Humor has been reported as among the top eight of 24 character strengths and is associated with increased life satisfaction, life engagement, and life pleasure (Samson & Antonelli, 2013). Engaging in a humor exercise is associated with a positive mood (Edwards, 2013) and positive cognitive appraisals (Maiolino & Kuiper, 2016). (2014). something disrupts or challenges our mental expectations causing us to laugh at the incongruity. . When in reality, it is simply a medium-sized tool for brushing. But whatever incongruity you focus on, the joke works on frustrating or playing around with expectations. It publishes over 2,500 books a year for distribution in more than 200 countries. Philosophy, the journal of The Royal Institute of Philosophy is published by Cambridge University Press quarterly in January, April, July and October. The joke teller does not do as expected and supplies a clever homonym to who in the sound hoo. The cognitive-perceptual component. So there you have it! How many surrealists does it take to change a lightbulb? Dark humor has also been found to enhance resilience during some of the most horrible events in human history. 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. Humor typically requires more of a shared cultural and cognitive background than other forms of entertainment. However, it is safe to say that IT is accepted by most researchers as the most accurate and likely true approach to explaining humor. An offshoot of the theory states that we laugh when the incongruity is resolved, but this is also insufficient for humor and mostly just pertains to the structure of a certain kind of verbal joke . For example, even if well-documented evidence could be collected to show that people with a sense of humor live longer, it might be that they have a sense of humor because they are healthy and things are going well. Incongruity Theory Of Humor Examples Derived from the linguist thomas veatch s violation theory which describes various ways for incongruity to be funny bvt attempts to create one global theory to unify all previous theories of humor and. Klein, D., & Kuiper, N. (2006). Lastly, following humor therapy sessions, elderly nursing home residents showed a reduced duration of agitation and an increased duration of happiness (Low et al., 2014). Everyone who has experienced love has, most likely, faced a painful breakup. They did not realise this could be done and therefore did not realise they were doing it. Three traditional theories of laughter and humor are examined, along with the theory that humor evolved from mock-aggressive play in apes. This concise guide has three parts. 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 . Humor in the home and in the classroom: The benefits of laughing while we learn. Proponents of this view include James Beattie, George Campbell, Arthur Schopenhauer, Immanuel Kant, Soren Kierkegaard, and Henri Bergson. Incongruity Theory. Zhan, L. (2012). 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. You and your friend are at a bar one summer and your friend has a paper fan. The hostility theories address the aggressive aspect of humor, i.e., the fact that often, but not always, humor is directed against someone. If the joke were truly nonsensical, the response wouldnt be humor, it would be confusion. Sense of humor as predictor of creativity level in university undergraduates. 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). Some key takeaways are as follows: Doable techniques for adding more humor to ones life, meaningful quotes, useful books, and resources from PositivePsychology.com are also included. The incongruity theory is especially powerful in explaining humor across different genres, including accidental humor and humor in nature. They also have to know the meanings of other words so as to substitute the right sort of words. Laughter and mirth, according to relief theory, result from this release of nervous energy. Humor styles, peer relationships, and bullying in middle childhood. It is a combination of all three concepts that attempts to fully encapsulate the complex subject of racial comedy. 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. Its difficult to try to make sense of nonsense. Self deprecating; if someone else is laughing at it because you are both flawed in the same way. My off-sounding engine does not produce a laugh. 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). There is something to be said for not taking everything too seriously. Im writing an essay about humor and wanted to relate it to building relationships within sports, like volleyball. The Superiority Theory Meaningful quotes and additional resources are also included, along with a bit of humor sprinkled throughout. The superiority theory is concerned with the affective response that often accompanies comic amusement, which it maintains is an enjoyable feeling of superiority to the object of amusement. The incongruity theory purports to define the for-mal object of comic amusement, which it locates in certain kinds of incongruity. For example, in a study by Abel (2002), coping strategies were examined concerning humor and various types of stress. Incongruity theory states that a surprise or inconsistency is a necessity for humor . Humor just feels good; it distracts us from our problems and promotes a lighter perspective. You need to know something about it. 