something disrupts or challenges our mental expectations causing us to laugh at the incongruity. There are 3 main theories used to explain the functions of humor: (1) the relief theory, (2) the incongruity theory, and (3) the superiority theory. This example also helps us to see the unexpected nature of the incongruous. The authors describe this as akin to a hydraulic engine, with laughter serving the function of a steam pipe pressure valve. For some, this sort of play with language shows that real incongruity-based humor has taken root. Your email address will not be published. The Theories of Humor and Laughter. I shall begin, however, with a sketchy review of some of the main theories of humour and the standard objections to them, which usually take the form of providing counter-examples. The effect of humorous movies on inpatients with chronic schizophrenia. 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). But this also shows how deeply cognitive the act is. They have created a moment of incongruity for the audience, helping us realise the inadequacy of our abstract knowledge, without realising this themselves and therefore making themselves look silly. So there you have it! Self-esteem instability and humor styles: Does the stability of self-esteem influence how people use humor? Philosophy, the journal of The Royal Institute of Philosophy is published by Cambridge University Press quarterly in January, April, July and October. Incongruity denotes the incoherence between the interpretation of two parts of a joke, namely, its setup and punchline. For example, when you look at a toilet brush, you view it through the filter of the human mind and view this item as only a toilet brush. Wit and folly simply allow us to account for the two different types of humour this theory allows us to model. Ostrower, C. (2015). In order for any two people to share a joke, its important that they share a certain conceptual or knowledge base. When is a coping technique seen as a way to manage, and when is it seen as a defense mechanism? As with other forms of illness, it is logical to propose that humor enhances coping among individuals dealing with mental health issues. There are three major families of theories of humor: humor as release, humor as aggression, and humor as incongruity. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. 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). The effects of human therapy on nursing home residents measured using observational methods: The SMILE cluster randomized trial. Before getting into this theory, we need to understand what the word incongruity means. None, they were dead before electricity was invented. A metaanalysis of positive humor in the workplace. Without it, IT isnt much. These science-based tools will help you move yourself or others through grief in a compassionate way. Abel, M. H. (2002). It recognizes that you cant find a difference between a thing and itself. You're the one saying it, not the toilet brush. Wilkins, J., & Eisenbraun, A. J. Comedians who adopt a more dead-pan style of presentation can leave their audiences confused. Who's to say that object is only a toilet brush? d) Resolution shows how (within the story world) the incongruity arises. 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. 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. It means 'knowledge of the senses', things as they simply are without the filter of human 'reason'. Wanzer, M., Booth-Butterfield, M., & Booth-Butterfield, S. (2005). Analysis of any joke or bit of humor generally, if not nearly always, makes the jokes not funny. But basically, the kernel of the idea is that you experience something that does not fit easily within the particular context. One is called 'wit' and the other 'folly'. Marziali, E., McDonald, L., & Donahue, P. (2008). 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). 1970 Royal Institute of Philosophy White is clear on this, in a humorous, IT 46 supporting way. One of simplest forms of humor in young children can be found when they actively do something contrary to expectation or norm. Think about whats required for you to get a joke. Cooper, C. (2008). More specific workplace benefits of humor included lower stress, burnout, and subordinate work withdrawal, and increased coping effectiveness, health, team cohesion, and job performance and satisfaction. Talbot, L., & Lumden, D. (2000). Before you continue reading, we thought you might like to download our three Grief Exercises [PDF] for free. If the joke were truly nonsensical, the response wouldnt be humor, it would be confusion. We also acknowledge previous National Science Foundation support under grant numbers 1246120, 1525057, and 1413739. Experimental comparison of the psychological benefits of aerobic exercise, humor, and music. Laughter and mirth, according to relief theory, result from this release of nervous energy. 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). This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. The Superiority Theory Chapter 2 - Incongruity Theory . This idea is evident in Cann and Collettes study (2014), as positive outcomes were associated with self-enhancing humor. They are reviewed along with neurolinguistic approaches, evolutionary theories of humor and a few mixed and partial theories that have been presented. Its also one of the reasons that humor doesnt usually cross cultures. Here the audience is told that the incongruities on offer are objects of humor, not concern. Here your friend has unknowingly brought two pieces of sensuous knowledgethe acts of looking up an answer online and of stealing it from the answers to the testunder the single piece of abstract knowledge, the idea of 'finding out an answer'. The benefits of humor in nursing education. New York: Coward McCann, 1941. In order to get whatever may be going on in this poorly formed joke, you need to know that Etruscans were an ancient civilization in Italy that was conquered by the Romans early on in the Roman Empires history. If you were to see a character brushing their teeth with a toilet brush in a slapstick comedy show, it would be amusing. But if you know nothing of the Etruscans you couldnt possibly make sense of it. Rowe, A., & Regehr, C. (2010). Thank . The initial question is nonsensical. Architectural tradition dictated that such a building be laid out formally and symmetrically along an axis connecting opposite entrances. other humor theories began to challenge the dom-inance of the superiority theory: the relief theory and the incongruity theory. The Friday bit about black owned-might not work as effectively in say mainland China, or Tasmania. At first the incongruity was unexpected, but now it cant be. . 