Relief Theory Focus on the physical phenomenon of laughter, especially its relation to the nervous system, something left unexplained by the Superiority and Incongruity Theories. 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. Request Permissions. 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. For example, research by Ganz and Jacobs (2014) indicated that attending a humor therapy workshop was associated with positive mental health outcomes among seniors. I hope thats not the case below, but youll likely find the jokes less funny for the analysis. Humor also may function as an adaptive ego defense by enabling people to perceive the comical absurdity in highly challenging situations. Confusion rarely leads to humor. The role of coping humor in the physical and mental health of older adults. The noun work in a way other wordtypes likely wouldnt. There are problems with it, as there are with all theories. It's not without its issues or critics. Self-esteem instability and humor styles: Does the stability of self-esteem influence how people use humor? Recent scholars have proposed several theories explaining the underlying mechanisms of humor. For some, this sort of play with language shows that real incongruity-based humor has taken root. Laughter and mirth, according to relief theory, result from this release of nervous energy. Sign on a repair shop door: We Can Repair Anything. Research supports this connection. First, the child has to know the rhyme well enough to more than simply repeat it. 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). Did the punchline fail to add in the number of purple fish needed? Humor may thus for example serve to facilitate relief of the tension caused by one's fears. So far, youve read about some other attempts to explain the cognitive/mental processes behind the phenomenon of humor. The concept of defense mechanisms originated in psychoanalytic theory. 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. In this way, pent-up pressure is relieved through laughter. It says that we are nding humor in perceiving something unexpected (incongruous) that violates expectations that were set up by the joke. My off-sounding engine does not produce a laugh. Analysis of any joke or bit of humor generally, if not nearly always, makes the jokes not funny. Your mother asks you to give your aunt a ring. Not only does humor have the ability to make school more enjoyable, but it is beneficial in various meaningful ways. However, most evidence proposing a link between humor and improved health is anecdotal. This was a great help . Raskin, Victor. These findings have been supported by other research studies, such as that by Maiolino and Kuiper (2016), who investigated the ability of humor to predict positive outcomes. To use an example from the movie Friday, theres a scene where we enter into a local bodega (a corner store) in a largely African American community and we are met with a sign that proudly proclaims that the store is Black Owned. As the camera pans down, an Asian man rises from below the counter. For example, one study examined the impact of humorous films on various psychological symptoms among schizophrenia inpatients. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Schulman-Green, D. (2003). Incongruity humor is a favorite form of humor among cognitive psychologists. . 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. they reply simply with "Thank you!" 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). So there you have it! Well thats the big question and one that occupies and vexes many researchers (this author included). Another issue with IT comes from my continued delight at the parrot joke. They offer to 'cool you down' and you agree. Therefore, it is suggested that the absence of detrimental humor is equally important to the presence of prosocial humor styles (Martin, 2019). congruity theory is satisfactory, but I believe it is more satisfactory than previous versions and deserves to be considered in this stronger form. In other words, laughter is a function of anticipating a different outcome than what was expected. 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). 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 Many of us may relate to high-anxiety situations where a joke feels like a much-needed outlet. 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'. The barman says Sorry we dont serve food in here.. When in reality, it is simply a medium-sized tool for brushing. Here, two pieces of sensuous knowledgea dog and a bearded husbandare deliberately put together under a single piece of abstract knowledge: the concept of a 'furry friend', which usually means a dog, but which you now see could refer to either. 1970 Royal Institute of Philosophy This theory is intuitive, as a joke with an expected or obvious punchline is simply not funny. 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. They remember the precise time, location, and what they were doing [], Chamber of Commerce (KvK) Registration Number: 64733564, 6229 HN Maastricht, 2023 PositivePsychology.com B.V. The story revolves around grounded twelve-year-old Jack Gantos and the mysteries of the small Pennsylvania town he lives in. But this also shows how deeply cognitive the act is. This page titled 2.4: Got IT?- Introducing Incongruity Theory is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Michael K. Cundall, Jr. (Lighthearted Philosophers' Society) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request. 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). They lean too close to a candle and their sleeve catches fire. Incongruity theory states that a surprise or inconsistency is a necessity for humor . 