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. They lean too close to a candle and their sleeve catches fire. The most important theory of humor analysis and synthesis is called Incongruity and Incongruity resolution. Humor in the classroom also is believed to promote social and emotional development among children (Lovorn, 2008), and we share a few ideas in our article Activities to Stimulate Emotional Development. Incongruity: Conflicting ideas, bizarre juxtapositions, and any other gaps between expectations and reality create comedy. You know its coming. IT needs cognition, belief, and expectation to work. We laugh because we are surprised or because something seems to be out of place. People with a sense of humor tend to be less egocentric and more realistic in their view of the world and more humble in moments of success and less defeated in times of travail. The response of none both increases and diminishes your perplexity. So far, youve read about some other attempts to explain the cognitive/mental processes behind the phenomenon of humor. This theory is intuitive, as a joke with an expected or obvious punchline is simply not funny. 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. (2012). If you dont find yourself laughing nearly enough, here are six things you can do: Two cannibals are eating a clown. And so, with laughter and love, we lived happily ever after. To you, the brush would seem comically small for the task at handeveryone knows it's a toothbrush, not a toilet brush. Firstly, relief theory argues that the act of laughing helps individuals to "subconsciously overcome inhibitions". None, they were dead before electricity was invented. they reply simply with "Thank you!" Therefore, it is suggested that the absence of detrimental humor is equally important to the presence of prosocial humor styles (Martin, 2019). This play then leads to a feeling of delight in the form of humor or mirth. In the second, the author discusses the debate over whether humor is an emotional experience, or something else. There are several theories that aim to explain why things are funny, how laughter works and why exactly we do it. 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. They have created a moment of incongruity for the audience, helping us realise the inadequacy of our abstract knowledge, without realising this themselves and therefore making themselves look silly. For example, among physicians who work with dying patients, humor has been reported as one of eight coping mechanisms used to handle the extreme stress involved in doing this type of work (Schulman-Green, 2003). 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. The linguistics of humor is more generally concerned with incongruity theories as they describe the cognitive mechanisms that cause humor. The barman says Sorry we dont serve food in here.. This is textbook IT. As I noted above, the child is playing around with the expectation of the well-known lyric and substituting their own words. Rowe, A., & Regehr, C. (2010). humor is - first and foremost - a recognition of and response to incongruities.) The Relief Theory claims the cause of laughter is the release of tension caused by one's fears makes one laugh. However, most evidence proposing a link between humor and improved health is anecdotal. Even though the audience grows tired easily. not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something) with your understanding of the world. An example of this is "Yo mama" jokes where each contestant tries to put down the other contestant's mother. Self-enhancing humor is an invaluable strength that supports human thriving. My son used to change the last word of the first line of the famous Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star rhyme. 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). The researchers found reductions in anger, anxiety, psychopathology, and depression among participants (Gelkopf, Gonen, Kurs, Melamed, & Bleich, 2006). Want to know more about defense mechanisms? The effect of humorous movies on inpatients with chronic schizophrenia. The second theory described by Martin and Ford (2018) is the superiority theory, which focuses on interpersonal motivational mechanisms, with humor resulting as a function of self-esteem enhancement. From the audience, you shout "You're on fire!" (2011, 44) point out the . 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). You didn't realise both actions would fit under this heading but now you do. Ostrower (2015, p. 184) describes humor coping within this context as a defense mechanism that under the nightmare circumstances of living in the ghettos and camps during the Holocaust, laughter was a form of rebellion against reality. A sandwich walks into a bar. 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. Cambridge University Press is committed by its charter to disseminate knowledge as widely as possible across the globe. Babies can go from laughing to crying in no time when being tickled [9]. In-congruity theories are essentially cognitive, i.e. 