incongruity theory of humor examples

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). Humor plays an essential role in buffering the impact of stress and is important for positive wellbeing among both children and seniors. This is where we laugh with someone intentionally making a joke. Thank you very much, for your good work! It says that we are nding humor in perceiving something unexpected (incongruous) that violates expectations that were set up by the joke. 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 . The Incongruity Theory reveals the affinity between philosophy and comedy and rebukes the argument that humor is "hostile and irresponsible" (Morreall) . Irrelevance that is in a funny way; something out of place that makes you laugh.Fast and visual humor. 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. Mauriello, M., & McConatha, J. T. (2007). 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 . In linguistics, the affiliative aspect of humor has dominated the . Accessibility StatementFor more information contact us atinfo@libretexts.orgor check out our status page at https://status.libretexts.org. The belief that laughter heals the mind has been around for centuries. If youve spent any time around children when they find something funny, they will quickly wear it out. Humor as a defense mechanism during the Holocaust. Just as the surrealists might have liked. For example, in a famous scene on the Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mary is distressed by the death of Chuckles the Clown, who, while dressed as a peanut, was killed by an elephant in a circus parade. The use of defense mechanisms may have positive or negative ramifications depending upon the particular mechanism and how it is used. For example, in a study by Samson, Glassco, Lee, and Gross (2014), humorous coping applied after viewing negative pictures was found to increase positive emotions at both short- and longer term follow-up. Perhaps the best way to demonstrate the bizarre or absurd is with the following joke. a) Resolution makes the original incongruity no longer incongruous. 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." One of the more serious objections is that incongruity has nothing to do with anything in humor. There are a number of elements here that speak in support of IT. We will be focusing on understanding it in this article. 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Cundall, Jr.", "incongruity theory" ], https://human.libretexts.org/@app/auth/3/login?returnto=https%3A%2F%2Fhuman.libretexts.org%2FBookshelves%2FPhilosophy%2FIt's_Funny_'Cause_It's_True_(Henrigillis_and_Gimbel)%2F02%253A_Metaphysics%2F2.04%253A_Got_IT-_Introducing_Incongruity_Theory, \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}}}\) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\), Georgia State University & Gettysburg College, 2.3: A Spoonful of Sugar Makes the Misery Go Down- The Relief Theory of Humor, Jennifer Marra Henrigillis & Steven Gimbel, source@https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/oer/10, status page at https://status.libretexts.org. These findings have been supported by other research studies, such as that by Maiolino and Kuiper (2016), who investigated the ability of humor to predict positive outcomes. Because this obvious fact about humor shows how much, cognitively speaking, is required of us when we experience and enjoy humor. In the second, the author discusses the debate over whether humor is an emotional experience, or something else. Remember, regardless of whether we are talking about wit or folly, what makes us laugh is the incongruity we realise exists between abstract and sensuous knowledge. Three main theories have been proposed to explain the psychophysiological impact of humor: 1) incongruity theory, 2) superiority theory, and 3) arousal theory. You know its coming. Comedians who adopt a more dead-pan style of presentation can leave their audiences confused. For example, current neuroscience indicates that the areas that support higher-level conceptual thought, are involved in humor processing. Without it, IT isnt much. The main issue with IT is that not all incongruities we experience lead to humor. Whats an incongruity? Today's humor research draws on elements of these primary theories and remixes them. 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). The four-stage model comprises the expectation, incongruity, resolution, and elaboration stages of humor processing. None, they were dead before electricity was invented. But, for people who experience stressful jobs or complicated family dynamics, dark humor often serves as an important protective mechanism. The concept of defense mechanisms originated in psychoanalytic theory. Since we know humor represents an essential strength with all sorts of excellent benefits, it is in our best interest to maximize it as much as possible. competitors of incongruity theory are currently seen as even less able to provide an adequate an-swer to the basic question" (Levinson 1998, 564). Ganz, F. D., & Jacobs, J. M. (2014). You need to know English to get the jokes. Your perception only relates to part of the objectone of its possible uses. I hate everyone equally. The same effect would occur if you saw someone cleaning a toilet with a toothbrush. Who besides someone in a Monty Python sketch would use a fish to change a lightbulb?! Ulloth, J. 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. Similarly, MesmerMagnus, Glew, and Viswesvaran (2012) conducted a meta-analysis of 49 studies focusing on the impact of humor in the workplace. 