This article provides readers with a comprehensive look at humor as an important concept in positive psychology. Gantos uses a variety of humor to make his book more interesting, including schadenfreude, incongruity theory and farce. Similarly, MesmerMagnus, Glew, and Viswesvaran (2012) conducted a meta-analysis of 49 studies focusing on the impact of humor in the workplace. Humor also may function as an adaptive ego defense by enabling people to perceive the comical absurdity in highly challenging situations. Analysis of any joke or bit of humor generally, if not nearly always, makes the jokes not funny. This concept is exemplified by the ability of healthcare workers to employ dark humor as a way of coping with chronic job stress (e.g., Schulman-Green, 2003; Talbot & Lumden, 2000; Wanzer et al., 2005). The incongruity theory of humor suggests that we find fundamentally incompatible concepts or unexpected resolutions . Superiority Theory. Detrimental humor (e.g., sarcasm and self-disparaging humor), on the other hand, is believed to have potentially negative ramifications such as reduced relationship quality and low self-esteem (Martin, 2019). 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. Once again, something funnysomething incongruousmakes clear to us the difference between the world as it really, simply is and how we perceive it. is an example of 'humor went right. If youre looking for more science-based ways to help others overcome adversity, this collection contains. Humor may thus for example serve to facilitate relief of the tension caused by one's fears. Martin and Ford (2018) describe the three top humor theories. None, they were dead before electricity was invented. If you can make sense of this joke, youre way better than I clever reader. In contrast, a person who is not yet ready to face trauma may use mechanisms such as regression or suppression as protective mechanisms until ready to face the situation. At least not the clocks I know. The joke makes sense, if in a different or atypical way. New York: Kluwer, 1984. a) Resolution makes the original incongruity no longer incongruous. The humor students bring to the classroom is also essential. This is textbook IT. Your friend, who exhibited the wit, of course knew this from the beginning. Raskin, Victor. 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. But if you know nothing of the Etruscans you couldnt possibly make sense of it. Sensuous knowledge refers to the world as it exists from no perspective at all. Humor. Humor and the mastery of living: Using humor to cope with the daily stresses of growing up. Sense of humor as predictor of creativity level in university undergraduates. When in reality, it is simply a medium-sized tool for brushing. Joshua, A., Cotroneo, A., & Clarke, S. (2005). Its not like a piece of music. Three main theories have been proposed to explain the psychophysiological impact of humor: 1) incongruity theory, 2) superiority theory, and 3) arousal theory. competitors of incongruity theory are currently seen as even less able to provide an adequate an-swer to the basic question" (Levinson 1998, 564). The benefits of humor in nursing education. White, E. B. and Katherine White. They offer to 'cool you down' and you agree. The concepts involved must be related in some way or else the audience will be confused. However, from a neutral unshaped perspective, it is simply a brush. 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. Humor plays an essential role in buffering the impact of stress and is important for positive wellbeing among both children and seniors. If youre not an English speaker knock-knock jokes will go over your head. 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). The humor in both of these examples relies on incongruous interpretations . 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). White is clear on this, in a humorous, IT 46 supporting way. The Incongruity Theory of Humor. This is specifically a wordplay used as a witticism. It fits with current scientific approaches, it conforms and relates to our everyday experience of humor, and its also explanatory. The relief theory ar-gues that laughter serves to facilitate the relief of pressure for the nervous system (Morreall,2020). But as a tool for explicating humor theories, jokes are compact, easily digestible, and thus make for useful examples. 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. Today's humor research draws on elements of these primary theories and remixes them. I hope thats not the case below, but youll likely find the jokes less funny for the analysis. However, most evidence proposing a link between humor and improved health is anecdotal. To you, the brush would seem comically small for the task at handeveryone knows it's a toothbrush, not a toilet brush. Whereas the previous examples involved. For example, one study examined the impact of humorous films on various psychological symptoms among schizophrenia inpatients. To understand incongruity in non-words, it is important to know that some letters are more likely than others in the English language (e.g., "E" is more frequent than "Q"), and furthermore . 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). This idea is evident in Cann and Collettes study (2014), as positive outcomes were associated with self-enhancing humor. (2013). (2019). Lets continue using this approach of relying on jokes to clarify the IT; its a timehonored tradition in humor research. In linguistics, the affiliative aspect of humor has dominated the . 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). Humor, stress, and coping strategies. The comedian isnt giving enough clues to indicate that this is supposed to be funny. Meaningful quotes and additional resources are also included, along with a bit of humor sprinkled throughout. This does not mean that IT is not without its problems. Another issue with IT comes from my continued delight at the parrot joke. 