One of these theories is incongruity theory (the other two are known as relief theory and superiority theory). But whatever incongruity you focus on, the joke works on frustrating or playing around with expectations. The Incongruity Theory reveals the affinity between philosophy and comedy and rebukes the argument that humor is "hostile and irresponsible" (Morreall) . For more information, visit http://journals.cambridge.org. These moments constitute 'the ludicrous'. First the doctor told me the good news: I was going to have a disease named after me. 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). The joke makes sense, if in a different or atypical way. 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. If the joke were truly nonsensical, the response wouldnt be humor, it would be confusion. According to the theory, when 'ludicrous' events show us that our abstract knowledge is inadequate or incomplete, our complicated, human way of viewing the world is shown to be inferior to a more natural, unshaped way of seeing thingsone based solely on sensuous knowledge. You didn't realise both actions would fit under this heading but now you do. For example, in a study by Abel (2002), coping strategies were examined concerning humor and various types of stress. Im writing an essay entitled Are Comedians an endangered species? 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). 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. Perhaps you fancy some jumbo shrimp? IT is often the starting point for much research into the other disciplines beyond philosophy/psychology/cognitive science. "Irony is the . If you can figure it out, please skip the rest of this paragraph, but there may be more incongruities than you initially think. The response of none both increases and diminishes your perplexity. 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. They are reviewed along with neurolinguistic approaches, evolutionary theories of humor and a few mixed and partial theories that have been presented. Humor and oncology. Two main theories of humor studies can be identified. Three main theories have been proposed to explain the psychophysiological impact of humor: 1) incongruity theory, 2) superiority theory, and 3) arousal theory. Chapter 2 - Incongruity Theory . There have been a number of attempts to solve this issue with IT and they largely make use of play to circumvent the problem. 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). This example also helps us to see the unexpected nature of the incongruous. 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). Whats an incongruity? Superiority theory, relief/arousal theory, and incongruity theory, propose different reasons as to what makes a situation humorous. In general, research reviews have documented that positive styles of humor are related to lower perceptions of stress (Mauriello & McConatha, 2007). New York: Coward McCann, 1941. Thank you very much, for your good work! 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 This article will provide readers with an abundance of information regarding the theoretical foundations of humor within the field of psychology, as well as empirical studies linking humor to various favorable outcomes. Twain had a point, as the research literature supports a relationship between humor and a wide range of positive psychosocial outcomes. (2014). But as a tool for explicating humor theories, jokes are compact, easily digestible, and thus make for useful examples. Infants tend to laugh when parents make funny faces and sounds, hide their faces before they. These ideas are supported by empirical research, and here are several examples: An important caveat to the above findings is that the type of humor a person exhibits also plays a key role in determining its impact. The barman says Sorry we dont serve food in here.. Incongruity theory is arguably the most complicated comedy theory, but also the most convincing and widely applicable. 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'. Zhan, L. (2012). In this way, pent-up pressure is relieved through laughter. 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. So far, youve read about some other attempts to explain the cognitive/mental processes behind the phenomenon of humor. It recognizes that you cant find a difference between a thing and itself. For some, this sort of play with language shows that real incongruity-based humor has taken root. Rowe, A., & Regehr, C. (2010). Theres nothing more to get than the fact that its absurd. (2013). 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. not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something) with your understanding of the world. Well thats the big question and one that occupies and vexes many researchers (this author included). IT needs cognition, belief, and expectation to work. Contemporary Theories of Humor Referring to the Concept of Incongruity Contemporary literature on the subject provides numerous examples of the theory of humor in which the theme of incongruity (conflict, contradiction, incompatibility, paradox) dominates. Lets look at a couple of jokes with varying levels of complexity. THEORIES OF HUMOR IN THE MOVIE STEP BROTHERS 4 Another theory visible in Step Brothers is the incongruity theory. Trust me, it'll make it simpler in the long run! How many surrealists does it take to change a lightbulb? Ulloth, J. There are three major families of theories of humor: humor as release, humor as aggression, and humor as incongruity. Because this obvious fact about humor shows how much, cognitively speaking, is required of us when we experience and enjoy humor. (2011, 44) point out the . Similarly, in their review, Stieger, Formann, and Burger (2011) reported that self-defeating humor was linked to depression and loneliness, whereas self-enhancing humor was related to beneficial outcomes. The Incongruity Theory (IT, hereafter) is the dominant theory used in modern research to explain humorous things. Recent scholars have proposed several theories explaining the underlying mechanisms of humor. Sensuous knowledge refers to the world as it exists from no perspective at all. d) Resolution shows how (within the story world) the incongruity arises. 