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. Your friend welcomes you to their home for the first time and says "Let me introduce you to my furry little friend" before opening another door onto their bearded husband, where they had led you to expect a dog. And then we experience a sudden, shocking shift in perspective as our brains adjust to the new reality. Here the piece of abstract knowledge applicable to multiple pieces of sensuous knowledge is a word ('fire'), and so here we have an example of wordplay creating folly. It also is advantageous for both elderly and child populations. It has long been believed that humor and laughter play an important role in the maintenance of both psychological and physiological health and wellbeing in the face of stress (Lefcourt & Martin, 1986). It publishes over 2,500 books a year for distribution in more than 200 countries. Lets continue using this approach of relying on jokes to clarify the IT; its a timehonored tradition in humor research. We struggle to understand why. For this reason, many famous quotes have been penned about the benefits of humor, such as: The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Give yourself a pat on the back! In K. S. Cameron & G. M. Spreitzer (Eds.). however, humor seems to be more prevalent in post-modern literature. A friend is performing at an open mic night. At least not the clocks I know. 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). For example, in a study by Abel (2002), coping strategies were examined concerning humor and various types of stress. But what matters here is that something is at odds with another. To do this, we need to discuss how incongruity theory states we see the world. For more information, visit http://journals.cambridge.org. It surely has some and we will briefly cover those next. Three traditional theories of laughter and humor are examined, along with the theory that humor evolved from mock-aggressive play in apes. The four-stage model comprises the expectation, incongruity, resolution, and elaboration stages of humor processing. Perhaps this isnt a great joke, but it is a sort typically seen in children. Roberts (2019, 92) and Hurley et. 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. Relief theory maintains that laughter is a homeostatic mechanism by which psychological tension is reduced. For instance, let's say that you and a friend are in a stranger's bathroom, when you notice said stranger has accidentally left their toilet brush on a shelf instead of in its holder. Incongruity theory is arguably the most complicated comedy theory, but also the most convincing and widely applicable. a) Resolution makes the original incongruity no longer incongruous. The BVT specifies how psychological distance plays a central role in determining whether a . So now that you understand the basics of incongruity theory, there is just one final part for you to understanddon't worry, we're almost there! IT is often the starting point for much research into the other disciplines beyond philosophy/psychology/cognitive science. For instance, the Benign Violation theory of humor developed by a team of psychologists at the University of Colorado Boulder explains funny as a series non-threatening violations of social norms [source: McGraw and Warren].Essentially, a joke should violate some sort of cultural practice or value, but at a . Violated expectations can indeed be funny, as is acknowledged by incongruity theories of humor. This idea is borne out by research such as that by Liu (2012), who conducted a study with undergraduate students in Hong Kong. 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. Humor and the mastery of living: Using humor to cope with the daily stresses of growing up. Humor just feels good; it distracts us from our problems and promotes a lighter perspective. 30 - 32 First, one must "get the joke" (humor comprehension), which involves detection of the incongruity of the . When someone tickles you, you laugh and smile, but you also make a face expressing discomfort at the same time. 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. Bizarre or absurd as types of incongruity are a bit more difficult to describe as they are, well, bizarre, but they are definitely further refinements, or subsets of the incongruous. There are several theories that aim to explain why things are funny, how laughter works and why exactly we do it. While more research is sorely needed, extant literature suggests that humor may have many benefits among patients, such as enhanced immunity and positive emotions, improved interpersonal relationships, reduced pain, and increased positive emotions (Gelkopf, 2011). The child will continue playing with that rhyme substituting words here and there both with others and by themselves. However, from a neutral unshaped perspective, it is simply a brush. 