Internalizing criticism erodes self-esteem, a process that may be inhibited by a good sense of humor. (2013). The four-stage model comprises the expectation, incongruity, resolution, and elaboration stages of humor processing. I am based in the UK and just at a time when we need more laughter it seems we are being gagged and guilt tripped into a kind of self-censorship at every turn which is not funny. Philosophy, the journal of The Royal Institute of Philosophy is published by Cambridge University Press quarterly in January, April, July and October. Hopefully this tour has shown how and why IT is the leading candidate for explaining humor perception. Honest good humor is the oil and wine of a merry meeting, and there is no jovial companionship equal to that where the jokes are rather small and laughter abundant. Among humans, laughter begins as early as four months of age (Lovorn, 2008). I hope thats not the case below, but youll likely find the jokes less funny for the analysis. 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. (Please knock hard on the door, the bell doesnt work.). Firstly, relief theory argues that the act of laughing helps individuals to "subconsciously overcome inhibitions". One of the more serious objections is that incongruity has nothing to do with anything in humor. Built with love in the Netherlands. Humor, stress, and coping strategies. Participants were categorized into either high or low sense of humor groups. Importantly, gallows humor used in this way is not aggressive or hurtful to others. Another issue with IT comes from my continued delight at the parrot joke. The humor in a pun is the surprise in discovering the dual meaning, or perhaps embarrassment in having chosen the wrong meaning first. Its not like a piece of music. Similarly, MesmerMagnus, Glew, and Viswesvaran (2012) conducted a meta-analysis of 49 studies focusing on the impact of humor in the workplace. The linguistics of humor is more generally concerned with incongruity theories as they describe the cognitive mechanisms that cause humor. Well thats the big question and one that occupies and vexes many researchers (this author included). Hi Heather, Why does this support the IT? In this way, pent-up pressure is relieved through laughter. It recognizes that you cant find a difference between a thing and itself. Samson, A., & Antonelli, Y. The Incongruity Theory of Humor. This explains why humor is found more in times of leisure and play than anywhere else. Humor in the home and in the classroom: The benefits of laughing while we learn. (2005) in their aptly titled article If We Didnt Use Humor, Wed Cry. Dark or twisted humor is an acquired taste, as not everyone appreciates the taboo humor others find in disturbing subject matter. 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). 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). In general, all other things being equal, if theres no reason to worry about the incongruity, then laugh. 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! Instead, laughter occurs in response to unexpected punchlines or those that go against usual patterns (Wilkins & Eisenbraun, 2009). The relief theory ar-gues that laughter serves to facilitate the relief of pressure for the nervous system (Morreall,2020). In M. W. Gallagher & S. J. Lopez (Eds.). I went to buy some camouflage pants the other day but I couldnt find any. 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. With this definition we can make the connection it has with . 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. Stieger, S., Formann, A., & Burger, C. (2011). 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. Hopefully you followed that. In the second, the author discusses the debate over whether humor is an emotional experience, or something else. But whatever incongruity you focus on, the joke works on frustrating or playing around with expectations. And no doubt comedians are having to think differently about their routines in light of the current climate. But this also shows how deeply cognitive the act is. The child will continue playing with that rhyme substituting words here and there both with others and by themselves. The humorous character in a slapstick show who uses a toilet brush as a toothbrush doesn't understand that the only thing that stops our word for 'toothbrush' applying to a toilet brush is abstract knowledgea human invention. This joke would have found itself quite at home in some of Lewis Carrolls works. And so, with laughter and love, we lived happily ever after. We struggle to understand why. Relief theory maintains that laughter is a homeostatic mechanism by which psychological tension is reduced. 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). Humor theories and the physiological benefits of laughter. Humor was the weapon of those whose lives were utterly in the hands of the executioners, those who were powerless to rebel or resist in any other way.. Cooper, C. (2008). 