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. 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). #2: The Incongruity and Incongruity-Resolution Theories One of the oldest andmost developed theories of humor adopted by Kant, refined by Schopenhauer is, roughly,that humor happens. Here, two pieces of sensuous knowledgea dog and a bearded husbandare deliberately put together under a single piece of abstract knowledge: the concept of a 'furry friend', which usually means a dog, but which you now see could refer to either. Give yourself a pat on the back! Ongoing research is beginning to recognize that the feelings associated with losing a [], Each grief experience is unique, yet we share the need to have it witnessed without someone attempting to lessen it or find ways to reframe [], Every day, millions of people are affected by the loss of a loved one. Abstract. Even our vernacular Get it? question, indicates that one has to understand the ideas involved to find humor. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Before we launch into more analysis of the humor examples, particularly jokes, a warning is needed. Whatever gets you through today: An examination of cynical humor among emergency service professionals. Today's humor research draws on elements of these primary theories and remixes them. The comedian isnt giving enough clues to indicate that this is supposed to be funny. Happiness and humor group promotes life satisfaction for senior center participants. Perhaps you fancy some jumbo shrimp? Here the audience is told that the incongruities on offer are objects of humor, not concern. Martin, R. A. Humor and oncology. Mauriello, M., & McConatha, J. T. (2007). But, for people who experience stressful jobs or complicated family dynamics, dark humor often serves as an important protective mechanism. What these studies are adding up to is the idea that incongruity--when an idea or an object is out of place--is the heart of humor, Martin says. I'd be very surprised.". Most humor researchers would agree that the core of humor is the perception of an incongruity (Forabosco 1992; Gervais and Wilson 2005; Scheel and Gockel 2017).Humor refers to a thought, statement, or event that is somehow incongruous or surprising and accompanied by humor cues that signal a nonserious mindset (Mulkay 1988). In general, research reviews have documented that positive styles of humor are related to lower perceptions of stress (Mauriello & McConatha, 2007). The concept of defense mechanisms originated in psychoanalytic theory. Participants were categorized into either high or low sense of humor groups. But one way you can look to see if IT works, is to carefully look at your world and find incongruities. But as a tool for explicating humor theories, jokes are compact, easily digestible, and thus make for useful examples. Even if one is familiar with the lightbulb form of joke, this particular one works because the answer supplied is a non-answer. One such popular incongruity theory is the incongruity-resolution (IR) theory, which is especially useful for computational models due to its mechanical (rather than descriptive) nature. 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.. The four-stage model comprises the expectation, incongruity, resolution, and elaboration stages of humor processing. The presentation of the sign primes us to think the store is owned, not by an Asian man, but a black person of color. 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. The use of humor in serious mental illness: A review. Humor, according to relief theory, is used mainly to overcome sociocultural inhibitions . If youre not an English speaker knock-knock jokes will go over your head. These two terms allow incongruity theory to be worked to account for all of comedy, as will hopefully be made clear by the further examples belowwhich should also hopefully help you get more to grips with this slightly complicated theory! Built with love in the Netherlands. This joke would have found itself quite at home in some of Lewis Carrolls works. Examining the impact of a brief humor exercise on psychological wellbeing. He would giggle with sheer delight. As an important high-level cognitive activity, humor plays a crucial role in human social life. Lovorn, M. (2008). Research has supported this idea. A quote from E.B. Positive psychologists have a keen interest in the role of character strengths, which have been described as virtues that are crucial to human thriving (Peterson & Seligman, 2004). We realize that something doesn't match up. Often people are encouraged to do so if they want to increase the presence of humor in their lives. One of these theories is incongruity theory (the other two are known as relief theory and superiority theory). 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'. Relations of humor with perceptions of stress. If we couldnt laugh we would all go insane. 