Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of humor-based cognitive reappraisal on the regulation of negative emotions experienced during work among emotional laborers, specifically for mental health service professionals. A total of 40 mental health service workers were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: positive humor-based reappraisal (n = 11), negative humor-based reappraisal (n = 10), cognitive reappraisal (n = 9), or an emotion suppression condition (n = 10). Participants completed an online imagery-based training in which they listened to audio-recorded anger-inducing work scenarios and imagined, as vividly as possible, how they would regulate their emotions in those situations according to their assigned condition. Positive affect, negative affect, anger, and arousal were assessed before and after the treatment. Data were analyzed using a 4 (treatment type) × 2 (time) mixed-design analysis of variance. For positive affect, negative affect, and anger, the interaction effects between treatment type and time were not significant, whereas the main effects of time were significant. In contrast, a significant treatment type × time interaction effect was found for arousal, with the positive humor-based reappraisal group showing a decrease in arousal following the treatment. Finally, the limitations of the study, implications for future research, and the significance of the findings are discussed.