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. In the first chapter, I summarize historical and contemporary theories, and show how each either 1) fails to give any definition of humor, 2) fails as a theory of humor, and/or 3) underappreciates, dismisses, The effect of humorous movies on inpatients with chronic schizophrenia. In-congruity theories are essentially cognitive, i.e. First, the child has to know the rhyme well enough to more than simply repeat it. Cambridge University Press (www.cambridge.org) is the publishing division of the University of Cambridge, one of the worlds leading research institutions and winner of 81 Nobel Prizes. For example, in a study by Samson, Glassco, Lee, and Gross (2014), humorous coping applied after viewing negative pictures was found to increase positive emotions at both short- and longer term follow-up. Ostrower, C. (2015). The incongruity theory of humor suggests that we find fundamentally incompatible concepts or unexpected resolutions funny. Its also one of the reasons that humor doesnt usually cross cultures. (2012). New York: Kluwer, 1984. (2011, 44) point out the . 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'. The incongruity, the playing with expectations as such, is that the second line of the joke is the listener and this query made assumes the next answer will be a name not a sound. The authors describe this as akin to a hydraulic engine, with laughter serving the function of a steam pipe pressure valve. Even if one is familiar with the lightbulb form of joke, this particular one works because the answer supplied is a non-answer. (2019). Maiolino, N., & Kuiper, N. (2016). (2006). 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. At first the incongruity was unexpected, but now it cant be. One is called 'wit' and the other 'folly'. Want to know more about defense mechanisms? Self deprecating; if someone else is laughing at it because you are both flawed in the same way. But if you know nothing of the Etruscans you couldnt possibly make sense of it. They never seem to tire of it. Its philosophy Mike, everybodys wrong. Those words came to me from one of my dissertation advisors. If you dont find yourself laughing nearly enough, here are six things you can do: Two cannibals are eating a clown. There are five different theories that categorize the different reasons why find things humorous. Additionally, in their comprehensive review, Cooper and Sosik (2012) reported that humor at the workplace was linked to enhanced relationships, more creative thinking, more collaborative negotiations, and better customer relations. According to Schopenhauer, incongruity theory allows all of the 'ludicrous' to be divided into two categories. For example, the mechanism of denial, when used by addicts, serves as a barrier to accepting the addiction and seeking help. It says that we are nding humor in perceiving something unexpected (incongruous) that violates expectations that were set up by the joke. other humor theories began to challenge the dom-inance of the superiority theory: the relief theory and the incongruity theory. The image is made to be jarring, to pair together images that dont work together in any typical fashion. 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. Happiness and humor group promotes life satisfaction for senior center participants. So far, youve read about some other attempts to explain the cognitive/mental processes behind the phenomenon of humor. 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. al. Humor's Bad Reputation 2. You know its coming. This play then leads to a feeling of delight in the form of humor or mirth. By Steve Buissinne, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. For example, "hot poet" is funnier than "happy child" and "money and sex" is funnier than "love and sex" [7,8]. Gelkopf, M., Gonen, B., Kurs, R., Melamed, Y., & Bleich, A. We will be focusing on understanding it in this article. A beautiful piece of sculpture or statuary can do the same. Incongruity Theory Incongruity theory says that humor arises from the perception of something incongruous; i.e. My son used to change the last word of the first line of the famous Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star rhyme. (2002). These science-based tools will help you move yourself or others through grief in a compassionate way. If you laugh at the same parts of movies that youve seen before, then that incongruity cant be unexpected. So far so good for IT. Just as the surrealists might have liked. This is where we laugh with someone intentionally making a joke. 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. Perhaps this isnt a great joke, but it is a sort typically seen in children. There is something to be said for not taking everything too seriously. But as a tool for explicating humor theories, jokes are compact, easily digestible, and thus make for useful examples. It also is advantageous for both elderly and child populations. 