Gelotophobia, the fear of being laughed at
This is the website accompagnying the "Multi nation study on gelotophobia".
(Ein Hinweis für die deutschsprachigen BesucherInnen dieser Webseite: Seit Kurzem können Sie unseren Fragebogen zum Lachen und Auslachen Online bearbeiten. Wir führen zur Zeit eine Studie durch, in der wir uns mit der Freude am und der Furcht vor dem Ausgelachtwerden (PhoPhiKat) sowie dem Auslachen beschäftigen und deren Beziehung zur Heiterkeit (STHI) und Persönlichkeit (BARS, DAPP) erforschen. Wenn Sie an der Studie teilnehmen möchten, dann klicken Sie bitte hier und bearbeiten Sie die Fragebogen, die in Klammer genannt sind.)
Background
Based on clinical observations the German psychotherapist Michael Titze described putative long-term effects of early, intense and repeated exposure to mockery and not being taken seriously, namely what he coined the term gelotophobia (i.e., the fear of being laughed at; from gelos = Greek for laughter). According to Titze (1996) certain patients seem to be primarily concerned with being laughed at by others, as they are convinced to be ridiculous objects.
Experimental Study of gelotophobia
The Zurich-based research group conducted first empirical studies on this new concept. First, it was shown that a group of diagnosed gelotophobes (by clinical experts) could be separated empirically from groups of normal controls, non shame-based, and shame-based neurotics by means of a list of statements describing the experiential world of gelotophobes (Ruch & Proyer, 2008). In a follow-up study assessment criteria for gelotophobia were defined and an economic scale for the subjective assessment of gelotophobia was introduced (Ruch & Proyer, 2008). In our research group we currently study gelotophobia in its relation to personality, well-being, orientations to happiness, body image, emotions (in particular fear and shame), humor, interpretation of ambiguous acoustic and visual stimuli as well as physiological and psycho-motor expressions (among others). Based on these studies we were able to demonstrate the existence of the phenomenon through different strategies; i. e., in self-reports, semi-projective tests, and experimental settings. Recently, the joy of being laughed at (gelotophilia) and the joy of laughing at others (katagelasticism) were also studied (see Ruch & Proyer, 2009). See here for the Wikipedia entries on gelotophobia, gelotophilia, and katagelasticism. A free online self-assessment is available here.
Articles on gelotophobia
News (June 2010): New special issue on Dispositions towards ridicule and being laughed at: Current research on gelotophobia, gelotophilia, and katagelasticism published in Psychological Test and Assesment Modeling (01 and 02 in 2010; open access here)
Platt, T. (2008). Emotional responses to ridicule and teasing: Should gelotophobes react differently? Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 21(2), 105-128.
Ruch, W., & Proyer, R. T. (2008). The fear of being laughed at: Individual and group differences in Gelotophobia. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 21(1), 47-67.
Ruch, W., & Proyer, R. T. (2008). Who is gelotophobic? Assessment criteria for the fear of being laughed at. Swiss Journal of Psychology, 67(1), 19-27.
Ruch, W., Proyer, R. T., & Popa, D. E. (2008). The fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia) and personality. Anuarul Institutului de Istorie “G. Baritiu” din Cluj-Napoca (Ed.), Series Humanistica (Vol. VI, p. 53-68). Cluj-Napoca: Romania.
Chen, G.-H., Liao, C.-c., Proyer, R. T., & Ruch, W. (2009). A summary on research in gelotophobia. China Journal of Health Psychology, 17(7), 893-895. (in Chinese)
Davies, C. (2009). Humor theory and the fear of being laughed at. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2), 49-62.
Forabosco, G., Dore, M., Ruch, W., & Proyer, R. T. (2009). Psicopatologia della paura di essere deriso. Un’indagine sulla gelotofobia in Italia. Giornale di Psicologia, 3, 183-190.
Forabosco, G., Ruch, W., & Nucera, P. (2009). The fear of being laughed at among psychiatric patients. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2), 233-251.
Führ, M., Proyer, R. T., & Ruch, W. (2009). Assessing the fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia): First evaluation of the Danish GELOPH<15>. Nordic Psychology, 61(2), 62-73.
Hrebícková, M., Ficková, E., Klementová, M., Ruch, W., & Proyer, R. T. (2009). Strach ze zesmesnení: Ceská a slovenská verze dotazníku pro zjistování gelotofobie [The Fear of being laughted at: The Czech and Slovak version of the GELOPH 15 for the assessment of gelotophobia]. Ceskoslovenská Psychologie, 53, 469-480.
Kazarian, S., Ruch, W., & Proyer, R. T. (2009). Gelotophobia in the Lebanon: The Arabic version of a questionnaire for the subjective assessment of the fear of being laughed at. Arab Journal of Psychiatry, 20, 42-56.
