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. The same effect would occur if you saw someone cleaning a toilet with a toothbrush. however, humor seems to be more prevalent in post-modern literature. (2002). 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). The Incongruity Theory (IT, hereafter) is the dominant theory used in modern research to explain humorous things. This is a rather cruel witticism but a witticism all the same. Certainly children had laughed and giggled prior to language (laughter is evidenced before language after all and is thus a deeper part of our evolutionary history), but this active playing with language and expectations is a mature form of humor, even if its seen as immature to the more advanced humor connoisseurs we all find ourselves to be. For example, you could buy five pigs. In other words, laughter is a function of anticipating a different outcome than what was expected. Incongruity humor is a favorite form of humor among cognitive psychologists. In linguistics, the affiliative aspect of humor has dominated the . There are numerous positive benefits of humor, such as enhanced positive mood, life satisfaction, self-esteem, job performance, creativity, social bonding, and. Having the ability to appreciate and comprehend humor is an interesting aspect of human behavior, and the trait is considered an attribute unique to human beings (Nahemow, 1986).Suls (1972) proposed incongruity-resolution theory and suggested that the cognitive processing aspects of a . 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'. THEORIES OF HUMOR IN THE MOVIE STEP BROTHERS 4 Another theory visible in Step Brothers is the incongruity theory. The presentation of the sign primes us to think the store is owned, not by an Asian man, but a black person of color. 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). Theories of the psychophysiological benefits of humor. Cooper, C., & Sosik, J. My off-sounding engine does not produce a laugh. 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. This concept is exemplified by the ability of healthcare workers to employ dark humor as a way of coping with chronic job stress (e.g., Schulman-Green, 2003; Talbot & Lumden, 2000; Wanzer et al., 2005). For example, when you expect a certain event outcome, but then something entirely different happens. Elucidating the bonds of workplace humor: A relational process model. The child will continue playing with that rhyme substituting words here and there both with others and by themselves. Positive humor was found to buffer the impact of work stress on mental health, as well as to promote more effective functioning on the job. Cambridge University Press is committed by its charter to disseminate knowledge as widely as possible across the globe. This is textbook IT. Interestingly, those who were higher in humor scores were also found to have increased immune functioning (Bennett et al., 2003). According to the Benign Violation Theory (BVT), something is perceived as humorous when it hits the "sweet spot," where there is not only a violation, but where the violation is also perceived as benign. I am free of all prejudice. Of course, the same joke may be explained by more than one theory. They now look silly but you have had it pointed out to you that abstract knowledge is insufficient in this sense. They lean too close to a candle and their sleeve catches fire. Ganz, F. D., & Jacobs, J. M. (2014). While more research is sorely needed, extant literature suggests that humor may have many benefits among patients, such as enhanced immunity and positive emotions, improved interpersonal relationships, reduced pain, and increased positive emotions (Gelkopf, 2011). If I told you a joke where Etruscans were the main actors, you might not find it funny. But not for them. Incongruity theory o An example of the incongruity theory of humor takes place during the waterpark scene in the movie Grown Ups (Dennis Dugan, 2010). If youre looking for more science-based ways to help others overcome adversity, this collection contains. Explaining a joke is like dissecting a frog. Abstract knowledge refers to the way we understand things through our human filtersour words for things in the world and the categories we assign them into. Just as the surrealists might have liked. But as a tool for explicating humor theories, jokes are compact, easily digestible, and thus make for useful examples. Effects of humor in the language classroom: Humor as a pedagogical tool in theory and practice. Though it is not entirely flawless, incongruity theory stands as one of the most prominent accounts of amusement in the contemporary discussion of philosophy of . Wanzer, M., Booth-Butterfield, M., & Booth-Butterfield, S. (2005). 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. 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. IT needs cognition, belief, and expectation to work. If we didnt use humor, wed cry: Humorous coping communication in health care settings. 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. 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. 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. We struggle to understand why. A fair warning is needed, as jokes are but a small slice of the humor pie. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Many of us may relate to high-anxiety situations where a joke feels like a much-needed outlet. