The relationship between humor and health has been an ongoing research focus. In addition to examining how exposure to humor and sense of humor might be related to the experience of stress, we have begun looking at how sense of humor and uses of humor may affect personal well-being and social relationships.

I also am involved in an interdisciplinary project with clinical psychologists in the department looking at the posttraumatic growth processes. Some people who are dealing with highly stressful events perceive benefits from the experience. We are investigating when and why this happens. Details can be found at the project web site:

http://www.ptgi.uncc.edu/

Primary Interests:

Close Relationships
Gender Psychology
Health Psychology
Interpersonal Processes

Close Relationships
Gender Psychology

Health Psychology
Interpersonal Processes

Research Group or Laboratory:

Posttraumatic Growth Research Group
Interactive Map

Journal Articles:

Cann, A., & Baucom, T. R. (2004). Former partners and new rivals as threats to a relationship: Infidelity type, gender, and commitment as factors related to distress and forgiveness. Personal Relationships, 11, 305-318.
Cann, A., & Calhoun, L. G. (2001). Perceived personality associations with differences in sense of humor: Stereotypes of hypothetical others with high or low senses of humor. Humor, 13, 1-14.
Cann, A., Calhoun, L. G., & Banks, J. S. (1997). On the role of humor appreciation in interpersonal attraction. Humor, 10, 77-89.
Cann, A., Calhoun, L. G., & Nance, J. (2000). Exposure to humor before or after an unpleasant stimulus: Humor as a preventative or a cure. Humor, 13, 177-191.
Cann, A., Calhoun, L. G., Tedeschi, R. G., Kilmer, R. P., Gil-Rivas, V., Vishnevsky, T., & Danhauer, S. C. (2010). The Core Beliefs Inventory: A brief measure of disruption in the assumptive world. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 23, 19-34.
Cann, A., Calhoun, L. G., Tedeschi, R. G., & Solomon, D. T. (2010). Posttraumatic growth and posttraumatic depreciation as independent predictors of well-being. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 15, 1-16.
Cann, A., Calhoun, L. G., Tedeschi, R. G., Taku, K., Vishnevsky, T., Triplett, K. N., & Danhauer, S. C. (2010). A short form of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 23, 127-137.
Cann, A., Calhoun, L. G., Tedeschi, R. G., Triplett, K. N., Vishnevsky, T., & Lindstrom, C. M. (2011). Assessing posttraumatic cognitive processes: The Event Related Rumination Inventory. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 24(2), 137-156.
Cann, A., & Etzel, K. C. (2008). Remembering and anticipating stressors: Positive personality mediates the relationship with sense of humor. Humor, 21, 157-178.
Cann, A., Mangum, J. L., & Wells, M. (2001). Distress in response to relationship infidelity: The roles of gender and attitudes about relationships. Journal of Sex Research, 38, 185-190.
Cann, A., Norman, M. A., Welbourne, J. L., & Calhoun, L. G. (2007). Attachment styles, conflict styles, and humour styles: Inter-relationships and associations with relationship satisfaction. European Journal of Personality, 21, 1-16.
Cann, A., Stilwell, K., & Taku, K. (2010). Humor styles, positive personality, and health. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 3, 213-235.
Cann, A., Zapata, C. L., & Davis, H. B. (2011). Humor style and relationship satisfaction in dating couples: Perceived versus self-reported humor styles as predictors of satisfaction. Humor, 24, 1-20.
Cann, A., Zapata, C. L., & Davis, H. B. (2009). Positive and negative styles of humor in communication: Evidence for the importance of considering both styles. Communication Quarterly, 57, 452-468.
Taku, K., Cann, A., Calhoun, L. G., & Tedeschi, R. G. (2008). The factor structure of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory: A comparison of five models using confirmatory factor analysis. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 21(2), 158-164.
Taku, K., Cann, A., Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (2009). Intrusive versus deliberate rumination in posttraumatic growth across US and Japanese samples. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 22, 129-136.
Taku, K., Tedeschi, R. G., Calhoun, L. G., Gil-Rivas, V., Kilmer, R. P., & Cann, A. (2007). Examining posttraumatic growth among Japanese university students. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 20, 353-367.

Other Publications:

Cann, A., & Cann, A. T. (2011). The psychology of humor in House. In E. Cascio & L. L. Martin (Eds.), House and psychology: Humanity is overrated (pp. 114-132). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Courses Taught:

Research Design and Quantitative Methods
Research Methods (undergraduate)
Senior Seminar in Social Psychology
Social Psychology

Research Design and Quantitative Methods
Research Methods (undergraduate)

Senior Seminar in Social Psychology
Social Psychology

Arnie Cann
Department of Psychology
University of North Carolina Charlotte
9201 University City Boulevard
Charlotte, NC 28223
United States

Phone: (704) 687-4743
Fax: (704) 687-3096