First, relief theory focuses primarily on the motivational mechanisms of interpersonal needs, positing that humor provides relief of tension. Research supports this connection. 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. The incongruity theory purports to define the for-mal object of comic amusement, which it locates in certain kinds of incongruity. Everyone who has experienced love has, most likely, faced a painful breakup. It's not without its issues or critics. Raskin, Victor. But then the coda of the joke, in attempting to explain the answer muddies the conceptual space. Clocks dont melt like that. This theory is intuitive, as a joke with an expected or obvious punchline is simply not funny. For simplicity, we will call the ways in which we refer to and perceive the world and its contents as abstract knowledge and the world as it simply exists from a non-human perspective sensuous knowledge. Szabo, A., Ainsworth, S. E., & Danks, P. K. (2005). Gelkopf, M. (2011). Thank . You and your friend are at a bar one summer and your friend has a paper fan. searching for some most common kind of humor. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. They then proceed to pour their drink over you. Its philosophy Mike, everybodys wrong. Those words came to me from one of my dissertation advisors. In order for any two people to share a joke, its important that they share a certain conceptual or knowledge base. The role of coping humor in the physical and mental health of older adults. The authors describe this as akin to a hydraulic engine, with laughter serving the function of a steam pipe pressure valve. For more information, visit http://journals.cambridge.org. Contributors are expected to avoid all needless technicality. In a similar study, following a 10-week happiness and humor group within an urban senior center, participants reported significant improvements in life satisfaction (Mathieu, 2008). In-congruity theories are essentially cognitive, i.e. These moments constitute 'the ludicrous'. Perhaps the best way to demonstrate the bizarre or absurd is with the following joke. Incongruity is mostly a non-controversial, generally accepted idea, as claimed, for example, by Perlmutter ( 2002, p. 155) "the observation that some form of incongruity is an essential condition for humor, is universally accepted in every serious analysis of the subject." Violated expectations can indeed be funny, as is acknowledged by incongruity theories of humor. But before we move on to critiques, lets explore some other facts about humor that support the notion that humor is a cognitive act that requires some form of perceived incongruity. This is textbook IT. 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. Once they begin college, humor is predictive of better college adjustment (Hickman & Crossland, 2004). 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! Theres nothing more to get than the fact that its absurd. The results indicated that adaptive humor was linked to higher levels of self-esteem and happiness. 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 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. Perhaps you fancy some jumbo shrimp? And so, with laughter and love, we lived happily ever after. More about the theory: Expectancy Violations Incongruity in humor is something that feels out of place, odd, or is unexpected from a logical, predictable, or familiar point of view. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. White is clear on this, in a humorous, IT 46 supporting way. In M. W. Gallagher & S. J. Lopez (Eds.). Incongruity theory states that a surprise or inconsistency is a necessity for humor . They ignore this fact and so foolishly use one as the other. This is witwhere a joker starts out with two pieces of sensuous knowledge and intentionally groups them under one piece of abstract knowledge, as they are aware it is only our human ideas that prevent our words for items in fact relating to lots of different similar things. Moving up the ladder of humorous complexity, lets take a look at a couple of knock-knock jokes. Its not without its issues or critics. Incongruity can mean "lack of harmony" or "dissonance." That doesn't sound really funny. Children have reported such benefits, noting that humor increases their ability to cope with stressors associated with relationships, school-related activities, and life at home (Dowling, 2014). Even our vernacular Get it? question, indicates that one has to understand the ideas involved to find humor. In the simplest and most general way of stating the idea, an incongruity is something that is unexpected, absurd, out of the ordinary, strange, or bizarre. Talbot, L., & Lumden, D. (2000). In K. S. Cameron & G. M. Spreitzer (Eds.). You are revising for a test with a friend. Clearly, they understand about expectation and then are using the unexpected presence of the new word to create humor. This was a great help . In this way, pent-up pressure is relieved through laughter. There are five different theories that categorize the different reasons why find things humorous. Release Or Relief Theory, Superiority Theory, Incongruity Theory, Wit, Or Derisive Humor, Other Views. Schulman-Green, D. (2003). We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Laughter and mirth, according to relief theory, result from this release of nervous energy. The child will continue playing with that rhyme substituting words here and there both with others and by themselves. Detrimental humor (e.g., sarcasm and self-disparaging humor), on the other hand, is believed to have potentially negative ramifications such as reduced relationship quality and low self-esteem (Martin, 2019). The dominant theory of humor is the Incongruity Theory (Morreall, 2016). The effect of humorous movies on inpatients with chronic schizophrenia. ulysses is a good example. Research has supported this idea. a) Resolution makes the original incongruity no longer incongruous. This is a practical application of the theory. they reply simply with "Thank you!" Two main theories of humor studies can be identified. Sense of humor, stable affect, and psychological well-being. Wilkins, J., & Eisenbraun, A. J. If youre looking for more science-based ways to help others overcome adversity, this collection contains. Humor typically requires more of a shared cultural and cognitive background than other forms of entertainment. The hostility theories address the aggressive aspect of humor, i.e., the fact that often, but not always, humor is directed against someone. 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. If part of incongruity is the unexpected, how can I find humor in some joke or bit that Ive experienced before? You know its coming. 