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. I would like to end with one of my favorite jokes from esteemed humor researcher Victor Raskin. Marziali, E., McDonald, L., & Donahue, P. (2008). This is where we laugh with someone intentionally making a joke. Internalizing criticism erodes self-esteem, a process that may be inhibited by a good sense of humor. #2: The Incongruity and Incongruity-Resolution Theories One of the oldest andmost developed theories of humor adopted by Kant, refined by Schopenhauer is, roughly,that humor happens. The term 'incongruity theory' refers to a group of philosophical accounts of humor that posit the perception of incongruity as the source of amusement. It is a combination of all three concepts that attempts to fully encapsulate the complex subject of racial comedy. For example, you could buy five pigs. In order for any two people to share a joke, its important that they share a certain conceptual or knowledge base. Superiority Theory. 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. Inferiority Theory. To recap: wit involves an individual intentionally connecting multiple pieces of sensuous knowledge under the banner of a single piece of abstract knowledge, making us laugh and making them seem smart; whereas folly involves someone unintentionally attaching one piece of abstract knowledge to two pieces of sensuous knowledge, making us laugh and making them seem silly. Its philosophy Mike, everybodys wrong. Those words came to me from one of my dissertation advisors. However, it is safe to say that IT is accepted by most researchers as the most accurate and likely true approach to explaining humor. The Incongruity Theory reveals the affinity between philosophy and comedy and rebukes the argument that humor is "hostile and irresponsible" (Morreall) . 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! 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. Mary is deeply offended by office jokes following the parade incident. As is widely known, theories of humour are traditionally divided in three branches: (1) Theories of incongruity, or inconsistency, or contradiction, or bisociation. Chapter 2 - Incongruity Theory . Wanzer, M., Booth-Butterfield, M., & Booth-Butterfield, S. (2005). The child will continue playing with that rhyme substituting words here and there both with others and by themselves. And then we experience a sudden, shocking shift in perspective as our brains adjust to the new reality. 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). is an example of 'humor went right. Hence, one would predict that any experienced incongruity would produce humor. Hi Heather, They did not realise this could be done and therefore did not realise they were doing it. Because this obvious fact about humor shows how much, cognitively speaking, is required of us when we experience and enjoy humor. This objection, if true, radically undermines IT. Its not like a piece of music. 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. Humor, stress, and coping strategies. For example, "hot poet" is funnier than "happy child" and "money and sex" is funnier than "love and sex" [7,8]. Here we share defense mechanism worksheets as tools for practitioners. This story is based off his life and the comedic events he experienced as a child. You need to know something about it. The concepts involved must be related in some way or else the audience will be confused. The use of humor in serious mental illness: A review. We realize that something doesn't match up. While there is a paucity of research addressing humor among older people, there is some evidence of its potential to enhance the quality of life within this group. Cambridge Journals publishes over 250 peer-reviewed academic journals across a wide range of subject areas, in print and online. In infants, humor is mainly observed in body and facial expressions during the first year of life. The BVT specifies how psychological distance plays a central role in determining whether a . . However, it is safe to say that IT is accepted by most researchers as the most accurate and likely true approach to explaining humor. 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. More specifically, the muscular and respiratory processes involved in laugher serve the important role of releasing pent-up nervous energy (Martin & Ford, 2018). For example, during the Holocaust, victims reported using humor in ghettos, concentration, and death camps to better cope with extreme trauma and adversity (Ostrower, 2015). Im writing an essay entitled Are Comedians an endangered species? Martin and Ford (2018) describe the three top humor theories. You need to know English to get the jokes. Humor in the home and in the classroom: The benefits of laughing while we learn. To understand this theory, the first thing you need to understand is what Schopenhaeur calls 'the ludicrous' which for all intents and purposes means 'the humorous'. One of simplest forms of humor in young children can be found when they actively do something contrary to expectation or norm. You dont ask about the difference between a single thing; comparison require two things. By filling out your name and email address below. In-congruity theories are essentially cognitive, i.e. Incongruity is mostly a non-controversial, generally accepted idea, as claimed, for example, by Perlmutter ( 2002, p. 155) "the observation that some form of incongruity is an essential condition for humor, is universally accepted in every serious analysis of the subject." The response of none both increases and diminishes your perplexity. Comedians an endangered species humor and improved health is anecdotal, one would predict that any experienced would! This author included ) meaningful ways that violates expectations that were set up by the joke, this sort play. Important that they share a joke with an expected or obvious punchline is simply not.. Underlying mechanisms of humor are nding humor in the classroom: the benefits of while. Contrary to expectation or norm for humor purple fish needed it comes from continued. 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