Definitions for Humor

994 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What is the importance of humor in our life

There are several definitions for humor (2011), one being “[t]he ability to perceive, enjoy, or express what is amusing, comical, incongruous, or absurd”. The emission of smiles or laughter does not constitute something or someone is humorous, but is often a reaction to humor also known as mirth. Over the years, there have been several articles written on the use of humor in both the medical and psychological fields. In regard to the psychological field, this body of literature most often covers the definition of therapeutic humor, the benefits of humor in therapy, the risks and limitations associated with the use of humor in therapy, and therapeutic humor techniques with the need for training. The following statements will discuss the trends in the literature regarding these areas.

Definition of Therapeutic Humor

Several authors provide a definition for therapeutic humor as a way of both outlining their perception of how humor is used in therapy and to dispel any beliefs or opinions that it is just of matter of communicating nice jokes or anecdotes. Therapeutic humor is then the injection of humorous practices both by design or purposely and instinctively to heighten a client’s insight regarding their feelings, behaviors, or circumstances (Franzini, 2001; Martin & Lefcourt, 1983; Yonkovitz, 1997). From this definition it can be assumed that the purpose of humor in therapy is to provide some pleasure as well as lubricate information that may otherwise be difficult for a client to hear or even realize.

Benefits

In the literature, a healthy sense of humor has often been equated with mental stability and overall proficient social functioning (Malpass & Fitzgerald, 1959; Prerost, 1983). Beneficial uses for humor can be traced back...

... middle of paper ...

...from http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/humor

Malpass, L.F., & Fitzpatrick, E.D. (1959). Social facilitation as a factor in reaction to humor. The Journal of Social Psychology, 50, 295-303.

Martin, R.A., & Lefcourt, H.M. (1983). Sensing of humor as a moderator of the relation between stressors and moods. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45(6), 1313-1324.

Prerost, F. (1983). Promoting Student Adjustment to College: A counseling technique utilizing humor. Personnel and Guidance Journal, 62(4), 222-226.

Wenger, E. (1996). Communities of practice: The social fabric of a learning organization. Health Forum Journal, 39(4), 20-25.

Yonkovitz, E.E. (1997). Program evaluation of a therapeutic humor training workshop (Doctoral dissertation, University of Massachusetts Amherst). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 9737599)

Show More
Related

  • Motifs and Images in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    As the story continues and McMurphy’s influence over the patients strengthens, the reader sees other occasions where the laughter is healing. With McMurphy’s big, boisterous laugh dominating the ward, the patients begin to laugh themselves. Their laughs sound awkward at first- forced, simulated- but nevertheless they are laughing and whether the patients, or Bromden realize it, this phony laugh does begin to heal them.

    Read More

  • The Practical Disengagement Of Humor Analysis

    360 Words  | 1 Pages

    “The practical disengagement of humor…helps explain the opposition between amusement and negative emotions.” (530) There are three effects of humor; irresponsibility, blocking compassion, and promoting prejudice. Humor can take away what we are/should be doing in life and sometimes there isn’t anything wrong with that. Sometimes when we hear a hateful thing we just laugh it off as if it was no big deal when it really was. “An

    Read More

  • Importance of Humor and Laughter in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

    1016 Words  | 3 Pages

    This book is about so many things, it is hard to stay on one topic for any length of time. In order to focus on the laugh and laughing as a healing agent, I would like to look towards other influential writers and thinkers to tie together laughing and healing. First, let’s see what laughter is according to Meriam Webster: laughter- n. a cause of merriment.  Using this simple definition, we can assume that laughter can come from any form of merriment or emotion like triumph, contempt, relief, and almost any other emotion there is. It is easy to picture in your head different underlying emotions in laughter; the sinister laughs of witches and ghosts, the insincere, fake laughs you hear after pointless, humorless attempts at jokes on the six o’clock news, to the silent laughs of mimes and clowns that fill the people around them with a happy feeling. These are all examples of what laughter is and how it is used. But why do we do it? What in nature created the laugh and made it so successful?

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Steve Almond's Funny Is The New Deep

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    Steve Almond’s “Funny is the New Deep” talks of the role that comedy has in our current society, and most certainly, it plays a huge role here. Namely, through what Almond [Aristotle?] calls the “comic impulse”, we as a people can speak of topics that would otherwise make many of uncomfortable. Almond deems the comic impulse as the most surefire way to keep heavy situations from becoming too foreboding. The comic impulse itself stems from our ability and unconscious need to defend and thus contend with the feeling of tragedy. As such, instead of rather forcing out humor, he implies that humor is something that is not consciously forced out from an author, but instead is more of a subconscious entity, coming out on its own. Almond emphasizes

    Read More

  • Dave Barry: The Evolution of a Creative Genius

    2701 Words  | 6 Pages

    Humor, as a creative effort, has been respected throughout the world, I’m sure, since the beginning of spoken language. There is nothing in the world like conjuring up a joke or some other anecdote that sends a group of people off into a fit of laughter. In fact, throughout time, people have attempted to make humor at least some part of their professional career. Court jesters made the royalty of the castle laugh at his foolish behavior. Playwrights have included humor in their tragic works to provide some comedic relief from all of the terribly sad events. Today is no different. The sheer number of careers available for those interested in making people laugh for a living reflects our society’s great appreciation for novel humor. Comedians, book writers, columnists, actors, television and movie writers, cartoonists, and musicians all attempt to add some laughter to peoples’ lives on a daily basis.

