed and
approved by the Haigazian University ethics committee.
I agree that the data gathered be kept in a secure location under the care of the study
investigators for a period of 10 years.
I have been assured that I can access my data (if identified) at any time.
I have read, listened and fully understand the explanation given to me. All my questions
have been satisfactorily answered.
I, therefore, choose to voluntarily participate in this research study.
I have received a copy of this consent form co-signed by the researcher.

Date: _______________________
Name: _________________________
Signature: _________________________

The Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ)

INSTRUCTIONS: People experience and express humor in many different ways. Below
is a list of statements describing different ways in which humor might be experienced.
Please read each statement carefully, and indicate the degree to which you agree or
disagree with it. Please respond as honestly and objectively as you can.
Answer by clicking one of the option buttons beside each item, using the following
scale:

Totally Moderately Slightly Neither Agree Slightly

Disagree Disagree Disagree nor Disagree Agree
1 2 3 4 5
I usually don't laugh or joke
1. around much with other 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
people.
If I am feeling depressed, I
2. can usually cheer myself 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
up with humor.
If someone makes a
3. mistake, I will often tease 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
them about it.
I let people laugh at me or
4. make fun at my expense 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
more than I should.
I don't have to work very
hard at making other
5. people laugh -- I seem to be 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
a naturally humorous
person.
Even when I'm by myself,
6. I'm often amused by the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
absurdities of life.
7. People are never offended 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 or hurt by my sense of
humor.
I will often get carried
away in putting myself
8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
down if it makes my family
or friends laugh.
I rarely make other people
9. laugh by telling funny 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
stories about myself.
If I am feeling upset or
unhappy I usually try to
10. think of something funny 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
about the situation to make
myself feel better.
When telling jokes or
saying funny things, I am
11. usually not very concerned 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
about how other people are
taking it.
I often try to make people
like or accept me more by
12. saying something funny 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
about my own weaknesses,
blunders, or faults.
I laugh and joke a lot with
13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
my friends.
My humorous outlook on
life keeps me from getting
14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
overly upset or depressed
about things.
I do not like it when people
use humor as a way of
15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
criticizing or putting
someone down.
I don't often say funny
16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
things to put myself down.
I usually don't like to tell
17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
jokes or amuse people.
 If I'm by myself and I'm
feeling unhappy, I make an
18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
effort to think of something
funny to cheer myself up.
Sometimes I think of
something that is so funny
that I can't stop myself
19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
from saying it, even if it is
not appropriate for the
situation.
I often go overboard in
putting myself down when I
20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
am making jokes or trying
to be funny.
I enjoy making people
21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
laugh.
If I am feeling sad or upset,
22. I usually lose my sense of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
humor.
I never participate in
23. laughing at others even if 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
all my friends are doing it.
When I am with friends or
family, I often seem to be
24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
the one that other people
make fun of or joke about.
I don't often joke around
25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
with my friends.
It is my experience that
thinking about some
amusing aspect of a
26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
situation is often a very
effective way of coping
with problems.
If I don't like someone, I
27. often use humor or teasing 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
to put them down.
28. If I am having problems or 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 feeling unhappy, I often
cover it up by joking
around, so that even my
closest friends don't know
how I really feel.
I usually can't think of
29. witty things to say when 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I'm with other people.
I don't need to be with
other people to feel
30. amused -- I can usually find 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
things to laugh about even
when I'm by myself.
Even if something is really
funny to me, I will not
31. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
laugh or joke about it if
someone will be offended.
Letting others laugh at me
is my way of keeping my
32. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
friends and family in good
spirits.

The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS)

Please respond to each Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

item by circling the on Disagree Agree

number per row

1 I tend to 1 2 3 4 5

bounce
 back

quickly

after hard

times

2 I have a 1 2 3 4 5

hard time

making it

through

stressful

events.

3 It does 1 2 3 4 5

not take

me long

to recover

from a

stressful

event.

4 It is hard 1 2 3 4 5

for me to

snap back

when

something

bad
 happens.

5 I usually 1 2 3 4 5

come

through

difficult

times

with little

trouble.

6 I tend to 1 2 3 4 5

take a

long time

to get

over set-

backs in

my life.

Scoring: Add the responses varying from 1-5 for all six items giving a range from 6-30. Divide

the total sum by the total number of questions answered. My score: ______ item average / 6

Smith, B. W., Dalen, J., Wiggins, K., Tooley, E., Christopher, P., & Bernard, J. (2008). The brief

resilience scale: assessing the ability to bounce back. International journal of behavioral

medicine, 15(3), 194-200

Ryff’s Psychological Wellbeing

Instructions: Circle one response below each statement to indicate how much you agree or
disagree.

1. “I like most parts of my personality.”

2. “When I look at the story of my life, I am pleased with how things have turned out so
far.”

3. “Some people wander aimlessly through life, but I am not one of them.”

4. “The demands of everyday life often get me down.”

5. “In many ways I feel disappointed about my achievements in life.”

6. “Maintaining close relationships has been difficult and frustrating for me.”

7. “I live life one day at a time and don't really think about the future.”

8. “In general, I feel I am in charge of the situation in which I live.”

9. “I am good at managing the responsibilities of daily life.”

10. “I sometimes feel as if I've done all there is to do in life.”

11. “For me, life has been a continuous process of learning, changing, and growth.”
12. “I think it is important to have new experiences that challenge how I think about myself and
the world.”

13. “People would describe me as a giving person, willing to share my time with others.”

14. “I gave up trying to make big improvements or changes in my life a long time ago”
15. “I tend to be influenced by people with strong opinions”
16. “I have not experienced many warm and trusting relationships with others.”

17. “I have confidence in my own opinions, even if they are different from the way most
other people think.”
18. “I judge myself by what I think is important, not by the values of what others think is
important.”
Strongly Somewhat A little Neither A little Somewhat Strongly
agree agree agree agree nor disagree disagree disagree
disagree

Demographic Sheet

1. Gender

a. Male

b. Female

2. Age : ________________________ years

3. Education:

a. Less than High School

b. High School

c. Bachelor’s Degree or its Equivalency

d. Master’s Degree

e. PhD

4. Marital Status

a. Single

b. Coupled but not married

c. Married
d. Divorced

e. Widowed

5. Monthly Household Income: _______________________ in fresh dollars