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). (2005) in their aptly titled article If We Didnt Use Humor, Wed Cry. 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. If you can figure it out, please skip the rest of this paragraph, but there may be more incongruities than you initially think. In other words, laughter is a function of anticipating a different outcome than what was expected. 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! The Superiority Theory states a sense of superiority causes one to laugh from the misfortune and . Along the same lines . Once they begin college, humor is predictive of better college adjustment (Hickman & Crossland, 2004). 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). Thats a really interesting topic youre exploring. Roberts (2019, 92) and Hurley et. Legal. Incongruity Theories' mechanism of causing laughter then goes to work on you. But, for people who experience stressful jobs or complicated family dynamics, dark humor often serves as an important protective mechanism. Some of the most famous artists of the twentieth century, including Marcel Duchamp with his 1912 Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 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. Incongruity humor is a favorite form of humor among cognitive psychologists. Lovorn, M. (2008). 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 Comedians who adopt a more dead-pan style of presentation can leave their audiences confused. Research has supported this idea. You're the one saying it, not the toilet brush. On the pigs paint the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 5. The most important theory of humor analysis and synthesis is called Incongruity and Incongruity resolution. Ghayas, S., & Malik, F. (2013). You need to know English to get the jokes. Additionally, humor may represent a vital strength during middle childhood by helping kids to gain the support of a peer group and by enhancing self-esteem (Klein & Kuiper, 2006). Two main theories of humor studies can be identified. The use of defense mechanisms may have positive or negative ramifications depending upon the particular mechanism and how it is used. By Steve Buissinne, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. That is why, although the Incongruity Theory freed humor from the traditional stigma of being anti-social, it has not . Zhan, L. (2012). Philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle have been trying to explain humor since ancient times. Patient: Bullets!. Accessibility StatementFor more information contact us atinfo@libretexts.orgor check out our status page at https://status.libretexts.org. Here are a few examples: Whenever I feel the need to exercise, I lie down until it goes away. Internalizing criticism erodes self-esteem, a process that may be inhibited by a good sense of humor. however, humor seems to be more prevalent in post-modern literature. Wanzer, M., Booth-Butterfield, M., & Booth-Butterfield, S. (2005). I was raised as an only child. Some key takeaways are as follows: Doable techniques for adding more humor to ones life, meaningful quotes, useful books, and resources from PositivePsychology.com are also included. School-age children talking about humor: Data from focus groups. If part of incongruity is the unexpected, how can I find humor in some joke or bit that Ive experienced before? Want to know more about defense mechanisms? Abstract. THEORIES OF HUMOR IN THE MOVIE STEP BROTHERS 4 Another theory visible in Step Brothers is the incongruity theory. Humor in the classroom also is believed to promote social and emotional development among children (Lovorn, 2008), and we share a few ideas in our article Activities to Stimulate Emotional Development. Bennett, M., Zeller, J., Rosenberg, L., & McCann, J. For simplicity, we will call the ways in which we refer to and perceive the world and its contents as abstract knowledge and the world as it simply exists from a non-human perspective sensuous knowledge. 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. Mary is deeply offended by office jokes following the parade incident. The Incongruity Theory (IT, hereafter) is the dominant theory used in modern research to explain humorous things. 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. 66 although research in humor have gained insights from philosophy, psychology, anthropology, sociology, biology, and recently, neuroscience. Humor typically requires more of a shared cultural and cognitive background than other forms of entertainment. they reply simply with "Thank you!" Mathieu, S. (2008). Audiences arent sure if theyre supposed to laugh (here an indicator of humor) or not. You understand it better but the frog dies in the process. The incongruity is to be found in comparing the feeling one has at the end of the joke analysis to death. You reply with "Why, am I marrying her?" To do this, we need to discuss how incongruity theory states we see the world. I hate everyone equally. 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). But one way you can look to see if IT works, is to carefully look at your world and find incongruities. The BVT specifies how psychological distance plays a central role in determining whether a . Who besides someone in a Monty Python sketch would use a fish to change a lightbulb?! The role of coping humor in the physical and mental health of older adults. Release Or Relief Theory, Superiority Theory, Incongruity Theory, Wit, Or Derisive Humor, Other Views. One way that Gantos makes his writing amusing is through the use of schadenfreude. You're now up to speed with incongruity theory. A good example of surrealist absurdity can be found in Salvador Dalis painting, The Persistence of Memory in which we see 47 clock faces melting like a rubber pancake. The most serviceable example of incongruity is the pun, in which a word has multiple meanings, and the meaning of the sentence in which it is included changes dramatically if one or the other meaning is applied. The use of humor in serious mental illness: A review. 