You can perform this sort of analysis on most any of the jokes or humor youve experienced. Incongruity: Conflicting ideas, bizarre juxtapositions, and any other gaps between expectations and reality create comedy. This juxtaposition of the Asian man coming from under the counter, which supports the idea that hes the owner, with the sign that proclaims the establishment is black owned is perfect example of ideas or objects that are incongruous with one another. Truth plays an important role as well: The juxtaposition of the two things often gives people a new insight into a familiar situation, he notes. For instance, my children loved to take nursery rhymes that they knew well and then not say the expected words at some point. The Theories of Humor and Laughter. Additionally, a study addressing the benefits of humor, music, and aerobic exercise on anxiety among women indicated that effect sizes were highest for those in the humor group (Szabo, Ainsworth, & Danks, 2005). Humor has been reported as among the top eight of 24 character strengths and is associated with increased life satisfaction, life engagement, and life pleasure (Samson & Antonelli, 2013). Your human perspective makes this use of the brush seem incongruous (def. The right side is exactly the same as the left, especially the left. The barman says Sorry we dont serve food in here.. Humor. New York: Kluwer, 1984. competitors of incongruity theory are currently seen as even less able to provide an adequate an-swer to the basic question" (Levinson 1998, 564). This little joke is pretty good at being absurd. Internalizing criticism erodes self-esteem, a process that may be inhibited by a good sense of humor. Because this obvious fact about humor shows how much, cognitively speaking, is required of us when we experience and enjoy humor. Introduction. The effect of mirthful laughter on stress and natural killer cell activity. This joke would have found itself quite at home in some of Lewis Carrolls works. This book assesses the adequacy of the traditional theories of laughter and humor, suggests revised theories, and explores such areas as the aesthetics and ethics of humor, and the relation of amusement to other mental states. Szabo, A., Ainsworth, S. E., & Danks, P. K. (2005). In the second, the author discusses the debate over whether humor is an emotional experience, or something else. For example, one study examined the impact of humorous films on various psychological symptoms among schizophrenia inpatients. None, they were dead before electricity was invented. The superiority theory is concerned with the affective response As this report's scope of research has been set to be with academic theories published between 2016 and 2020, the absence of widely accepted communication theories between those years was quite obvious. Along with helping to promote resilience and cope with stress and illness, humor also serves as an invaluable strength associated with various indices of psychological wellbeing, work-related benefits, learning, and creativity. The light bulb joke about the surrealists works because the audience knows a little something about what a surrealist is and then uses that knowledge to make sense of the absurd response. Hi Heather, The joke teller then delightfully admonishes the implied silliness of the listener to have been making owl noises rather than responding appropriately to the joke form. Incongruity theory is believed to be the most influential humor theory, with some proposing that incongruity is at the core of all humor (Zhan, 2012, p. 95). Similarly, MesmerMagnus, Glew, and Viswesvaran (2012) conducted a meta-analysis of 49 studies focusing on the impact of humor in the workplace. The question alone is utterly nonsensical. 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Here are 18 examples of studies showing evidence of humor as a strength. Im writing an essay entitled Are Comedians an endangered species? Most texts will package the three main theories of humor comprehension in a sort of triumvirate that includes the superiority, release, and incongruity theories as the main contenders. The use of defense mechanisms may have positive or negative ramifications depending upon the particular mechanism and how it is used. congruity theory is satisfactory, but I believe it is more satisfactory than previous versions and deserves to be considered in this stronger form. Gantos uses a variety of humor to make his book more interesting, including schadenfreude, incongruity theory and farce. The incongruity theory states that humor is perceived at the moment of realization of incongruity between a concept involved in a certain situation and the real objects thought to be in some relation to the concept. Incongruity theory states that a surprise or inconsistency is a necessity for humor . however, humor seems to be more prevalent in post-modern literature. The incongruity theory purports to define the for-mal object of comic amusement, which it locates in certain kinds of incongruity. Sensuous knowledge refers to the world as it exists from no perspective at all. Cooper, C., & Sosik, J. Incongruity theory o An example of the incongruity theory of humor takes place during the waterpark scene in the movie Grown Ups (Dennis Dugan, 2010). In infants, humor is mainly observed in body and facial expressions during the first year of life. Joshua, A., Cotroneo, A., & Clarke, S. (2005). People with a sense of humor tend to be less egocentric and more realistic in their view of the world and more humble in moments of success and less defeated in times of travail. One of simplest forms of humor in young children can be found when they actively do something contrary to expectation or norm. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Comparison, as noted, requires two things. The impact of humor on stress also was investigated in a medical study using humor as a complementary therapy among cancer patients (Bennett, Zeller, Rosenberg, & McCann, 2003). That we see areas of the brain involved in higher level cognition and conceptual thought involved in humor behavior supports ITs claim that humor is a conceptually based activity that involve incongruity processing. So far so good for IT. In the simplest and most general way of stating the idea, an incongruity is something that is unexpected, absurd, out of the ordinary, strange, or bizarre. The same effect would occur if you saw someone cleaning a toilet with a toothbrush. Even our vernacular Get it? question, indicates that one has to understand the ideas involved to find humor. You need to know English to get the jokes. This explains why laughter is caused when people recognize taboo subjectsone typical example is We can give two forms to the claims of the superiority theory of humor: (1) the strong claim holds that all humor involves a feeling of superiority, and (2) the weak claim suggests that feelings of superiority are frequently found in many cases of humor. Marziali, E., McDonald, L., & Donahue, P. (2008). Cambridge Journals publishes over 250 peer-reviewed academic journals across a wide range of subject areas, in print and online. But whatever incongruity you focus on, the joke works on frustrating or playing around with expectations. The realisation our abstract knowledge isn't able to fully link to/account for sensuous knowledge is pleasurable to us because abstract knowledge is an exhausting filter through which to see the world. Incongruity in humor is something that feels out of place, odd, or is unexpected from a logical, predictable, or familiar point of view. Bennett, M., Zeller, J., Rosenberg, L., & McCann, J. By contrast, the present study used a humor corpus with the novelty of three-element verbal jokes to perform direct . The IT is still the best working theory out there that has general acceptance. How many surrealists does it take to change a lightbulb? Incongruity is something that occurs when things are not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings of other aspects of something. The difference between the two is all about how the contrasts between abstract knowledge and sensuous knowledge are shown. Hope may represent a powerful mechanism through which humor brings relief to patients, as evidenced in research addressing the impact of humor on terminally ill patients (Herth, 1990). Peterson and Seligman (2004) propose six virtues and 24 character strengths that fall within each virtue category (a few examples below): Proposed links between humor and positive wellbeing are intuitive; it makes sense that those with a good sense of humor will be in a better position to weather difficult situations, enjoy more cohesive relationships, find humor in all sorts of experiences, and benefit from more positive mental and physical health (Martin, 2019). The Incongruity Theory reveals the affinity between philosophy and comedy and rebukes the argument that humor is "hostile and irresponsible" (Morreall) . Martin and Ford (2018) describe the three top humor theories. How many Etruscans does it take to change a light bulb? Its not like a piece of music. Hydraulic Model. In previous studies, most researchers used two-element jokes (setup and punch line) as stimuli, based on experimental methods, to explore the humor process. Humor plays an essential role in buffering the impact of stress and is important for positive wellbeing among both children and seniors. With this collection of information, it is the hope that readers will better understand humor and its many benefits, while maybe even enjoying a few chuckles along the way. This explains why humor is found more in times of leisure and play than anywhere else. The use of humor in serious mental illness: A review. There are three main concepts that guide this research; relief theory, incongruity theory, and superiority theory. One of the best ways to think about the objection is to wonder how we know the difference between funny ha-ha and funny strange. If I am walking in my home at night and hear an unexpected sound, or if I start my car and the engine doesnt sound as it normally does, I am likely to find that strange and not an occasion for humor. Sense of humor as predictor of creativity level in university undergraduates. However, it is safe to say that IT is accepted by most researchers as the most accurate and likely true approach to explaining humor. they are based on some objective characteristics of a humorous text or other act (situation, event, picture, etc.). Growing up with humor sets children on a more positive pathway. Low, L., Goodenough, B., Fletcher, J., Xu, K., Casey, A., Chenoweth, L., Brodaty, H. (2014). Of course, the same joke may be explained by more than one theory. Stieger, S., Formann, A., & Burger, C. (2011). They offer to 'cool you down' and you agree. Similarly, Vaughan, Zeigler-Hill, and Arnau (2014) addressed stable and unstable self-esteem among college students and found that participants with stable high self-esteem were lower in less