A study by Sliter, Kale & Yuan (2014) was conducted to examine coping humor as a method of coping with stressors. For this purpose, Coping Humor Scale was used to assess the degree to which an individual used humor as a means to deal with stressful situations. Stress was assessed using the Impact of Events Scale (Horowitz, Wilner, & Alvarez, 1979). Data was collected from firefighters as their job was full of traumatic stressors. It was expected that coping humor would act as a buffer against stressors. Results of the study were found to be in the expected direction. Coping humor was negatively correlated with stress. It was found that those having high levels of coping humor tend to generally experience a lessened negative impact as the result of exposure to traumatic stressors than do those having low levels of coping humor. According to the researchers, this buffering effect of coping humor could be attributed to various processes, such as reappraisal, social bonding and physiological effects of coping humor. …show more content…
It was expected that such a relationship would be weaker for those scoring high on coping humor. Results of the study supported the proposed hypothesis. According to the authors, coping humor had a buffering effect as it was an emotion-based coping strategy. The use of coping humor, when dealing with a stressful situation, lessened the impact of stressors on affective outcomes, hence, coping humor results in experiencing lesser negative emotions and more positive
What is the most common perception held in this country concerning the people and the way they live in the South? The perception most of the country has about life down here in the South is one of slow-paced living, simple-minded people, and stubborn, unwarranted pride. One of the best ways to combat this perception is through the use of humor; Lewis Grizzard was one of the best at this, because he could take the experiences from his own life as well as the lives of others in the South and turn them into humorous semi-fictional stories. He was one of the preeminent fictional authors this country has ever seen because of his ability to connect with people and joke about everyday life in the south, without offending the subjects of those jokes, despite the popular opinion the rest of the country held.
“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
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
Humor can take many forms, including practical jokes, teasing, insults and self-deprecation. It is a staple of humanity and plays an extremely important role in our psychology as we move throughout life’s stages. In fact, famed philosopher Immanuel Kant placed laughter alongside sleeping and hope as the most beneficial means of renewing the soul. It is commonly perceived as a beneficiary tool for healing and social interaction for everyone, but few have looked at the roles humor plays in the aging process. Meika Loe set out to examine this relationship in her book, Aging Our Way by utilizing several case studies of the elderly of various backgrounds. Loe has identified key case studies to support this hypothesis in Eddie, who uses humor to
There are many theories when it comes to humor. The superiority theory of humor argues that people laugh at other’s misfortunes and shortcomings to assert their own superiority (Morreall). Additionally, in the Relief Theory, humor
There have been numerous research attempts to understand how individuals cope with negative life events. Freud (1993) refer to defence mechanisms and the unconscious processes individuals resort to in an attempt to address the internal conflicts they experience. Coping strategies serves as a mediator between perceived threats and their anticipated consequences (Endler and Parker, 1990). When confronted with a threat individuals resort to certain behaviour responses in order to cope with the perceived threat. More and more evidence acknowledge the important role that coping strategies play when individuals respond to perceived stressful life events.
Introduction: The purpose of this investigation was to investigate whether positive stimuli increase the happiness of participants when exposed to a stimulus that can be used to cope with stress. Happiness is an emotion that is defined as “the state of being content” and stress is “to experience worry.” The Yerkes-Dodson Law was established in “1908 by psychologists Robert Yerkes and John Dillingham Dodson.” This law states that although stress can have a negative effect on an individual, a certain level of stress is required to have the motivation to perform every day activities. There is an “optimal level” of arousal that can help to retain information needed for the task at hand and assist with the successful completion
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
Humour allows other's to understand a difficult situation without feeling the need to feel uncomfortable about it.
For this reason, humor holds the capability to bring people together and lead to something, like change. Mary O’Hara writes “[comedy provides] a counterbalance to bigotry and prejudice” (O’Hara 106) to prove that humor can do more than make someone laugh, but to reinforce the truth. Humor is a natural human behavior that allows people to escape the mundane, laugh at themselves and also the world around them. O’Hara also writes that “comedy can have a profound impact on how we feel, and even how we act” (O’Hara 110). If humor can change the way we think and act, then it consequently has the ability to bring forth social
Does smiling and laughter help your body physically and mentally? Well, you should always use your smile to change the world, but don’t let this world change your smile. Laughing and smiling daily could bring more joy to your life than you would have ever expected. This is true because the art of happiness improves your well-being physically and mentally. The act of laughing can replace the high cost of any drug for an antidepressant disorder with the free of cost of a good hearty laugh. In the article, “The Healing Power of Laughter” by Mary Fairchild she encapsulates the essence that laughter improves many things in your body and mind. For example, the strengthening of your immune system and the improvement of muscle relaxation.
Norman Cousins said, “Laughter is a powerful way to tap positive emotions" (Moss 1). Humor is studied by many researchers in sociology, psychology, art, literature, and medicine. When people wonder whether humor aids in areas other than health, a treasure trove of possible benefits to the learning or educational community is opened up. Humor can be used as a tool to promote learning.Research speaks to the many benefits of humor in healing, to its benefits in the classroom or boardroom, from reducing stress of students or employees, to boosting self-esteem and feelings of camaraderie. Additionally, studies show that those who use humor to convey a message are often more favorably perceived. Humor helps deliver the presenter's message to his/her target audience better because that audience is more receptive, as noted in the case studies. Laughter is a key element in the mind, body, and spirit connection because of its power of positivity, this serves as a great link between feeling good and learning
Feeling down and depressed? Laugh all those troubles away. Laughter is a simple yet substantial way of putting that little spring back in the step. When people say “Laughter is the best medicine,” what are they referring to? Laughing acts as calorie burner, prevents heart disease or other illnesses, can increase learning abilities and focus, or even bring a more optimistic outlook on life.
Some people use humor to hide from their real emotions. Using humor to help get through the difficult times is a lot different than using humor to hide from them.
Humor is very subjective; this is very true to everyone who tries to crack a joke. The interesting thing is that there is an awkward feeling that hits us mercilessly whenever we flop. We know it instantly when we land, hit, kill the funny bone.