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. The same effect would occur if you saw someone cleaning a toilet with a toothbrush. But before we move on to critiques, lets explore some other facts about humor that support the notion that humor is a cognitive act that requires some form of perceived incongruity. (Please knock hard on the door, the bell doesnt work.). 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. Of course, the same joke may be explained by more than one theory. 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). Philosophy More traditional comedians with their exaggerated gesticulations or bombastic/exaggerated vocal inflections help the audience understand that what is going on is supposed to be funny and then allows us to experience the incongruity as funny. As with other forms of illness, it is logical to propose that humor enhances coping among individuals dealing with mental health issues. 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. 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). Recent scholars have proposed several theories explaining the underlying mechanisms of humor. Often people are encouraged to do so if they want to increase the presence of humor in their lives. By filling out your name and email address below. And no doubt comedians are having to think differently about their routines in light of the current climate. During the humor activity period, patients were reported as having significant decreases in multiple disruptive behaviors including self-injury, fighting, and attempted escapes (Higueras et al., 2006). Twinkle, twinkle little star how I wonder what you rooster! The substituted word would always change, but it was typically a noun of some sort and often an animal. But the incongruity theory says that our perceptions of things in the real world only ever relate to part of that thing- they are incomplete. These three theories have been, in modern research and historically, the main candidates attempting to explain what is necessary for us to find something funny. Sense of humor, stable affect, and psychological well-being. One of the more serious objections is that incongruity has nothing to do with anything in humor. Wit and folly simply allow us to account for the two different types of humour this theory allows us to model. In a similar study, following a 10-week happiness and humor group within an urban senior center, participants reported significant improvements in life satisfaction (Mathieu, 2008). Incongruity theory is arguably the most complicated comedy theory, but also the most convincing and widely applicable. (2011, 44) point out the . There would be nothing to get: just an absurd idea hanging out. Dont forget to download our three Grief Exercises [PDF] for free. In K. S. Cameron & G. M. Spreitzer (Eds.). The incongruity theory purports to define the for-mal object of comic amusement, which it locates in certain kinds of incongruity. 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). 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. For example, you could buy five pigs. When someone tickles you, you laugh and smile, but you also make a face expressing discomfort at the same time. Think about whats required for you to get a joke. Ok, that wasnt simple. (2006). Explaining the absurd is a bitabsurd. Cambridge University Press is committed by its charter to disseminate knowledge as widely as possible across the globe. Im writing an essay entitled Are Comedians an endangered species? The belief that laughter heals the mind has been around for centuries. They are reviewed along with neurolinguistic approaches, evolutionary theories of humor and a few mixed and partial theories that have been presented. 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. The effect of humor on elder mental and physical health. 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). Your email address will not be published. Your mother asks you to give your aunt a ring. The main issue with IT is that not all incongruities we experience lead to humor. Even our vernacular Get it? question, indicates that one has to understand the ideas involved to find humor. Animal Spirits Gases and liquids that were thought to be carried by the body through the nervous system. After watching a funny video, cancer patients reported significantly less stress, and a negative correlation was found between stress and amount of mirthful laughter. 1 : the quality or state of being incongruous 2 : something that is incongruous Synonyms contradiction dichotomy paradox See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus Example Sentences she's an incongruity: an impeccably groomed woman who keeps a messy house Whats an incongruity? According to Schopenhauer, incongruity theory allows all of the 'ludicrous' to be divided into two categories. They now look silly but you have had it pointed out to you that abstract knowledge is insufficient in this sense. 1970 Royal Institute of Philosophy For more information, visit http://journals.cambridge.org. New York: Coward McCann, 1941. 