Humor

Most of us are familiar with humor and it is such an enjoyable and playful activity that many
people think that they already understand it and they don’t do psychological research on it.
There are many questions like what is humor and how is humor processed in brain and how it
affects our bodies? What is sense of humor? and many more questions like that shows us that
humor is a broad term. So, we define it as “anything that people say or do that is perceived
funny and tends to make other people laugh.” Or “the quality of action, speech or writing which
excites amusement; oddity, jocularity, comicality, and fun.”

For example; A sitcom Mr. bean we all have watched and enjoyed is a good example of humor.

Components of Humor
From a psychological perspective humor can be divided into four components;

 Social context
 Cognitive perceptual process
 Emotional response
 Laughter as an expression of humor or mirth

 Social Context:
Humor is a social phenomenon. The social context of humor tells us that it is a
way of interacting with people in a playful manner. There are two modes of humor in
social context i.e telic mode and para telic mode.
 Telic mode is the serious mode of connection between the people. In telic mode
element of humor is present but it may or may not be perceived funny.
 Para-telic mode is funny mode of connection between the people in which the
element of humor is present and is also perceived as funny by other people.
For example; someone may make a humorous quip so that all people in a group
may laugh and the person is perceived as humorous for a brief moment.
 Cognitive-perceptual perspective:
Producing humor is not so easy. To produce a humor, an individual needs to
mentally process the information coming from different sources that is perceived by
others to be funny.

Different theorists gave different cognitive ideas about humor.

 Mathew and David Wilson gave an idea referred to as "non-serious social incongruity."
According to this idea, humor involves an idea, image, text, or event that is in some
sense incongruous, odd, unusual, unexpected, surprising, or out of the ordinary. In
 addition, there needs to be some aspect that causes us to appraise the stimulus as
nonserious or unimportant, putting us into a playful frame of mind at least momentarily.
 Arthur Koestler coined the term "bisociation" to refer to the mental process involved in
perceiving humorous incongruity. According to Koestler, bisociation occurs when a
situation, event, or idea is simultaneously perceived from the perspective of two self-
consistent but normally unrelated and even incompatible frames of reference.
 Michael Apter used the concept of "synergy" to describe this cognitive process, in which
two contradictory images or conceptions of the same object are held in one's mind at
the same time.
 Emotional aspect of humor:
The perception of humor also evokes a pleasant emotional response. Whenever
we laugh at something funny, we are experiencing an emotion that is rooted in the
biochemistry of our brains. It can therefore be argued that humor is essentially an
emotion that is elicited by the particular types of cognitive processes.
To denote this emotion, we need a term that is clearly emotion-related and is
associated with humor and laughter but without being synonymous with either one, and
that word is mirth which works very well for this purpose.

Hence, we can define mirth as

"Pleasurable feeling, joy, happiness; gaiety of mind, as manifested in jest and

laughter; merriment, hilarity.”

 Laughter as an expression of emotion of mirth:

Laughter is a universal expression of mirth and joy that transcends cultural
boundaries. It often arises in response to humor, playfulness, or social interaction,
serving as a natural reaction that can strengthen bonds between individuals. The sound
of laughter can vary widely, from soft chuckles to loud guffaws, but its underlying
purpose remains the same: to convey happiness and enjoyment.
In short, laughter is a powerful expression of mirth that embodies joy,
strengthens social ties, and contributes to our emotional health.

History of Humor
Today the word humor is an umbrella term with a generally positive, socially desirable
connotation, which refers to anything people say or do that is perceived to be funny and evokes
mirth and laughter in others.

 Etymology of Humor:
 Humor began as a Latin word "humorem" meaning fluid or liquid. It still retains this
meaning in physiology in reference to bodily fluids, such as the aqueous and vitreous humors of
the eye. The Greek physician Hippocrates believed that good health depends on proper balance
of four fluids, or "humors" of the body, namely blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile.

Later, the Greek physician Galen introduced the idea that these four fluids possessed
particular psychological qualities, so that an excess of any one of them in an individual created a
certain kind of temperament or character.

 Evolving view of humor:

Recent research suggests that humor is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon,

with its meaning and function evolving over time and across cultures. Here are some key
evolving views of humor over centuries:

 17th Century:
Humor was often characterized by satire and wit. It was a tool for social commentary,
often targeting the elite and exposing their follies.
 18th Century:
The Enlightenment of 18th century brought a focus on reason and intellect, which
influenced humor. The writers used humor to critique political and social issues.
 19th Century:
This era reinforced social norms and morality. Humor became more structured, with the
use of puns and wordplay. The rise of the middle class led to a broader audience for
comedy, and humor began to reflect everyday life.
 20th Century:
This century saw significant changes in humor with the advent of new media. Humor
began to challenge societal norms more openly, addressing taboo subjects and pushing
boundaries.
 21st Century:
Today, humor is more diverse and globalized, influenced by the internet and social
media. There is a greater emphasis on inclusivity and sensitivity, with many comedians
and humorists focusing on shared experiences rather than reinforcing stereotypes. The
rapid spread of memes and viral content has also transformed how humor is created and
consumed.

Overall, humor has evolved from a tool for social critique to a more varied and inclusive form of
expression, adapting to the changing cultural landscape over the centuries.

The Many Forms of humor

 Individuals vary in the degree to which they produce humor in their daily inter-
actions with others. Most of us enjoy the positive emotion of mirth so much that we highly
value those individuals who are especially good at making us laugh. These are the people that
we often describe as having a "good sense of humor.” So, we can define it as; “an individual's
ability to perceive, enjoy, and express humor.”