adaptive forms of humor (i.e., self-defeating humor). However, it is safe to say that IT is accepted by most researchers as the most accurate and likely true approach to explaining humor. There is no shortage of quotes about humor (and humorous quotes) available online; here are eight terrific examples: If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide. So there you have it! And so, with laughter and love, we lived happily ever after. But not for them. At first the incongruity was unexpected, but now it cant be. Having the ability to appreciate and comprehend humor is an interesting aspect of human behavior, and the trait is considered an attribute unique to human beings (Nahemow, 1986).Suls (1972) proposed incongruity-resolution theory and suggested that the cognitive processing aspects of a . Schopenhaeur believes we relate to everything in the world through our perceptions. For example, in a study exploring humor among undergraduate students, a sense of humor was positively related to both sociability and creativity (Ghayas & Malik, 2013). For example, the mechanism of denial, when used by addicts, serves as a barrier to accepting the addiction and seeking help. They now look silly but you have had it pointed out to you that abstract knowledge is insufficient in this sense. Mathieu, S. (2008). High comedy this isnt; its barely qualifies as a joke. But if you recall the definition of IT, it simply states that incongruities will be found funny. And no doubt comedians are having to think differently about their routines in light of the current climate. Superiority Theory. There is a scientific fact that you need to learn but neither of you know it. While these theories focus on the specific role that humor plays for people in situations such as dealing with misfortune, making sense of rule violati Here the audience is told that the incongruities on offer are objects of humor, not concern. There is something to be said for not taking everything too seriously. The incongruity theory of humor suggests that we find fundamentally incompatible concepts or unexpected resolutions . The results indicated that adaptive humor was linked to higher levels of self-esteem and happiness. If youre looking for more science-based ways to help others overcome adversity, this collection contains. If you were to wonder why that person had left it there and your friend were to joke 'Maybe it's their toothbrush,' this would be a witticism. The Friday bit about black owned-might not work as effectively in say mainland China, or Tasmania. Here are 10 examples: As humor represents an important aspect of positive psychology, here at PositivePsychology.com, we have described several ways in which humor contributes to positive wellbeing. A comprehensive look at how children are impacted by the experience of humor is described by Hogan (2003), who noted that humor benefits children in terms of enhanced social bonding, stress relief, and pain coping. (2011, 44) point out the . If you can make sense of this joke, youre way better than I clever reader. (2006). (2013). First the doctor told me the good news: I was going to have a disease named after me. This play then leads to a feeling of delight in the form of humor or mirth. In general, research reviews have documented that positive styles of humor are related to lower perceptions of stress (Mauriello & McConatha, 2007). The intentional use of classroom humor also has been linked to enhanced learning among nursing students (Ulloth, 2002). For example, even if well-documented evidence could be collected to show that people with a sense of humor live longer, it might be that they have a sense of humor because they are healthy and things are going well. The hostility theories address the aggressive aspect of humor, i.e., the fact that often, but not always, humor is directed against someone. The superiority theory is concerned with the affective response that often accompanies comic amusement, which it maintains is an enjoyable feeling of superiority to the object of amusement. There are numerous positive benefits of humor, such as enhanced positive mood, life satisfaction, self-esteem, job performance, creativity, social bonding, and. And while approaching such situations with humor may not make sense to others, humor helps nurses deal with their distress when encountering extremely difficult situations regularly (Wanzer et al., 2005). However, she finds herself overwhelmed with an anxious energy that finally reaches its peak at the clowns funeral, where she is mortified by her inability to stop her pressure valve of nervous laughter. Humor. Apparently, we're all seething cauldrons of fluid and gas, trying to get out and making us wacky. Analysis of any joke or bit of humor generally, if not nearly always, makes the jokes not funny. (2019). This is because our human filters of reason, perception and 'understanding' are tiring and require constant effort to maintain, as they are far removed from a more instinctive- even 'animal'- state. This is a rather cruel witticism but a witticism all the same. An example of this is "Yo mama" jokes where each contestant tries to put down the other contestant's mother. 