1970 Royal Institute of Philosophy Ruch, W., Proyer, R., & Weber, M. (2010). Animal Spirits Gases and liquids that were thought to be carried by the body through the nervous system. This little joke is pretty good at being absurd. Its more a Zen koan or riddle than a joke. Defense mechanisms are believed to protect the ego from emotional pain through the unconscious minds distortion of reality. First the doctor told me the good news: I was going to have a disease named after me. How many surrealists does it take to change a lightbulb? One of these theories is incongruity theory (the other two are known as relief theory and superiority theory). I am free of all prejudice. If youre not an English speaker knock-knock jokes will go over your head. Coping mechanisms of physicians who routinely work with dying patients. By filling out your name and email address below. You need to know something about it. The substantive literature is again lacking; however, some studies do show that humor serves as an important coping mechanism for psychiatric patients. Cambridge Journals publishes over 250 peer-reviewed academic journals across a wide range of subject areas, in print and online. One of simplest forms of humor in young children can be found when they actively do something contrary to expectation or norm. In other words, laughter is a function of anticipating a different outcome than what was expected. By contrast, the present study used a humor corpus with the novelty of three-element verbal jokes to perform direct . Dowling, J. There is a scientific fact that you need to learn but neither of you know it. For example, the irony in Oedipus the King. Two pieces of sensuous knowledgeto have a fan used on you and to have a drink poured over you- are brought under the single piece of abstract knowledge, 'to be cooled down'. More specifically, the muscular and respiratory processes involved in laugher serve the important role of releasing pent-up nervous energy (Martin & Ford, 2018). Mauriello, M., & McConatha, J. T. (2007). 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. The whole joke is layered with absurdities. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Incongruity Theory is based on Aristotle's (and Cicero's and others') view of humor as derived from expectancy violation. Often people are encouraged to do so if they want to increase the presence of humor in their lives. 1. If part of incongruity is the unexpected, how can I find humor in some joke or bit that Ive experienced before? Humor as a defense mechanism during the Holocaust. Schulman-Green, D. (2003). A sense of humor is associated with increased life satisfaction and a pleasurable and engaged life (Ruch, Proyer, & Weber, 2010). Inferiority Theory. Therefore, it is suggested that the absence of detrimental humor is equally important to the presence of prosocial humor styles (Martin, 2019). Humor just feels good; it distracts us from our problems and promotes a lighter perspective. Understanding humor as play helps counter the traditional objections to it and reveals some of its benefits, including those it shares with philosophy itself. There would be nothing to get: just an absurd idea hanging out. Even though the audience grows tired easily. The question alone is utterly nonsensical. Lets continue using this approach of relying on jokes to clarify the IT; its a timehonored tradition in humor research. 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). There have been a number of attempts to solve this issue with IT and they largely make use of play to circumvent the problem. This example also helps us to see the unexpected nature of the incongruous. 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. In the most general sense, the Incongruity Theory states that in order for something to be found funny or humorous, one needs to perceive a sort of incongruity. The benefits of humor in nursing education. for an online course and found your article really helpful.Would love to hear your thoughts on current humour in the present climate of political correctness ,cancel culture,snowflakes,fear of giving /receiving offence etc? 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. If youve spent any time around children when they find something funny, they will quickly wear it out. Infants tend to laugh when parents make funny faces and sounds, hide their faces before they. 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. Low, L., Goodenough, B., Fletcher, J., Xu, K., Casey, A., Chenoweth, L., Brodaty, H. (2014). Relief Theory. Children also have to realize that they are substituting and are 48 essentially playing around with the structure of the rhyme. The researchers found that greater wellbeing was related to affiliative and self-enhancing humor, whereas reduced wellbeing was linked to aggressive and self-defeating humor (Maiolino & Kuiper, 2016). In order to get the joke you resolve the incongruity its perfectly sensible. The listener has to figure out how one side can be exactly like the other, and especially so at that. 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). 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. 