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. In general, all other things being equal, if theres no reason to worry about the incongruity, then laugh. You didn't realise both actions would fit under this heading but now you do. This objection, if true, radically undermines IT. 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. But whatever incongruity you focus on, the joke works on frustrating or playing around with expectations. Humor, stress, and coping strategies. The Incongruity Theory (IT, hereafter) is the dominant theory used in modern research to explain humorous things. 2, surprised and amused (and sometimes offended) the public by breaking with the expectation that an artist's job was to . Sign on a repair shop door: We Can Repair Anything. It was found that those within the high sense of humor category appraised relatively lower amounts of stress and anxiety. Laughter and mirth, according to relief theory, result from this release of nervous energy. Sensuous knowledge refers to the world as it exists from no perspective at all. The whole joke is just a chain absurdities, one seemingly more absurd than the next. Philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle have been trying to explain humor since ancient times. Coping humor also has been associated with increased social support and self-efficacy among older community-dwelling adults (Marziali, McDonald, & Donahue, 2008). In order to get the joke you resolve the incongruity its perfectly sensible. In this way, pent-up pressure is relieved through laughter. The joke uses the idea of a surrealist (artists who tried to pair together ideas that were often extremely different) in order to get the listener to be prepared for absurdities. 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. 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. ulysses is a good example. 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. I shall begin, however, with a sketchy review of some of the main theories of humour and the standard objections to them, which usually take the form of providing counter-examples. The relief theory ar-gues that laughter serves to facilitate the relief of pressure for the nervous system (Morreall,2020). humor is - first and foremost - a recognition of and response to incongruities.) This article will provide readers with an abundance of information regarding the theoretical foundations of humor within the field of psychology, as well as empirical studies linking humor to various favorable outcomes. More specifically, the muscular and respiratory processes involved in laugher serve the important role of releasing pent-up nervous energy (Martin & Ford, 2018). Along with the Holocaust, dark humor has been used as a coping and survival mechanism across a broad range of life-threatening situations. Another way to think about this playful or non-serious approach to incongruity is to think about the difference in a dead-pan performance versus a clown. IT needs cognition, belief, and expectation to work. Humor just feels good; it distracts us from our problems and promotes a lighter perspective. 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. Your perception of the item is incomplete. Wheres the incongruity? Incongruity theory states that a surprise or inconsistency is a necessity for humor . There are numerous positive benefits of humor, such as enhanced positive mood, life satisfaction, self-esteem, job performance, creativity, social bonding, and. If my son had substituted an adjective or conjunction it would have been odd. Mark Twain quite rightly explained humor saying, "Humour is the great thing, the saving thing after all. The humor in a pun is the surprise in discovering the dual meaning, or perhaps embarrassment in having chosen the wrong meaning first. 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. Indeed, by nurturing their sense of humor, adults equip children with important coping skills (Martin, 1989). 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. Hydraulic Model. Comparison, as noted, requires two things. Humor styles, peer relationships, and bullying in middle childhood. 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. Lovorn, M. (2008). We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Marziali, E., McDonald, L., & Donahue, P. (2008). Cann, A., & Collette, C. (2014). In other words, laughter is a function of anticipating a different outcome than what was expected. 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! There are problems with it, as there are with all theories. 1970 Royal Institute of Philosophy The effects of human therapy on nursing home residents measured using observational methods: The SMILE cluster randomized trial. Ruch, W., Proyer, R., & Weber, M. (2010). Understanding humor as play helps counter the traditional objections to it and reveals some of its benefits, including those it shares with philosophy itself. When in reality, it is simply a medium-sized tool for brushing. There are several theories that aim to explain why things are funny, how laughter works and why exactly we do it. John Morreall traces this theory back to Lord Shaftesbury's 1709 "hydraulic" model, which held that men (sic) had "natural, free ["animal"] spirits" that required release or they would "vent" in undesirable ways. Explaining a joke is like dissecting a frog. Interestingly, those who were higher in humor scores were also found to have increased immune functioning (Bennett et al., 2003). The incongruity theory purports to define the for-mal object of comic amusement, which it locates in certain kinds of incongruity. The incongruity