Papousek, I., Ruch, W., Freudenthaler, H. H., Kogler, E., Lang, B., & Schulter, G. (2009). Gelotophobia, emotion-related skills and responses to the affective states of others. Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 58–63.
Platt, T., Proyer, R. T., & Ruch, W. (2009). Gelotophobia and bullying: The assessment of the fear of being laughed at and its application among bullying victims. Psychology Science Quarterly, 51(2), 135-147.
Platt, T., & Ruch, W. (2009). The emotions of gelotophobes: Shameful, fearful and joyless? Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2), 91-110.
Proyer, R. T., & Ruch., W. (2009). How virtuous are gelotophobes? Self- and Peer-reported character strengths among those who fear being laughed at. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2), 145-163.
Proyer, R. T., & Ruch, W. (2009). Intelligence and Gelotophobia: The relations of self-estimated and psychometrically measured intelligence to the fear of being laughed at. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2), 165-181.
Proyer, R. T., Hempelmann, C. F., & Ruch, W. (2009). Were they really laughed at? That much? Gelotophobes and their history of perceived derisibility. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2), 213-231.
Proyer, R. T, Ruch, W., Ali, N. S., Al-Olimat, H. S., Amemiya T., Adal, T. A., Ansari, S. A., Arhar, Š., Asem, G., Baudin, N., Bawab S., Bergen, D., Brdar, I., Brites, R., Brunner-Sciarra, M., Carrell A., Carretero Dios, H., Celik, M., Ceschi, G., Chang, K, Chao-chih, L., Cheryomukhin, A., Chik, M. P. Y., Chlopicki, W., Cranney, J., Dahourou, D., Doosje, S., Dore, M., El-Arousy, N., Fickova, E., Führ, M., Gallivan, J., Geling, H., Germikova, L., Giedraityte, M., Goh, A., González, R. D., Guohai, C., Ho, S. K., Hrebícková, M., Jaime, B., Jun, W., Hertzberg Kaare, B., Kamble, S., Kazarian, S., Kerkkanen, P., Klementová, M., Kobozeva, I. M., Kovjanic, S., Kumaraswamy, N., Lampert, M., Levesque, M., Loizou, E., Loving, R. D., Lyttle, J., Machline, V. C., McGoldrick, S., Min, L., McRorie, M., Mõttus, R, Munyae, M. M., Navia, C. E., Nkhalamba, M., Pedrini, P. P., Petkova, M., Platt, T., Popa, D.-E., Radomska, A., Rashid, T., Rawlings, D., Rubio, V. J., Samson, A. C., Sarid, O., Shams, S., Sisokohm, S., Jakob, S., Snikhovska, I., Stephanenko, E. A., Stokenberga, L., Stuer, H., Tanoto, Y. S. R., Tapia, L., Taylor, J., Thibault, P., Thompson, A., Thörn, H., Toyota, H., Ujlaky, J., Vanno, V., van der Westhuizen, B., Wijayathilake, D., Wong, P. S. O., Wycoff, E. B, & Yeun, E. J. (2009). Breaking ground in cross-cultural research on the fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia): A multi-national study involving 73 countries. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2), 253-279. (This is the first article out of the multiational gelotophobia research project, see below)
Ruch, W. (2009). Fearing humor? Gelotophobia: The fear of being laughed at. Introduction and overview. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2), 1-25.
Ruch, W. (2009). Gelotophobia: The fear of being laughed at [Special issue]. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2).
Ruch, W., Altfreder, O., & Proyer, R. T. (2009). How do gelotophobes interpret laughter in ambiguous situations? An experimental validation of the concept. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2), 63-89.
Ruch, W., Beermann, U., & Proyer, R. T. (2009). Investigating the humor of gelotophobes: Does feeling ridiculous equal being humorless? Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2), 111-143.
Ruch, W., & Proyer, R. T. (2009). Extending the study of gelotophobia: On gelotophiles and katagelasticists. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2), 183-212.
Ruch, W., & Proyer, R. T. (2009). Who fears being laughed at? The location of gelotophobia in the PEN-model of personality. Personality and Individual Differences, 46(5-6), 627-630.
Titze, M. (2009). Gelotophobia: The fear of being laughed at. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 22(1-2), 27-48.
Carretero-Dios, H., Proyer, R. T., Ruch, W., & Rubio V. J. (2010). The Spanish version of the GELOPH<15>: Properties of a questionnaire for the assessment of the fear of being laughed at. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 10, 345-357.
Carretero-Dios, H., Ruch, W., Agudelo, D., Platt, T., & Proyer, R. T. (2010). Fear of being laughed at and social anxiety: A preliminary psychometric study. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 108-124.