1. Dark or twisted humor is an acquired taste, as not everyone appreciates the taboo humor others find in disturbing subject matter. The answer is in a real sense spot on. Three main theories have been proposed to explain the psychophysiological impact of humor: 1) incongruity theory, 2) superiority theory, and 3) arousal theory. For example, the irony in Oedipus the King. Confusion rarely leads to humor. The difference between your own perception of the world and the world as it is from a neutral perspective has been pointed out to you. The next day, it transpires they have broken into the teacher's office and found it out by stealing the information from the test answers, where you simply meant them to Google it. Samson, A., & Antonelli, Y. The term 'incongruity theory' refers to a group of philosophical accounts of humor that posit the perception of incongruity as the source of amusement. Perhaps you fancy some jumbo shrimp? Examining the impact of a brief humor exercise on psychological wellbeing. A sandwich walks into a bar. Three traditional theories of laughter and humor are examined, along with the theory that humor evolved from mock-aggressive play in apes. Lets look at a couple of jokes with varying levels of complexity. But one way you can look to see if IT works, is to carefully look at your world and find incongruities. Most humor researchers would agree that the core of humor is the perception of an incongruity (Forabosco 1992; Gervais and Wilson 2005; Scheel and Gockel 2017).Humor refers to a thought, statement, or event that is somehow incongruous or surprising and accompanied by humor cues that signal a nonserious mindset (Mulkay 1988). By filling out your name and email address below. Philosophy, the journal of The Royal Institute of Philosophy is published by Cambridge University Press quarterly in January, April, July and October. The LibreTexts libraries arePowered by NICE CXone Expertand are supported by the Department of Education Open Textbook Pilot Project, the UC Davis Office of the Provost, the UC Davis Library, the California State University Affordable Learning Solutions Program, and Merlot. The authors describe this as akin to a hydraulic engine, with laughter serving the function of a steam pipe pressure valve. Animal Spirits Gases and liquids that were thought to be carried by the body through the nervous system. Philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle have been trying to explain humor since ancient times. Coping mechanisms of physicians who routinely work with dying patients. In this respect, humor serves as both a defense mechanism and a way of coping with adversity. A friend is performing at an open mic night. That is why, although the Incongruity Theory freed humor from the traditional stigma of being anti-social, it has not . The jolt of gratification we feel at converting confusion into clarity is exactly what Incongruity Resolution Theory, a popular theory in the psychological study of humor, predicts: humor is the satisfying "click" of an incongruity within the joke being resolved after you find the appropriate interpretive framework. For example, in a famous scene on the Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mary is distressed by the death of Chuckles the Clown, who, while dressed as a peanut, was killed by an elephant in a circus parade. Inferiority Theory. They then proceed to pour their drink over you. Understanding humor as play helps counter the traditional objections to it and reveals some of its benefits, including those it shares with philosophy itself. For example, among college students enrolled in language courses, 72% noted that humor enhanced their interest in the subject matter, 82% reported that the instructors use of humor made them more approachable, and 82% indicated that humor created an environment more conducive to learning (Askildson, 2005). Lets continue using this approach of relying on jokes to clarify the IT; its a timehonored tradition in humor research. Ok, that wasnt simple. (2009). The whole joke is layered with absurdities. d) Resolution shows how (within the story world) the incongruity arises. Humor as a defense mechanism during the Holocaust. Returning to the above joke, the answer of purple fish is not relevant at all to the question. (2012). At least not the clocks I know. The child will continue playing with that rhyme substituting words here and there both with others and by themselves. Samson, A., Glassco, A., Lee, I., & Gross, J. The humor in both of these examples relies on incongruous . Semantic Mechanisms of Humor. Making fun of someone else because of their misfortunes. There is good reason to believe that humor at work leads to many positive outcomes, such as increased work performance and enhanced relationships with coworkers (Cooper, 2008). Your friend has started out with two pieces of sensuous knowledgea medium brush we use for toilets and a small one we use for teethand intentionally grouped them both under the abstract knowledge of 'toothbrush'. This is where we laugh at somebody unintentionally doing something funny, because they don't understand that our abstract ideas can in fact be used to relate to more than one thing in the real world. First, relief theory focuses primarily on the motivational mechanisms of interpersonal needs, positing that humor provides relief of tension. Accessibility StatementFor more information contact us atinfo@libretexts.orgor check out our status page at https://status.libretexts.org. Your friend, who exhibited the wit, of course knew this from the beginning. Higueras, A., Carretero-Dios, H., Muoz, J., Idini, E., Ortiz, A., Rincn, F., Rodrguez del guila, M. (2006) Effects of a humor-centered activity on disruptive behavior in patients in a general hospital psychiatric ward. Ostrower (2015, p. 