Humor Structure Appreciation Scale: Analysis of the psychometric properties of the Czech version

Abstract

Objectives. The aim of the study was to assess the psychometric properties of a Czech adaptation of the Humor Structure Appreciation Scale (HSAS) which measures appreciation of two structural dimensions of humor: incongruity-resolution (INC-RES), and nonsense (NON). Differences in humor structure appreciation were investigated between a Czech and a Macedonian sample, and measurement invariance was tested.
Participants and setting. Two online studies were conducted. After a back-translation of the scale, the first proposal of the Czech version of the HSAS was given to 145 participants from the Czech Republic. In the second study, the HSAS-CZ was completed by a Czech sample of 346 subjects. A measure of the need for closure was also completed to assess construct validity. The Macedonian sample comprised of 562 subjects filled in only the original version of the HSAS.
Results. Principal component analysis showed that the sum of variance explained by the two dimensions was 60.8%, and the factor loadings were satisfactory. The second study confirmed the factor structure of the scale. The results of the Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the two-factor model had an acceptable fit (RMSEA = .053 [.034, .072], CFI = .986, TLI = .981). The standardized factor loadings were high for INC-RES (λ = .62 to .79), as well as for NON humor (λ = .57 to 80). Initial construct validity was obtained. The HSAS-CZ scales were theoretically related to the need for closure. The jokes were found funnier by the Macedonian sample in comparison to the Czech by one third to one half standard deviation. Finally, a strict measurement invariance model comparing the Czech and Macedonian versions of the test showed an acceptable fit. However, significant differences were found in factor loadings as well as in residual variances.
Limitations. The main limitation of the study is the use of convenience samples.