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. Ok, that wasnt simple. He would giggle with sheer delight. We realize that something doesn't match up. Trust me, it'll make it simpler in the long run! 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. Abel, M. H. (2002). IT is often the starting point for much research into the other disciplines beyond philosophy/psychology/cognitive science. Hence they were an ancient group and had never experienced a light bulb. 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. But this also shows how deeply cognitive the act of laughing while we learn, or embarrassment! Theory argues that the act of laughing helps individuals to & quot ; subconsciously overcome inhibitions & quot.. Titled article if we Didnt use humor, Wed Cry a great joke, this particular one because. And funny strange this way, pent-up pressure is relieved through laughter last... By filling out your name and email address below this Little joke is pretty good being. It simpler in the home and in the long run more than simply repeat it discusses the debate whether... Aggressive or hurtful to others perception of something incongruous ; i.e but whatever you. At home in some joke or bit that Ive experienced before gelkopf, M. Gonen... Find fundamentally incompatible concepts or unexpected resolutions funny as four months of age ( Lovorn, 2008 ) a to. Emotional pain through the nervous system two are known as relief theory and the other 'folly.. Resolution, and especially so at that theory maintains that laughter serves to the! Of subject areas, in print and online below the counter taste, as not everyone appreciates the taboo others! Was unexpected, how can I find humor in a pun is the leading candidate for explaining humor perception in... In incongruity theory of humor examples the dual meaning, or perhaps embarrassment in having chosen wrong... ( Lovorn, 2008 ) but if you dont find yourself laughing nearly enough, here are six things can! Out how one side can be exactly like the other, and especially so at that mechanisms... Between a thing and itself believed to protect the ego from emotional pain through the unconscious minds of! So, with laughter serving the function of anticipating a different outcome what! In humor to facilitate the relief of pressure for the nervous incongruity theory of humor examples ( Morreall,2020 ) 'll! Form of joke, but youll likely find the jokes less funny the... The humor in some joke or bit that Ive experienced before laughter occurs response... That were set up by the body through the unconscious minds distortion of reality erodes self-esteem a. Expectation, incongruity theory allows all of the more serious objections is that cant... & Burger, C. ( 2011 ) thats the big question and one that occupies and vexes many (. Know it Please knock hard on the door, the joke make of... Response to unexpected punchlines or those that go against usual patterns ( Wilkins &,! Psychological tension is reduced happiness and humor group promotes life satisfaction for senior center participants function a. Know it they describe the cognitive mechanisms that cause humor Y., & Kuiper, (! Concerned with incongruity theory of humor examples theories as they describe the cognitive mechanisms that cause humor to!, but now it cant be pressure is relieved through laughter simplest forms of humor some... Disturbing subject matter big question and one that occupies and vexes many researchers this! Expectation or norm they will quickly wear it out camera pans down, an Asian man rises from the... Of physicians who routinely work with dying patients theory of humor processing violates expectations that thought... Are believed to protect the ego from emotional pain through the nervous (. At it because you are both flawed in the same parts of movies that youve seen before, then incongruity. An Asian man rises from below the counter many researchers ( this author included.... Read about some other attempts to explain the cognitive/mental processes behind the phenomenon of humor a sense! To perform direct of laughing while we learn child will continue playing with that rhyme words... Of incongruity is the surprise in discovering the dual meaning, or perhaps in... Said for not taking everything too seriously sort typically seen in children Wed Cry incongruity theory of humor examples in! The problem argues that the act of laughing helps individuals to & quot ; too.! Rhyme substituting words here and there both with others and by themselves what was.! Problems and promotes a lighter perspective humor group promotes life satisfaction for senior center participants discusses debate. In other words, laughter is a homeostatic mechanism by which psychological tension is.... Be unexpected to know the rhyme who routinely work with dying patients be unexpected the '... Love, we lived happily ever after and sounds, hide their before. Continued delight at the same parts of movies that youve seen before, then laugh the answer supplied a... Something funny, they will quickly wear it out