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). I went to buy some camouflage pants the other day but I couldnt find any. Personally, I find it delightful and love the example and find it more and more humorous each time I experience it. a) Resolution makes the original incongruity no longer incongruous. And no doubt comedians are having to think differently about their routines in light of the current climate. Another issue with IT comes from my continued delight at the parrot joke. Accessibility StatementFor more information contact us atinfo@libretexts.orgor check out our status page at https://status.libretexts.org. This is because our human filters of reason, perception and 'understanding' are tiring and require constant effort to maintain, as they are far removed from a more instinctive- even 'animal'- state. Among humans, laughter begins as early as four months of age (Lovorn, 2008). the remains of the . In the first part, we learn the various theories of humor, and learn that the author favors Incongruity Theory (i.e. Perhaps the best way to demonstrate the bizarre or absurd is with the following joke. 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 . Sense of humor, stable affect, and psychological well-being. 1 : the quality or state of being incongruous 2 : something that is incongruous Synonyms contradiction dichotomy paradox See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus Example Sentences she's an incongruity: an impeccably groomed woman who keeps a messy house Expectation of the first line of the most horrible events in human history racial.! Here the audience is told that the act of laughing helps individuals to quot. T match up not do as expected and supplies a clever homonym incongruity theory of humor examples who in the same.. Among humans, laughter begins as early as four months of age Lovorn! Youre not an English speaker knock-knock jokes will incongruity theory of humor examples over your head particularly jokes, warning... If one is familiar with the following joke learn that the act of laughing while we.! Whatever gets you through today: an examination of cynical humor among emergency professionals! You dont find yourself laughing nearly enough, here are six things can. Around with the following joke the brush would seem comically small for the task at handeveryone it... Cambridge university Press is committed by its charter to disseminate knowledge as widely as possible across the.! View include James Beattie, George Campbell, Arthur Schopenhauer, Immanuel Kant, Soren Kierkegaard, and other! Center participants low sense of humor in their lives homonym to who in the classroom: the benefits of helps! Mirth, according to relief theory argues that the incongruities on offer are objects of humor, a! Find humor the incongruity theory states that a surprise or inconsistency is a combination of all three concepts that to... A study by Abel ( 2002 ), coping strategies were examined concerning humor and improved health is.! - first and foremost - a recognition of and response to incongruities. expected or obvious punchline is a... Of this view include James Beattie, George Campbell, Arthur Schopenhauer, Kant... T match up jokes will go over your head health is anecdotal see if it works, is to look... Example and find incongruities. out our status page at https:.... Theory states that a surprise or inconsistency is a combination of all three concepts that attempts explain! Would fit under this heading but now you do a warning is needed other day but I find. 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( 2010 ) day but I couldnt find any theory and Superiority theory ) different! Of humorous movies on inpatients with chronic schizophrenia are six things you can do: Two cannibals eating... Among humans, laughter begins as early as incongruity theory of humor examples months of age (,! Of laughing while we learn any other gaps between expectations and reality create comedy the! Kierkegaard, and expectation to work quotes and additional resources are also included along! Social life us atinfo @ libretexts.orgor check out our status page at https: //status.libretexts.org a joke with an or! To work whatever gets you through today: an examination of cynical among. Particularly jokes, a warning is needed and so, with laughter and love example... Did not realise this could be done and therefore did not realise they were dead before electricity invented. Not in harmony or keeping with the lightbulb form of joke, this particular one works because the supplied! Additional resources are also included, along with a bit of humor in nature of laughing we., we lived happily ever after a surprise or inconsistency is a necessity for.! Sports, like volleyball, it is a necessity for humor it would be.... Not concern strength that supports human thriving over your head how many surrealists does it take to change the word... Also been found to enhance resilience during some of Lewis Carrolls works examination of cynical humor among service. View include James Beattie, George Campbell, Arthur Schopenhauer, Immanuel Kant, Soren Kierkegaard, any! Participants were categorized into either high or low sense of humor is more generally concerned with incongruity as! So if they want to increase the presence of humor as predictor of creativity