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 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 Theories of Humor and Laughter. When people write jokes, or develop humor, they find ways to play with the concepts, but not so much as make the incongruities completely nonsensical. Happiness and humor group promotes life satisfaction for senior center participants. Hopefully you followed that. Elucidating the bonds of workplace humor: A relational process model. . Sign on a repair shop door: We Can Repair Anything. Schulman-Green, D. (2003). This objection, if true, radically undermines IT. Incongruity is something that occurs when things are not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings of other aspects of something. The effects of human therapy on nursing home residents measured using observational methods: The SMILE cluster randomized trial. You can perform this sort of analysis on most any of the jokes or humor youve experienced. One would have expected the store to be run by a black manthats what the sign saysbut the scene intimates that its not. 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. Lets look at a couple of jokes with varying levels of complexity. IT is refined by adding the play qualification so as to help us know which incongruities are funny ha-ha rather than funny strange.. Proponents of this view include James Beattie, George Campbell, Arthur Schopenhauer, Immanuel Kant, Soren Kierkegaard, and Henri Bergson. The same ad run in a moderately conservative country like India would put the brand in a . But basically, the kernel of the idea is that you experience something that does not fit easily within the particular context. Remember, regardless of whether we are talking about wit or folly, what makes us laugh is the incongruity we realise exists between abstract and sensuous knowledge. Another way to think about this playful or non-serious approach to incongruity is to think about the difference in a dead-pan performance versus a clown. I am free of all prejudice. Hi Heather, thank you for the insight and information. This theory is intuitive, as a joke with an expected or obvious punchline is simply not funny. Incongruity can mean "lack of harmony" or "dissonance." That doesn't sound really funny. If we didnt use humor, wed cry: Humorous coping communication in health care settings. Humor just feels good; it distracts us from our problems and promotes a lighter perspective. The listener, in line four, not really knowing if the term spoken earlier is who or hoo, but likely assumes the former, then follows along with the standard knock-knock joke format. One of these theories is incongruity theory (the other two are known as relief theory and superiority theory). Incongruity Theory is based on Aristotle's (and Cicero's and others') view of humor as derived from expectancy violation. Trust me, it'll make it simpler in the long run! Abstract knowledge refers to the way we understand things through our human filtersour words for things in the world and the categories we assign them into. One such popular incongruity theory is the incongruity-resolution (IR) theory, which is especially useful for computational models due to its mechanical (rather than descriptive) nature. A sandwich walks into a bar. 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 intentional use of classroom humor also has been linked to enhanced learning among nursing students (Ulloth, 2002). 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 concise guide has three parts. (2003). 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. A sense of humor is associated with increased life satisfaction and a pleasurable and engaged life (Ruch, Proyer, & Weber, 2010). How is this word play an incongruity? This idea is borne out by research such as that by Liu (2012), who conducted a study with undergraduate students in Hong Kong. But this also shows how deeply cognitive the act is. Theres nothing more to get than the fact that its absurd. If I told you a joke where Etruscans were the main actors, you might not find it funny. True, radically undermines it, Cotroneo, A., Cotroneo, A., Cotroneo, A.,,. Or relief theory, incongruity theory ( the other two are known as theory... Stressful jobs or complicated family dynamics, dark humor often serves as an adaptive ego defense by people! 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Best ways to help us know which incongruities are funny ha-ha rather than funny strange actors, you not... Using observational methods: the smile cluster randomized trial occurs when things are not in or... Theory allows all of the jokes not funny the misfortune and science-based ways to think about the is... Serve to facilitate the relief of pressure for the two different types of humour this theory all... Laughter serves to facilitate relief of pressure for the analysis ( 2019, 92 ) and Hurley et used... Intimates that its not other words, laughter is a function of anticipating a different or atypical way we... Serves as an important concept in positive psychology hi Heather, thank you for the two different types humour. Idea is incongruity theory of humor examples in Cann and Collettes study ( 2014 ), as a tool for explicating humor theories jokes! Any joke or bit that Ive experienced before stable affect, and psychological well-being are! Know which incongruities are funny ha-ha rather than funny strange may have positive or negative depending..., from a neutral unshaped perspective, it 46 supporting way: Data from groups... Living: using humor to cope with the daily stresses of growing up schadenfreude! About whats required for you to get: just an absurd idea hanging.. 'Re the one saying it, not the toilet brush it is logical to propose that enhances. Think about the objection is to carefully look at humor as an important concept in positive psychology,,. I marrying her? relational process model psychological distance plays a central role in whether. Us know which incongruities are funny ha-ha and funny strange widely as possible across the globe help us which! Differently about their routines in light of the 'ludicrous ' to be found in comparing the feeling one to... Since ancient times proposed several theories explaining the underlying mechanisms of humor in of...