2015, Volume 21, Issue 3

Sense of Humor and Coping Stress among Young Pilots

Agnieszka SZYMANIK¹, Jan F. TERELAK²
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¹Institute of Psychology, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University
²Military Institute of Aviation Medicine


Autor korenspondencyjny: Jan F. TERELAK; Military Institute of Aviation Medicine; email: jterelak[at]wiml.waw.pl

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Streszczenie

Introduction

The study was empirical and concerned the relationship between the sense of humor and styles of coping stress among young military pilots. Theoretical grounds for this work were set in the Humor Styles Questionnaire by R. Martin, P. Puhlik-Doris,
G. Larsen, J. Gray and K. Weir, as well as the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations by N.S. Endler and J.D.A. Parker.

Method

We used the Polish version of Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ) by R. Martin, P. Puhlik-Doris, G. Larsen, J. Gray and K. Weir, adapted by E. Hornowska and J. Charytoniuk as well as a Polish version of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) by
N.S. Endler and J.A. Parker adapted by J. Strelau, A. Jaworowska, K. Wrześniewski and P. Szczepaniak.

Results

The experimental group comprised students of aviation at the Polish Air Force Academy in Deblin (n=23), while the control group consisted of civil engineering students at the Military University of Technology in Warsaw (n=24). Conducted analyses confirmed some of the hypotheses regarding a correlation between aggressive humor and engaging in substitute activities as well as differences between aviation and civil engineering students with regard to higher levels of affi liative humor, task-oriented style and social diversion among pilots.

Discussion

We focused our attention on the nature of adaptive humor under stressful situations in both study groups as well as the diff erences between study groups with regard to sense of humor and coping stress styles.

Conclusion

Young military pilots are characterized by high level of affi liative humor and preference for task-oriented style of coping stress and social diversion.

Słowa kluczowe

coping stress styles, sense of humor, young military pilots