The humor that occurs in everyday life is divided into three main categories:

 Jokes
 Spontaneous conversational humor
 Accidental or unintentional humor

 Jokes:
Jokes are short, amusing stories ending in a punch line or prepackaged humorous
anecdotes that people memorize and pass on to one another. Punch line is the final
phrase of conversation which is intended to be funny. It can be at the start and middle of
the joke.
The punch line suddenly shifts the meaning in an unexpected and playful way,
thus creating the perception of nonserious incongruity that is necessary for humor to
occur.
For example:
One friend said to another, “you look thinner.” The friend replied, “Yeah, I had my
appendix removed.”
 Spontaneous conversational humor
Spontaneous conversational humor is more context-dependent than joke-
telling, and is therefore often not as funny when recounted afterward. In such
conversational humor, nonverbal cues indicating a humorous intent, such as a twinkle in
the eye or a particular tone of voice, are often more ambiguous than in joke-telling, so
that the listener is often not entirely sure if the speaker is jesting or being serious.
Conversational humor may be classified into (1) anecdotes; relating an
amusing story about oneself or someone else (2) wordplay; creating puns, witty
responses that play on the meaning of words (3) irony; a statement in which the literal
meaning is different from the intended meaning.
Debra Long and Arthur Graesser classified it into 11 categories;
 Irony: This involves expressing something contrary to what is expected, often
highlighting a discrepancy between reality and appearance.
Example: A girl saying "What a beautiful day!" when the weather is cold and
stormy).
 Satire: This is a form of humor that critiques or mocks societal norms, politics, or
individuals, often using exaggeration and wit.
Example: A satirical cartoon depicting a politician with a giant wallet labeled
"Campaign Funds" while ignoring constituents illustrates the absurdity of political
corruption.
 Sarcasm: This involves saying the opposite of what one means, often in a
mocking or contemptuous tone.
Example: If someone is in a hurry and another mishap happen, he might say to
himself, “Oh great, that’s what I was waiting for!”
 Overstatement (Hyperbole): This is an exaggerated claim or statement that is not
meant to be taken literally.
Example: “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!” This exaggeration emphasizes
extreme hunger.
 Understatement: This involves downplaying a situation, often for ironic or
humorous effect.
Example: After winning the lottery, a person might say, “Well, that’s a nice little
bonus.” This understatement minimizes the significance of a life-changing event.
 Self-deprecation: This is when someone makes fun of themselves, often to
appear humble or relatable.
Example: “I tried to be a morning person, but my bed and I have a really strong
relationship. We’re practically inseparable!”
 Teasing: This is light-hearted joking or mocking, often among friends, that implies
affection rather than malice.
Example: “Nice haircut! Did you lose a bet?” This playful jab is meant to be
humorous rather than hurtful.
 Replies to Rhetorical Questions: This form of humor involves giving a humorous
answer to a question that isn’t meant to be answered.
Example: “What an entrance! You must be practicing for a dramatic reveal every
time you show up late.” This teases someone in a light way for being late.
 Double Entendres: These are phrases that have two meanings, typically one
innocent and one crazy.
Example: “I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high. She looked
surprised.”
Here, "looked surprised" refers to both her expression and the fact that her high
eyebrows made her look that way.
 Transformation of Frozen Expressions: This involves taking well-known phrases
or idioms and giving them a humorous twist.
 Example: "Break the ice” (meaning to initiate conversation in a social setting) or
"Break a leg" (used to wish someone good luck, especially before a
performance). The actual meaning of break the ice is transformed in second
context.
 Puns: These are plays on words that exploit multiple meanings for humor.
Example: “I wanted to be a doctor, but I didn’t have the patients.”
Here, "patients" sounds like "patience," creating a humorous twist on the
challenges of being a doctor.

These forms of humor can be used in various contexts to elicit laughter and create a playful
atmosphere.

 Accidental or unintentional humor:

Accidental humor is the one that occur without any intention. These sorts of events are
funny when they occur in a surprising and incongruous manner.

It has further two forms; accidental linguistic humor and accidental physical
humor.
 Accidental linguistic humor arises from misspellings, mispronunciations, errors in
logic.
Example: A child once said, “I love to eat my homework. My teacher says it’s a
piece of cake.” The humor arises from misunderstanding of the phrase “piece of
cake” which means something easy but the child takes it literally.
 Accidental physical humor include minor mishaps and the pratfalls such as the
other person is not badly hurt.
Example: slap-stick and screwball comedy

Psychological Function of Humor

The psychological function of humor refers to the ways in which humor affects
our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It encompasses the various roles humor plays in our
mental and emotional well-being, social interactions, and overall development.

 Cognitive and social function:

 Cognitive Function:
I. Humor often involves unexpected twists and turns, requiring us to think
flexibly and outside the box. This can stimulate creative problem-solving
and generate new ideas.
II. Humor triggers emotional responses that can strengthen memory
encoding.
  Social Function of Humor:
I. Shared laughter can create a sense of connection and intimacy between
individuals.
II. Humor can break down social barriers and create a more relaxed and
comfortable atmosphere. It can be used to establish common ground and
build trust.
 Social Communication and influence:
I. When people engage in these sorts of humorous exchanges in their everyday
lives, they often have some (perhaps unconscious) purpose or social goal beyond
merely providing amusement and entertainment.
II. Humor is particularly a useful form of communication in situations in which a
more serious direct mode runs the risk of being confrontational, potentially
embarrassing or otherwise risky.
 Tension Relief and coping with adversity:
I. Humor can help to reduce stress by providing a temporary escape from worries
and anxieties. Laughter can also help to release endorphins, which have mood-
boosting effects.
II. Humor can be used as a coping mechanism to deal with difficult or challenging
situations. By finding the humor in adversity, people can gain a sense of
perspective and maintain a positive outlook.