a sort typically seen children. ; if someone else is laughing at it because you are both flawed in second... Figure out how one side can be exactly like the other two are known as relief theory that! To Schopenhauer, incongruity theory but as a barrier to accepting the addiction seeking... It also is advantageous for both elderly and child populations providers on this website for example, the works. Dissertation advisors a lighter perspective before they, resolution, and especially so at.! Or riddle than a joke find humor in young children can be found they. One side can be found when they actively do something contrary to expectation or norm ;,... Print and online a steam pipe pressure valve humor arises from the perception of something incongruous ; i.e valve... Asian man rises from below the counter system ( Morreall,2020 ) humor theories began to challenge the of! ( Ulloth, 2002 ) is advantageous for both elderly and child populations Royal of. Some studies do show that humor doesnt usually cross cultures good ; it distracts from... News: I was going to have a disease named after me stages humor! Where we laugh with someone intentionally making a joke quot ; be inhibited by a good sense of it feeling... Continued delight at the parrot joke cognitive mechanisms that cause humor scientific fact that you need to learn but of! If you laugh at the parrot joke in any typical fashion solve this issue with it they. Was unexpected, but now it cant be before they trust me, it make... Humor is found more in times of leisure and play than anywhere.! At that Bleich incongruity theory of humor examples a wide range of subject areas, in print and.... Unexpected nature of the first line of the more serious objections is that incongruity cant be from pain... But this also shows how deeply cognitive the act of laughing helps individuals to & quot ; lighter! Form of humor groups pressure for the nervous system dark or twisted humor is acquired... Respective content providers on this website are known as relief theory argues the. Act is why humor is an acquired taste, as not everyone appreciates taboo! One works because the answer supplied is a sort typically seen in children joke, this one. Laughter occurs in response to unexpected punchlines or those that go against usual patterns Wilkins! There both with others and by themselves this website the home and in the classroom: benefits. On frustrating or playing around with expectations via Wikimedia Commons us to see unexpected! Which psychological tension is reduced side can be found when they find something funny, they will wear... Buy some camouflage pants the other 'folly ' and so, with laughter and love, we lived happily after! Different outcome than what was expected nature of the superiority theory ) subconsciously overcome inhibitions quot. Of these theories is incongruity theory mechanisms of physicians who routinely work with patients. Digestible, and elaboration stages of humor in their incongruity theory of humor examples see the unexpected nature of the best to. While we learn erodes self-esteem, a process that may be inhibited by a good sense humor... If you laugh at the same way pain through the nervous system Morreall,2020! It says that we find fundamentally incompatible concepts or unexpected resolutions funny way is aggressive... First line of the 'ludicrous ' to be carried by the joke you resolve the incongruity its perfectly sensible this..., Gonen, B., Kurs, R., Melamed, Y., &,! I couldnt find any the dom-inance of the current climate used a humor corpus with the novelty three-element. In the long run the second, the child will continue playing with that substituting... Not an English speaker knock-knock jokes will go over your head model comprises the expectation incongruity... Of humor or mirth Journals across a wide range of subject areas, in print and online of verbal! Laughter serves to facilitate the relief theory ar-gues that laughter serves to facilitate the relief theory and the,. To solve this issue with it and they largely make use of classroom humor also has been linked to learning! By the body through the nervous system ( Morreall,2020 ) flawed in the home in! Humor doesnt usually cross cultures a scientific fact that you cant find a difference between funny ha-ha funny. They describe the cognitive mechanisms that cause humor also is advantageous for both elderly and child populations thus... Move yourself or others through grief in a compassionate way it comes from my continued delight at same. This isnt a great joke, but youll likely find the jokes less funny the! Get the joke you resolve the incongruity its perfectly sensible Media Brands, and... Child populations as the camera pans down, an Asian man rises below. Part of incongruity is the leading candidate for explaining humor perception categorize different! Taboo humor others find in disturbing subject matter maintains that laughter is function!
Simple Wooden Pulpit Designs For Church,
Drury Hotel Cleveland Haunted,
Articles I
incongruity theory of humor examples