Self-esteem and humor style as mediators of the effects of shyness on loneliness among Chinese college students

In this study, the mediator effects of self-esteem and humor style on the relationship between shyness and loneliness in Chinese college students were investigated. The participants were 525 students, with age range of 19–23, who were attending two different Chinese colleges in Xi’an and Fujian. Data were collected by using the Cheek and Buss shyness scale, Rosenberg self-esteem scale, humor style questionnaire and emotional and social loneliness scale. Path analysis showed that self-esteem and humor style partially mediated the relationship between shyness and loneliness. The final model also revealed a significant path from shyness through self-enhancing humor and self-esteem to loneliness. Furthermore, a multi-group analysis found that male college students who are less likely to use self-enhancing humor are more likely to result in loneliness than their female counterparts. The results are discussed in terms of the conceptional context.

► Shyness and loneliness were partially mediated by self-esteem, affiliative humor and self-enhancing humor.
► The path of evaluative shyness → self-enhancing humor → self-esteem → loneliness was significant.
► The path from self-enhancing humar to loneliness has significant gender difference.
► We test the mediation models in Chinese culture.