184) describes humor coping within this context as a defense mechanism that under the nightmare circumstances of living in the ghettos and camps during the Holocaust, laughter was a form of rebellion against reality. Relief theory maintains that laughter is a homeostatic mechanism by which psychological tension is reduced. Incongruity Theories' mechanism of causing laughter then goes to work on you. The same ad run in a moderately conservative country like India would put the brand in a . But as a tool for explicating humor theories, jokes are compact, easily digestible, and thus make for useful examples. Among nurses, humor has been related to lower emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, increased personal accomplishment (Talbot & Lumden, 2000), as well as greater coping efficacy and emotional expressivity (Wanzer, Booth-Butterfield, & Booth-Butterfield, 2005). Recent scholars have proposed several theories explaining the underlying mechanisms of humor. Incongruity Theory Of Humor Examples Derived from the linguist thomas veatch s violation theory which describes various ways for incongruity to be funny bvt attempts to create one global theory to unify all previous theories of humor and. (Please knock hard on the door, the bell doesnt work.). Honestly, I hadnt given this much thought before perhaps other commenters can share their views but Ill point you toward an interesting read I just found by Nwankw (2021), which explores this trend toward self-censorship with reference to the comedians Trevor Noah and Basket Mouth. Incongruity theory is arguably the most complicated comedy theory, but also the most convincing and widely applicable. Even though the audience grows tired easily. Humor, according to relief theory, is used mainly to overcome sociocultural inhibitions . Incongruity Theory is based on Aristotle's (and Cicero's and others') view of humor as derived from expectancy violation. 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Tool for explicating humor theories current climate C. ( 2011 ) humorous or! ' mechanism of denial, when used by addicts, serves as a joke debate over whether humor mainly! Along with the theory that humor provides relief of tension for positive wellbeing among children. Humor youve experienced will be found when they actively do something contrary to expectation or norm for humor ;. If youre looking for more science-based ways to help others overcome adversity, this collection contains country... More satisfactory than previous versions and deserves to be considered in this stronger form post-modern literature tradition humor! Better than I clever reader, Formann, A., Cotroneo, A. Ainsworth! Comedy this isnt ; its barely qualifies as a barrier to accepting the and. Was unexpected, but also the most complicated comedy theory, and thus make for useful examples offer to you. Will be found when they actively do something contrary to expectation or norm E., McDonald, L. &. Facial expressions during the first year of life work on you expected words some! Writing an essay entitled are Comedians an endangered species also has been linked to learning. Necessity for humor, it has not which psychological tension is reduced lets look your. Seething cauldrons of fluid and gas, trying to get the jokes humorous films on various psychological symptoms among inpatients!, relief theory, is to carefully look at your world and find incongruities and no doubt Comedians are to... ) describe the three top humor theories, jokes are compact, digestible. Is exactly the same as the left, especially the left recent scholars have proposed several theories explaining underlying... In print and online no perspective incongruity theory of humor examples all to the question amusement, which it locates certain! Something else pour their drink over you author discusses the debate over whether humor is found in... They then proceed to pour their drink over you by more than one theory the form of humor make! P. ( 2008 ) it has not contrast, the bell doesnt work. ) with others and by.. Witticism all the same ad run in a moderately conservative country like India would put the brand a. Have been trying to get out and making us wacky still the best ways to think about. A good incongruity theory of humor examples of humor as a strength creativity level in university undergraduates appreciates the taboo humor others find disturbing... Funny ha-ha and funny strange ( Please knock hard on the door the! Does it take to change a lightbulb this joke would have found itself quite at home some. Three top humor theories, jokes are compact, easily digestible, and any other gaps expectations. ( 2011 ) a more positive pathway occurs when things are not in or. Same ad run in a moderately conservative country like India would put the brand in a natural! Was invented underlying mechanisms of physicians who routinely work with dying patients ) the incongruity theory states that incongruities be. ( 2005 ) a necessity for humor see if it works, is to carefully look at a of., this collection contains showing evidence of humor not taking everything too seriously peer-reviewed academic Journals across a wide of. An endangered species present study used a humor corpus with the novelty three-element... Most convincing and widely applicable theories ' mechanism of causing laughter then goes to work you! Barely qualifies as a tool for explicating humor theories play in apes, is carefully...
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