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions Among humans, laughter begins as early as four months of age (Lovorn, 2008). This idea is explained by Wanzer et al. Whether you find the sly response of the joker in setting up the listener to make a silly owl noise, or the taking advantage of the form of the knock-knock joke to force the listener into the silliness, incongruity is at work here through and through. However, from a neutral unshaped perspective, it is simply a brush. You dont ask about the difference between a single thing; comparison require two things. It fits with current scientific approaches, it conforms and relates to our everyday experience of humor, and its also explanatory. 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. A Subtreasury of American Humor. Incongruity theory, which focuses on the cognitive mechanisms of perception and interpretation, posits that it is the perceptions of incongruity that explain humor (Martin & Ford, 2018). There are three major families of theories of humor: humor as release, humor as aggression, and humor as incongruity. We can give two forms to the claims of the superiority theory of humor: (1) the strong claim holds that all humor involves a feeling of superiority, and (2) the weak claim suggests that feelings of superiority are frequently found in many cases of humor. The substantive literature is again lacking; however, some studies do show that humor serves as an important coping mechanism for psychiatric patients. . 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. In other words, laughter is a function of anticipating a different outcome than what was expected. Vaughan, J., Zeigler-Hill, V., & Arnau, R. C. (2014). This example also helps us to see the unexpected nature of the incongruous. The answer is in a real sense spot on. they are based on some objective characteristics of a humorous text or other act (situation, event, picture, etc.). 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). When we are shown it is inadequate, we feel we can relax our reliance on it. Superiority Theory. The main issue with IT is that not all incongruities we experience lead to humor. You need to know something about it. Violated expectations can indeed be funny, as is acknowledged by incongruity theories of humor. The authors describe this as akin to a hydraulic engine, with laughter serving the function of a steam pipe pressure valve. There is a scientific fact that you need to learn but neither of you know it. 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. They offer to 'cool you down' and you agree. Infants tend to laugh when parents make funny faces and sounds, hide their faces before they. But if you know nothing of the Etruscans you couldnt possibly make sense of it. In order for any two people to share a joke, its important that they share a certain conceptual or knowledge base. Examining the impact of a brief humor exercise on psychological wellbeing. One of simplest forms of humor in young children can be found when they actively do something contrary to expectation or norm. 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. 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For instance, let's say that you and a friend are in a stranger's bathroom, when you notice said stranger has accidentally left their toilet brush on a shelf instead of in its holder. So, it shouldnt be much of a surprise that people have found issues with IT. It means 'knowledge of the senses', things as they simply are without the filter of human 'reason'. Think about whats required for you to get a joke. You can perform this sort of analysis on most any of the jokes or humor youve experienced. 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 Incongruity Theory (IT, hereafter) is the dominant theory used in modern research to explain humorous things. Three main theories have been proposed to explain the psychophysiological impact of humor: 1) incongruity theory, 2) superiority theory, and 3) arousal theory. Maiolino, N., & Kuiper, N. (2016). For example, "hot poet" is funnier than "happy child" and "money and sex" is funnier than "love and sex" [7,8]. MesmerMagnus, J., Glew, D., & Viswesvaran, C. (2012). Philosophy The same ad run in a moderately conservative country like India would put the brand in a . My son used to change the last word of the first line of the famous Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star rhyme. You tell your friend to 'Look up the answer'. This isnt to say that those forms of art are not complex, its just to highlight that humor is of a different sort of experience; one that requires knowledge, expectation, and belief to typically be experienced as such. 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). The effect of mirthful laughter on stress and natural killer cell activity. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. 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'. Martin and Ford (2018) describe the three top humor theories. Clearly, they understand about expectation and then are using the unexpected presence of the new word to create humor. 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. Everyone who has experienced love has, most likely, faced a painful breakup. Mathieu, S. (2008). 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. 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