Chen, G.-H., Liao, C.-c., Proyer, R. T., & Ruch, W. (2010). Gelophobia in China: On the assessment of the fear of being laughed at. China Journal of Health Psychology, 18, 887-889. (in Chinese)
Chlopicki, W., Radomska, A., Proyer, R. T., & Ruch, W. (2010). The assessment of the fear of being laughed at in Poland: Translation and first evaluation of the Polish GELOPH<15>. Polish Psychological Bulletin, 41, 172-181. doi:10.2478/v10059-010-0022-2
Edwards, K. R., Martin, R. A., & Dozois, D. J. A. (2010). The fear of being laughed at, social anxiety, and memories of being teased during childhood. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 94-107.
Führ, M. (2010). The applicability of the GELOPH<15> in children and adolescents: First evaluation in a large sample of Danish pupils. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 60-76.
Platt, T., & Ruch, W. (2010). Gelotophobia and age: Do disposition towards ridicule and being laughed at predict coping with age-related vulnerabilities? Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 231-244.
Proyer, R. T., Platt, T., & Ruch, W. (2010). Self-conscious emotions and ridicule: Shameful gelotophobes and guilt free katagelasticists. Personality and Individual Differences, 49, 54-58.
Proyer, R. T., & Ruch, W. (2010). Dispositions towards ridicule and being laughed at: Current research on gelotophobia, gelotophilia, and katagelasticism (Editorial). Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 49-59.
Proyer, R. T., & Ruch. W. (2010). Enjoying and fearing laughter: Personality characteristics of gelotophobes, gelotophiles, and katagelasticists. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 148-160.
Platt, T., Ruch, W., & Proyer, R. T. (2010). A lifetime of the fear of being laughed at: An aged perspective. Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie, 43, 36-41.
Radomska, A., & Tomczak, A. (2010). Gelotophobia, self-presentation styles, and psychological gender. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 191-201.
Rawlings, D., Tham, T. A., & Milner Davis, J. (2010). Gelotophobia, personality and emotion ratings following emotion-inducing scenarios. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 161-170.
Renner, K.-H., & Heydasch, T. (2010). Performing humor: On the relations between self-presentation styles, gelotophobia, gelotophilia, and katagelasticism. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 171-190.
Ruch, W., Proyer, R. T., & Ventis, L. (2010). The relationship of teasing in childhood to the expression of gelotophobia in adults. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 77-93.
Samson, A. C., & Meyer, Y. (2010). Perception of aggressive humor in relation to gelotophobia, gelotophilia, and katagelasticism. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 52, 217-230.
Samson, A. C., Thibault, P., Proyer, R. T., & Ruch, W. (2010). The subjective assessment of the fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia): Adaptation of the French version of the GELOPH<15>. European Review of Applied Psychology/Revue Européenne de Psychologie Appliquée, 60, 247-253.
Chen, H. C., Chan, Y. C., Ruch, W., & Proyer, R. T. (2011). Evaluating the reliability and validity of a traditional Chinese version of the PhoPhiKat-45. Psychological Testing, 58, 119-145.
Samson, A. C., Huber, O., & Ruch, W. (2011). Teasing, ridiculing and the relation to the fear of being laughed at in individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41, 475-483.
Samson, A. C., Proyer, R. T., Ceschi, G., Pedrini, P. P., & Ruch, W. (2011). The fear of being laughed at in Switzerland: Are there regional differences and the role of positive psychology. Swiss Journal of Psychology, 70, 53-62.
Sarid, O., Ruch, W., & Proyer, R. T. (2011). Gelotophobia in Israel: On the assessment of the fear of being laughed at. Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences, 48, 12-18.
Chen, G. H., & Liu, Y. (2012). Gelotophobia and thinking styles in Sternberg's theory. Psychological Reports, 110, 25-34. doi:10.2466/04.09.20.PR0.110.1.25-34
Proyer, R. T., Ruch, W., & Chen, G.-H. (2012). Gelotophobia: Life satisfaction and happiness across cultures. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 25, 23-40. doi:10.1515/humor-2012-0002
Ujlaky, J., Proyer, R. T., & Ruch, W. (2012). The fear of being laughed at in Hungary: Assessing gelotophobia with the Hungarian version of the GELOPH<15>. In A. T. Litovkina, J. Sollosy, P. Medgyes, & W. Chlopicki (Eds.), Hungarian Humour (Humor and Culture Series: 3, pp. 271-283). Krakow, Poland: Tertium Society for the Promotion of Language Studies.