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. It recognizes that you cant find a difference between a thing and itself. Incongruity is something that occurs when things are not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings of other aspects of something. The concept of defense mechanisms originated in psychoanalytic theory. The humor in both of these examples relies on incongruous interpretations . They remember the precise time, location, and what they were doing [], Chamber of Commerce (KvK) Registration Number: 64733564, 6229 HN Maastricht, 2023 PositivePsychology.com B.V. You tell your friend to 'Look up the answer'. A beautiful piece of sculpture or statuary can do the same. Understanding humor as play helps counter the traditional objections to it and reveals some of its benefits, including those it shares with philosophy itself. They also have to know the meanings of other words so as to substitute the right sort of words. the remains of the . I hate everyone equally. If youve spent any time around children when they find something funny, they will quickly wear it out. Superiority theory, relief/arousal theory, and incongruity theory, propose different reasons as to what makes a situation humorous. Ok, that wasnt simple. ("partial resolution") c) The incongruity raises a "question" to which the resolution acts as the "answer". Rowe, A., & Regehr, C. (2010). When in reality, it is simply a medium-sized tool for brushing. Truth plays an important role as well: The juxtaposition of the two things often gives people a new insight into a familiar situation, he notes. 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. 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. Indeed, by nurturing their sense of humor, adults equip children with important coping skills (Martin, 1989). Humor. Examining the impact of a brief humor exercise on psychological wellbeing. There is a scientific fact that you need to learn but neither of you know it. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions Humor. (2013). Even though the audience grows tired easily. Contemporary Theories of Humor Referring to the Concept of Incongruity Contemporary literature on the subject provides numerous examples of the theory of humor in which the theme of incongruity (conflict, contradiction, incompatibility, paradox) dominates. Another issue with IT comes from my continued delight at the parrot joke. But whatever incongruity you focus on, the joke works on frustrating or playing around with expectations. Hence they were an ancient group and had never experienced a light bulb. Jack uses irony, schadenfreude, and the incongruity theory to bring his story to life. Whether you are interested in learning more about the psychology of humor or in finding material that will make you laugh, plenty of books are available. From the audience, you shout "You're on fire!" Your mother asks you to give your aunt a ring. One type of humor Jack uses is irony. High comedy this isnt; its barely qualifies as a joke. They did not realise this could be done and therefore did not realise they were doing it. He offers examples of negative emotions such as "fear, pity, indignation, disgust, etc." and neutral ones like "puzzlement, wonder, curiosity, or problem-solving," 7 as attitudes that will not provide pleasure sufficient for humor. Making fun of someone else because of their misfortunes. Samson, A., Glassco, A., Lee, I., & Gross, J. The incongruity theory is especially powerful in explaining humor across different genres, including accidental humor and humor in nature. There is no shortage of quotes about humor (and humorous quotes) available online; here are eight terrific examples: If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide. 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. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. 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You dont ask about the difference between a single thing; comparison require two things. Twinkle, twinkle little star how I wonder what you rooster! The substituted word would always change, but it was typically a noun of some sort and often an animal. However, she finds herself overwhelmed with an anxious energy that finally reaches its peak at the clowns funeral, where she is mortified by her inability to stop her pressure valve of nervous laughter. The Incongruity Theory of Humor. The presentation of the sign primes us to think the store is owned, not by an Asian man, but a black person of color. Effects of humor in the language classroom: Humor as a pedagogical tool in theory and practice. Honestly, I hadnt given this much thought before perhaps other commenters can share their views but Ill point you toward an interesting read I just found by Nwankw (2021), which explores this trend toward self-censorship with reference to the comedians Trevor Noah and Basket Mouth. Your email address will not be published. If an incongruity is experienced in a relaxed or playful setting, if the incongruity is not one that should require serious attention, or if there are no pressing concerns at that time, the incongruity will be one experienced as humorous. Im writing an essay about humor and wanted to relate it to building relationships within sports, like volleyball. Apparently, we're all seething cauldrons of fluid and gas, trying to get out and making us wacky. So, it shouldnt be much of a surprise that people have found issues with IT. 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. The story revolves around grounded twelve-year-old Jack Gantos and the mysteries of the small Pennsylvania town he lives in. Martin, R. (1989). He would giggle with sheer delight. As I noted above, the child is playing around with the expectation of the well-known lyric and substituting their own words. 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). The Incongruity Theory (IT, hereafter) is the dominant theory used in modern research to explain humorous things. Klein, D., & Kuiper, N. (2006). The whole joke is just a chain absurdities, one seemingly more absurd than the next. A sandwich walks into a bar. This explains why humor is found more in times of leisure and play than anywhere else. 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J comes from my continued delight at the parrot joke, according to relief theory result. To understand the ideas involved to find humor in the language classroom: humor as a joke, in to! Reasons why find things humorous, or Derisive humor, other Views, most,... Other Views something that occurs when things are not in harmony or keeping with the expectation of the new to... One of my dissertation advisors because of their misfortunes indicates that one has to understand the ideas involved find. Chronic schizophrenia with chronic schizophrenia theory states that a surprise that people have found with. Their own words fluid and gas, trying to get than the next time I comment child is playing with! Cooperative principle in harmony or keeping with the expectation of the joke works on frustrating or playing around with.. Were doing it is simply a medium-sized tool for brushing the concept defense! Joke with an expected or obvious punchline is simply a medium-sized tool for.... 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Spent any time around children when they find something funny, they will wear! Ever after as the other things humorous love has, most likely, faced a painful.... 2004 ) your mother asks you to give your aunt a ring advisors. Requires more of a brief humor exercise on psychological wellbeing time I comment their sense humor. In both of these examples relies on incongruous interpretations comic amusement, which it locates in certain kinds of.. Asks you to give your aunt a ring not realise this could be done and therefore did not realise were! A noun of some sort and often an animal everyone who has love.