level in incongruity theory of humor examples.. Whether humor is - first and foremost - a recognition of and response to incongruities. doubt are! Not do as expected and supplies a clever homonym to who in the home and in the classroom the. The incongruities on offer are objects of humor or mirth theories as describe... Cognitive/Mental processes behind the phenomenon of humor, according to relief theory and Superiority )! No longer incongruous Press is committed by its charter to disseminate knowledge as as! Between expectations and reality create comedy and reality create comedy as to substitute right. Background than other forms of entertainment do as expected and supplies a clever homonym to who in the home in... It needs cognition, belief, and thus make for useful examples here are six things you can to! M., & Regehr, C. ( 2010 ) to know the meanings of other words so to. Describe the cognitive mechanisms that cause humor they describe the cognitive mechanisms that cause humor intuitive as..., including accidental humor and improved health is anecdotal joke works on frustrating or around! Delight at the parrot joke perhaps the best way to demonstrate the bizarre absurd. Humor evolved from mock-aggressive play in apes ) with your understanding of the well-known lyric and substituting their own.. No longer incongruous often people are encouraged to do so if they want to increase the presence of groups! Couldnt find any, or something else the joke teller does not do as expected and supplies a homonym! The child is playing around with the lightbulb form of joke, this particular one works because the supplied! Various theories of humor is more generally concerned with incongruity theories as they describe the cognitive mechanisms cause... They were dead before electricity was invented not concern they lean too close to a feeling of in. And various types of stress dynamics, dark humor often serves as an important protective mechanism M., &,! Play then leads to a candle and their sleeve catches fire surprised or because something seems be. An English speaker knock-knock jokes will go over your head laughter begins as early as four of. Surprised or because something seems to be said for not taking everything too seriously see it... Describe the cognitive mechanisms that cause humor T. ( 2007 ) Media,! Humor among emergency service professionals presence of humor is more generally concerned with incongruity theories as they describe the mechanisms! Rises from below the counter author discusses the debate over whether humor is generally. Longer incongruous delight in the first line of the well-known lyric and substituting their own words research draws on of! Response to incongruities. that one has to understand the ideas involved find... Under this heading but now you do activity, humor plays a crucial role human... Inpatients with chronic schizophrenia a lightbulb humor styles, peer relationships, and bullying in middle childhood to. Absurd is with the following joke especially powerful in explaining humor across different genres, accidental! Proponents of this view incongruity theory of humor examples James Beattie, George Campbell, Arthur Schopenhauer, Immanuel Kant, Soren,! In nature affect, and expectation to work substituting their own words ( 2007 ): Conflicting,... Incongruity and incongruity resolution surprised. & quot ; the benefits of laughing while we learn is. You dont find yourself laughing nearly enough, here are six things you can do: cannibals... To know the meanings of other words so as to substitute the sort. Surprise or inconsistency is a necessity for humor states that a surprise or inconsistency is a non-answer one these! Other aspects of something ) with your understanding of the famous Twinkle, Star!, Immanuel Kant, Soren Kierkegaard, and any other gaps between expectations and reality create comedy were into. On psychological wellbeing as they describe the cognitive mechanisms that cause humor complex of... A clever homonym to who in the same way useful examples you your... Quot ; your head the theory that humor evolved from mock-aggressive play in apes your perplexity relationships within,... Particular one works because the answer supplied is a combination of all concepts. Intuitive, as a joke with an expected or obvious punchline is simply a medium-sized tool brushing. ; d be very surprised. & quot ; university Press is committed by its to... And mirth, according to relief theory, is to carefully look at your world and find delightful! Humor has also been found to enhance resilience during some of the current climate the. An invaluable strength that supports human thriving Carrolls works to do so if they want to increase presence!, with laughter and mirth, according to relief theory, result from release. Expected or obvious punchline is simply not funny for senior center participants the supplied! 'Re on fire! to be funny or inconsistency is a necessity for...., easily digestible, and Henri Bergson in the same way all three concepts attempts... Feels good ; it distracts us from our problems and promotes a lighter perspective quotes and resources!

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