    Read More

  • Power of Laughter in One Flew Over the Cuckoo´s Nest by Randle McMurphy

    536 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although modern science has allowed us to develop many complex medicines, laughter is still the strongest one available in the real world and in the book. Laughter proves to be a strong medicine in more ways than one and is completely free, allowing anyone to use it at anytime. It allows us to connect socially with people, it can be used as a way of overthrowing power, and it is good for your health. As Randle McMurphy showed in the novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, laughter can lighten the mood in the darkest situations.

    Read More

  • Resilience in Neil Simon’s Lost in Yonkers

    1429 Words  | 3 Pages

    Rod, Martin. Psychology of Humour: An Integrative Approach. New York: Elsevier Academic Press, 2007. Print

    Read More

  • E.M. Forster's A Room with a View

    2218 Words  | 5 Pages

    What we find humorous is influenced by our culture, our age, gender, personality and our life experiences. Bremmer and Roodenberg (1997), define humour as ‘any message – transmitted in action, speech, writing, images or music – intended to produce a smile or a laugh’. Veatch defines it as “a psychological state which tends to produce laughter.” (Veatch, 1999). Wit that is critical humour is a genre of literature called satire (Audrieth, 1998).

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Humor In Health Care

    753 Words  | 2 Pages

    The spectrum of therapeutic techniques available within the health care continuum is very complex and varied. From traditional medicine, to holistic remedies, and anything in between, nurses have a rather large arsenal at their disposal when it comes to treating the patients that are under their care. Humor as an alternative therapy has long been understood as a proven means to aid in the recovery process. “With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health” (Smith & Segal, 2015). The purpose of this paper is to discuss situations in which humor would be a viable alternative therapy

    Read More

  • Laughter as Therapy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

    1080 Words  | 3 Pages

    Laughter also proves a vital role in helping the patients deal with their problems. Not only does it help them deal with problems but it also gave them the push toward progress on getting out of the institution.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Rappoport

    1135 Words  | 3 Pages

    Psychologists, sociologists and anthropologists study humor because it is a fundamental culture value, but they still can’t determine why certain things make some people laugh and others not. There are “humor quotient” tests that are designed to measure an individual’s sense of humor, but these tests are questionable. These tests aren’t accurate because almost all humor depends on cultural background knowledge and language skills. Not every person in the whole world, or even in one country share the same background knowledge and skills, therefore they cannot have the same type of humor. “The fact remains that individuals vary in their appreciation of humor” (Rappoport 9). Since humor varies from individual to individual, humor lies in the individual. How successful or funny a joke is depends on how the person receives the joke, humor cannot be measured by a statistical

    Read More

  • Laughter Improves Health

    2966 Words  | 6 Pages

    Richman, J. The lifesaving function of humor with the depressed and suicidal elderly. Gerontologist 35(2): 271 (1995).

    Read More

  • The Influences of Fun and Humour in The Workplace

    1377 Words  | 3 Pages

    Norman, NJ (2008), Humour in the workplace – “Let’s get goofy”, PACRAO 2008. [Lecture notes] Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Tempe, AZ

    Read More

  • Compsitive Psychology: The Benefits Of Happiness And Positive Happiness

    859 Words  | 2 Pages

    Only in recent years have psychologists begun to appreciate the benefits of happiness and positive emotion — benefits that include everything from enhanced creativity to improved immune-system function. Dr. Barbara Fredrickson at the University of North Carolina, a leader in the field of positive psychology, posed the question, “What good are positive emotions?” and came up with the following possibilities.

    Read More

  • Essay About Comedy

    1048 Words  | 3 Pages

    If there is one way to bring a smile to someone’s face, it is laughter. Funny jokes, comical stunts, sarcasm- Every person is different when it comes to what makes them laugh. Some find dry humor comical. Others think sarcasm or joke-filled ranting are the best. ‘Comedy’ is such a broad term, broad enough to allow everyone to find something they find comical. In fact, ‘comedy’ includes a specific type of drama, one where the protagonist is joyful and happy endings are expected. Comedy is like a drug; it allows you to escape reality. When we say the word ‘comedy’ in the present, we are generally referring to a type of performance which provides humor. However, in its broadest sense, comedy has only one purpose: comedy makes people smile and

    Read More

More about Definitions for Humor

Open Document