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. If you laugh at the same parts of movies that youve seen before, then that incongruity cant be unexpected. Its not like a piece of music. You're the one saying it, not the toilet brush. If you can make sense of this joke, youre way better than I clever reader. Before you continue reading, we thought you might like to download our three Grief Exercises [PDF] for free. 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. They then proceed to pour their drink over you. There is much more that is funny than can be covered by jokes, but the IT holds that any form of humor is going to have some incongruity thats necessary for us to experience humor or mirth. If you dont find yourself laughing nearly enough, here are six things you can do: Two cannibals are eating a clown. Here are 18 examples of studies showing evidence of humor as a strength. Elucidating the bonds of workplace humor: A relational process model. Humor styles and their relationship to explicit and implicit self-esteem. Patient: Bullets!. This does not mean that IT is not without its problems. The effect of mirthful laughter on stress and natural killer cell activity. 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. We hope you enjoyed reading this article. The noun work in a way other wordtypes likely wouldnt. Effects of humor in the language classroom: Humor as a pedagogical tool in theory and practice. Humor just feels good; it distracts us from our problems and promotes a lighter perspective. Similarly, other researchers have suggested that gallows humor is beneficial for emergency personnel by providing an outlet for painful emotions and by enhancing support via group cohesion (Rowe & Regehr, 2010). It means 'knowledge of the senses', things as they simply are without the filter of human 'reason'. If you were to see a character brushing their teeth with a toilet brush in a slapstick comedy show, it would be amusing. 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. But this also shows how deeply cognitive the act is. 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 . Whatever gets you through today: An examination of cynical humor among emergency service professionals. Who besides someone in a Monty Python sketch would use a fish to change a lightbulb?! 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. For example, when you expect a certain event outcome, but then something entirely different happens. 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. 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. 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. Laughter and mirth, according to relief theory, result from this release of nervous energy. Inside of a dog its too dark to read. Animal Spirits Gases and liquids that were thought to be carried by the body through the nervous system. The hostility theories address the aggressive aspect of humor, i.e., the fact that often, but not always, humor is directed against someone. As the world is transcending toward the unchartered watersmarked by more pandemics, more economic hardships, and more automation at workDr Lonczak has written a very useful piece of article to spread positivity across domains in places of work and life. It surely has some and we will briefly cover those next. 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. Perhaps this isnt a great joke, but it is a sort typically seen in children. 66 although research in humor have gained insights from philosophy, psychology, anthropology, sociology, biology, and recently, neuroscience. In order to get the joke you resolve the incongruity its perfectly sensible. Incongruity is something that occurs when things are not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings of other aspects of something. The editorial policy of the journal pursues the aims of the Institute: to promote the study of philosophy in all its branches: logic, metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, social and political philosophy and the philosophies of religion, science, history, language, mind and education. Clocks dont melt like that. In the second, the author discusses the debate over whether humor is an emotional experience, or something else. Joshua, A., Cotroneo, A., & Clarke, S. (2005). There would be nothing to get: just an absurd idea hanging out. The results of this study indicated that 85% of patients believed that humor helped them to deal with reality by empowering hope. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. 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. If youve spent any time around children when they find something funny, they will quickly wear it out. Instead, laughter occurs in response to unexpected punchlines or those that go against usual patterns (Wilkins & Eisenbraun, 2009). Ostrower, C. (2015). There are three main concepts that guide this research; relief theory, incongruity theory, and superiority theory. Many of these journals are the leading academic publications in their fields and together they form one of the most valuable and comprehensive bodies of research available today. Even our vernacular Get it? question, indicates that one has to understand the ideas involved to find humor. Did the punchline fail to add in the number of purple fish needed? More about the theory: Expectancy Violations Among humans, laughter begins as early as four months of age (Lovorn, 2008). Gelkopf, M., Gonen, B., Kurs, R., Melamed, Y., & Bleich, A. 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. One type of humor Jack uses is irony. For example, among physicians who do the exceedingly difficult work of treating cancer patients, humor has been reported as beneficial for patients, doctors, and relationships between the two (Joshua, Cotroneo, & Clarke, 2005). Along with the Holocaust, dark humor has been used as a coping and survival mechanism across a broad range of life-threatening situations. Audiences arent sure if theyre supposed to laugh (here an indicator of humor) or not. 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. Incongruity can even play a role in physical humor. This explains why laughter is caused when people recognize taboo subjectsone typical example is Sense of humor, stable affect, and psychological well-being. So, it shouldnt be much of a surprise that people have found issues with IT. Szabo, A., Ainsworth, S. E., & Danks, P. K. (2005). 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 . Even though the audience grows tired easily. I was raised as an only child. 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