Three separate studies examined the use of humor in intercollegiate varsity sport. The first explored, via focus groups, who, what, where, when, and why humor is used. The second examined, via multilevel modeling, how athletes’ perceptions of cohesion (measured via the Group Environment Questionnaire; Carron et al., 1985) related to the styles of humor (measured via a modified version of the Martin et al. (2003) Humor Styles Questionnaire), used by athletes, teams, and head coaches. The third investigated, via multilevel modeling, how the styles of humor used by athletes and head coaches related to athletes’ liking of the head coach, via select items from the Coach Evaluation Questionnaire (Rushall & Wiznak, 1985). Results showed that humor use was ubiquitous and associated with positive and negative outcomes. The results of Study 1 showed that humor was used to achieve the positive outcomes of enhanced sport relationships, coping, and performance. Within sport relationships, the results from Study 2 and 3 showed that athletes’ and coaches’ use of positive styles of humor (i.e., affiliative and self-enhancing) were generally related to athletes’ increased perceptions of team cohesion and liking of the head coach. With regard to negative outcomes, the results of Study 1 showed that if humor use was excessive, ill-timed, and/or negative (i.e. aggressive or self-defeating), it could result in damaged relationships, distressed individuals, and reduced performance. Studies 2 and 3 also showed that athletes’ use of self-defeating humor was associated with decreased athlete perceptions of task cohesion and liking of the head coach, whereas head coaches’ use of self-defeating humor was associated with decreased athlete perceptions of social cohesion. These results align with Martin’s (2007) conceptualization of humor as a social skill such that its use, when in the right amount, at an ideal time, and with the optimal style, can have numerous potential benefits. This dissertation was also the first to note potential detrimental outcomes associated with the use of humor in intercollegiate varsity sport; thus several recommendations for both coaches and athletes were advanced to maximize the benefits of its use
