Abstract

This study compares the characteristics and possible causes of gelotophobia (the fear of being laughed at) in different parts of
Switzerland. In addition, we examined how gelotophobia was related to variables of positive psychological functioning. The first study
(N = 1,006) revealed that gelotophobia can be found in all language regions of Switzerland with an approximate prevalence of 5%. The
results suggest that cultural background is more relevant for the development of gelotophobia than the language spoken in the respective
area. The second study (N = 196) showed gelotophobia to be negatively related to subjective well-being, grit (i.e., a perseverance and
passion for long-term goals), gratitude, cognitive aspects of subjective well-being, and subjective happiness. Variables of positive psychological
functioning contribute to the understanding of the experiential world of gelotophobes, but might also be relevant when developing
interventions to alleviate the fear of being laughed at.