2, surprised and amused (and sometimes offended) the public by breaking with the expectation that an artist's job was to . Whatever gets you through today: An examination of cynical humor among emergency service professionals. These two terms allow incongruity theory to be worked to account for all of comedy, as will hopefully be made clear by the further examples belowwhich should also hopefully help you get more to grips with this slightly complicated theory! Whether you find the sly response of the joker in setting up the listener to make a silly owl noise, or the taking advantage of the form of the knock-knock joke to force the listener into the silliness, incongruity is at work here through and through. The whole joke is just a chain absurdities, one seemingly more absurd than the next. You and your friend are at a bar one summer and your friend has a paper fan. I went to buy some camouflage pants the other day but I couldnt find any. Hence, one would predict that any experienced incongruity would produce humor. Relief Theory. I would have gone on, but you can check out www.thesaurus.com if you want to find other synonyms for incongruity. However, it is safe to say that IT is accepted by most researchers as the most accurate and likely true approach to explaining humor. 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. Its not without its issues or critics. 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). For example, among physicians who work with dying patients, humor has been reported as one of eight coping mechanisms used to handle the extreme stress involved in doing this type of work (Schulman-Green, 2003). The belief that laughter heals the mind has been around for centuries. The story revolves around grounded twelve-year-old Jack Gantos and the mysteries of the small Pennsylvania town he lives in. We laugh because we are surprised or because something seems to be out of place. 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. Thats a really interesting topic youre exploring. In other words, laughter is a function of anticipating a different outcome than what was expected. The use of humor in medicine has also been studied from the perspective of healthcare workers. One of the more serious objections is that incongruity has nothing to do with anything in humor. Why does this support the IT? Ganz, F. D., & Jacobs, J. M. (2014). A sense of humor is associated with increased life satisfaction and a pleasurable and engaged life (Ruch, Proyer, & Weber, 2010). Positive psychologists have a keen interest in the role of character strengths, which have been described as virtues that are crucial to human thriving (Peterson & Seligman, 2004). If I told you a joke where Etruscans were the main actors, you might not find it funny. If an incongruity is experienced in a relaxed or playful setting, if the incongruity is not one that should require serious attention, or if there are no pressing concerns at that time, the incongruity will be one experienced as humorous. He offers examples of negative emotions such as "fear, pity, indignation, disgust, etc." and neutral ones like "puzzlement, wonder, curiosity, or problem-solving," 7 as attitudes that will not provide pleasure sufficient for humor. Along the same lines . Audiences arent sure if theyre supposed to laugh (here an indicator of humor) or not. Hence weve found a counter-example to the theory. A quote from E.B. Want to know more about defense mechanisms? Incongruity theory, which focuses on the cognitive mechanisms of perception and interpretation, posits that it is the perceptions of incongruity that explain humor (Martin & Ford, 2018). download our three Grief Exercises [PDF] for free, 6 Ways to Explore and Maximize This Strength, Activities to Stimulate Emotional Development, 17 validated resilience tools for practitioners, Wisdom and knowledge Creativity & curiosity. But one way you can look to see if IT works, is to carefully look at your world and find incongruities. Martin, R. A. One type of humor Jack uses is irony. Your human perspective makes this use of the brush seem incongruous (def. The incongruity theory purports to define the for-mal object of comic amusement, which it locates in certain kinds of incongruity. By filling out your name and email address below. In another study examining the effectiveness of humor among individuals with mental illness, a humor-based activity involving clowns (i.e., the therapeutic clown approach) was implemented among psychiatric ward inpatients. Samson, A., & Antonelli, Y. From a linguistic and communicative perspective, humor involves a mix of verbal and non-verbal forms; a joke, a mirth, or a pun may not sound Farber (2007) has asserted that this theory was used since the times of Plato and Aristotle, and that it provides a revealing but narrow view in relation to the application of humor in literature (2007, p.72). For example, the mechanism of denial, when used by addicts, serves as a barrier to accepting the addiction and seeking help. Cambridge University Press is committed by its charter to disseminate knowledge as widely as possible across the globe. Explaining the absurd is a bitabsurd. My off-sounding engine does not produce a laugh. School-age children talking about humor: Data from focus groups. White, E. B. and Katherine White. In M. W. Gallagher & S. J. Lopez (Eds.). Just as the surrealists might have liked. Apparently, we're all seething cauldrons of fluid and gas, trying to get out and making us wacky. The Superiority Theory states a sense of superiority causes one to laugh from the misfortune and . 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. In this way, pent-up pressure is relieved through laughter. Askildson, L. (2005). The second theory described by Martin and Ford (2018) is the superiority theory, which focuses on interpersonal motivational mechanisms, with humor resulting as a function of self-esteem enhancement. ("partial resolution") c) The incongruity raises a "question" to which the resolution acts as the "answer". An indicator of humor in young children can be found when they actively do something to. Do something contrary to expectation or norm and your friend has a paper fan much research into the other beyond... Laid out formally and symmetrically along an axis connecting opposite entrances # x27 ; re seething! Object is only a toilet brush why exactly we do it and.. However, from a neutral unshaped perspective, it is a registered trademark the. From the misfortune and has nothing to do with anything in humor research define for-mal... Science-Based tools will help you move yourself or others through grief in study! 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