Weibel, Y. S., & Proyer, R. T. (2012). Wie gehen Erwachsene mit dem Lachen und Auslachen um? Zur erinnerten Rolle von Lehrern, Familie und Gleichaltrigen. Psychologie in Erziehung und Unterricht, 59, 81-92. doi:10.2378/peu2012.art09d
Weiss, E. M., Schulter, G., Freudenthaler, H. H., Hofer, E., Pichler, N., & Papousek, I. (2012). Potential markers of aggressive behavior: The fear of other persons’ laughter and its overlaps with mental disorders. PLoS ONE 7(5): e38088. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0038088
Accepted for publication / in press
Chen, H. C., Chan, Y. C., Ruch, W., & Proyer, R. T. (in press). Being laughed at and laughing at others in Taiwan and Switzerland: A cross-cultural perspective. In J. R. M. Davis, & J. V. Chey (Eds.), Modern and contemporary approaches to humour in China (Vol 2. of Humour in Chinese life and letters). Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
Ivanova, A., Stefanenko, E., Enikopolov, S., Proyer, R. T., & Ruch, W. (in press). The fear of being laughed at in healthy people and psychiatry patients. Assessing gelotophobia in Russia. Bridging Eastern and Western Psychiatry.
Platt, T., & Forabosco G. (in press). Gelotophobia: The fear of being laughed at. In P. Gremigni (Ed.), Humor and health promotion. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.
Platt, T., Ruch, W., Hofmann, J., & Proyer, R. T. (in press). Extreme fear of being laughed at: Components of gelotophobia. The Israeli Journal of Humor Research: An International Journal.
Ruch, W., Harzer, C., & Proyer, R. T. (in press). Beyond being timid, witty, and cynical: Big Five personality characteristics of gelotophobes, gelotophiles, and katagelasticists. Israeli Journal of Humor Research: An International Journal.
Outline of the multinational gelotophobia research project
The aim of the present study will be to provide evidence for the existence of the fear of being laughed at (i.e., Gelotophobia) in different places of the world. This aim will be achieved by an analysis of the prevalence of gelotophobic symptoms in the different samples. A comparison of item and sample statistics in the different nations together with a comparison of the psychometric properties of the questionnaire in the samples will be conducted. Results of the study are expected to be available in autumn 2008. A follow-up study including a broader variety of assessment instruments is currently being planned.
Researchers from the following regions/countries have joined the research group so far.
Argentina | America-South |
Australia | Oceania |
Austria | Europe |
Azerbijan | Eurasia |
Bahamas | America-Central |
Bangladesh | Asia |
Belgium (Flemish) | Europe |
Belgium (French) | Europe |
Botswana | Africa |
Brazil | America-South |
Bulgaria | Europe |
Burkina Faso | Africa |
Cambodia | Asia |
Cameroon | Africa |
Canada (English) | America-North |
Canada (French) | America-North |
Chile | America-South |
China (Hong Kong) | Asia |
China (Macau) | Asia |
China (Mainland) | Asia |
Colombia | America-South |
Croatia | Europe |
Cuba | America-Middle |
Cyprus | Europe |
Czech Republic | Europe |
Denmark | Europe |
Egypt | Middle East |
England | Europe |
Estonia | Europe |
Ethiopia | Africa |
Fiji-Islands | Oceania |
Finland | Europe |
France | Europe |
Gabon | Africa |
Germany | Europe |
Greece | Europe |
Hungary | Europe |
Iceland | Europe |
India | Asia |
Indonesia | Asia |
Iran | Middle East |
Iraq | Middle East |
Ireland | Europe |
Israel | Middle East |
Italy | Europe |
Japan | Asia |
Jordania | Middle East |
Kenya | Africa |
Lebanon | Middle East |
Lithuania | Europe |
Malawi | Africa |
Malaysia | Asia |
Malta | Europe |
Mauritius | Africa |
Netherlands | Europe |
New Zealand | Oceania |
Nigeria | Africa |
Northern Ireland | Europe |
Norway | Europe |
Pakistan | Middle East |
Papua New Guinea | Oceania |
Peru | South-America |
Poland | Europe |
Portugal | Europe |
Puerto Rico (USA) | America-Central |
Republika Srpska | Europe |
Romania | Europe |
Russia | Asia |
Saudi Arabia | Middle-East |
Scotland | Europe |
Senegal | Africa |
Slovenia | Europe |
Solomon-Islands | Oceania |
South Africa | Africa |
South-Korea | Asia |
Spain | Europe |
Sri Lanka | Asia |
Sweden | Europe |
Switzerland (French) | Europe |
Switzerland (German) | Europe |
Switzerland (Italian) | Europe |
Taiwan | Asia |
Thailand | Asia |
Tunisia | Africa |
Turkey | Eurasia |
Turkmenistan | Asia |
Ukraine | Europe |
Uruguay | America-South |
USA (East Coast) | America-North |
USA (Midwest) | America-North |
USA (South) | America-North |
USA (West Coast) | America-North |
Venezuela | America-South |
Soon all the translations of the questionnaire conducted within the current research project (42 so far) will be available for free from this Web Site. You can use the scale as a research tool and for practical purposes. However, we would be glad if you could send us information regarding the results of your study and/or your experiences in using the scale.