Investigation of relationships between early maladaptive schemas, humor styles and psychological adjustment in university students

This research was conducted to investigate the relationship between early maladaptive schemas, humor styles and psychological adaptation and also to determine whether the humor styles have a mediating role in the relation between early maladaptive schemas and psychological adaptation. This study is a cross-sectional study with a correlational nature. Research sample consists of a total of 408 university students, 292 girls and 116 boys, between the ages of 18-45 (mean =21.36, S = 2.51), stuying at Çukurova University and Çağ University in 2021-2022 academic year. In the data collection process for the research, the Young Schema Scale (YSQ-S3), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Humor Styles Scale (HSQ) and the Personal Information Form prepared by the researcher were used. The gathered data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis and Multiple Mediation Analysis methods. As a result, it was found that self-enhancing humor style has a mediating role between disconnection and impaired autonomy schema areas and psychological adjustment. On the other hand, significant mediating effects for self-destructive humor style was found in the relationships between disconnection, impaired autonomy, other-directedness schema domains and psychological adaptation. The results were discussed through the relevant literature, and possible explanations for the results were made. The limitations of the study and suggestions for future studies are stated.