theory states that humor is perceived at the moment of realization of incongruity between a concept involved in a certain situation and the real objects thought to be in some relation to the concept. The incongruity theory purports to define the formal object of comic amusement, which it locates in certain kinds of incongruity. The concepts involved must be related in some way or else the audience will be confused. In general, research reviews have documented that positive styles of humor are related to lower perceptions of stress (Mauriello & McConatha, 2007). Incongruity Theory is based on Aristotle's (and Cicero's and others') view of humor as derived from expectancy violation. the remains of the . Farber (2007) has asserted that this theory was used since the times of Plato and Aristotle, and that it provides a revealing but narrow view in relation to the application of humor in literature (2007, p.72). 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. In the most general sense, the Incongruity Theory states that in order for something to be found funny or humorous, one needs to perceive a sort of incongruity. Wilkins, J., & Eisenbraun, A. J. 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. The presentation of the sign primes us to think the store is owned, not by an Asian man, but a black person of color. This play then leads to a feeling of delight in the form of humor or mirth. The LibreTexts libraries arePowered by NICE CXone Expertand are supported by the Department of Education Open Textbook Pilot Project, the UC Davis Office of the Provost, the UC Davis Library, the California State University Affordable Learning Solutions Program, and Merlot. You dont ask about the difference between a single thing; comparison require two things. To you, the brush would seem comically small for the task at handeveryone knows it's a toothbrush, not a toilet brush. It surely has some and we will briefly cover those next. (2011, 44) point out the . In-congruity theories are essentially cognitive, i.e. ("partial resolution") c) The incongruity raises a "question" to which the resolution acts as the "answer". The light bulb joke about the surrealists works because the audience knows a little something about what a surrealist is and then uses that knowledge to make sense of the absurd response. 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. They never seem to tire of it. Your email address will not be published. Coping mechanisms of physicians who routinely work with dying patients. They did not realise this could be done and therefore did not realise they were doing it. For example, research by Ganz and Jacobs (2014) indicated that attending a humor therapy workshop was associated with positive mental health outcomes among seniors. Maiolino, N., & Kuiper, N. (2016). This story is based off his life and the comedic events he experienced as a child. Philosophy, the journal of The Royal Institute of Philosophy is published by Cambridge University Press quarterly in January, April, July and October. As the world is transcending toward the unchartered watersmarked by more pandemics, more economic hardships, and more automation at workDr Lonczak has written a very useful piece of article to spread positivity across domains in places of work and life. The Superiority Theory Its difficult to try to make sense of nonsense. The Incongruity Theory of Humor. Its more a Zen koan or riddle than a joke. Hopefully this tour has shown how and why IT is the leading candidate for explaining humor perception. Raskin, Victor. Along with helping to promote resilience and cope with stress and illness, humor also serves as an invaluable strength associated with various indices of psychological wellbeing, work-related benefits, learning, and creativity. The joke makes sense, if in a different or atypical way. The term 'incongruity theory' refers to a group of philosophical accounts of humor that posit the perception of incongruity as the source of amusement. Maybe it's a toilet brush, maybe it isn't. Top humor theories are described, along with the role of humor as both a defense mechanism and character strength. The BVT specifies how psychological distance plays a central role in determining whether a . Give yourself a pat on the back! Elucidating the bonds of workplace humor: A relational process model. One type of humor Jack uses is irony. In contrast, a person who is not yet ready to face trauma may use mechanisms such as regression or suppression as protective mechanisms until ready to face the situation. Explaining the absurd is a bitabsurd. 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. Additionally, humor may represent a vital strength during middle childhood by helping kids to gain the support of a peer group and by enhancing self-esteem (Klein & Kuiper, 2006). They now look silly but you have had it pointed out to you that abstract knowledge is insufficient in this sense. When is a coping technique seen as a way to manage, and when is it seen as a defense mechanism? Theories of the psychophysiological benefits of humor. With this definition we can make the connection it has with . congruity theory is satisfactory, but I believe it is more satisfactory than previous versions and deserves to be considered in this stronger form. 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. This was a great help . These science-based tools will help you move yourself or others through grief in a compassionate way. But as a tool for explicating humor theories, jokes are compact, easily digestible, and thus make for useful examples. White is clear on this, in a humorous, IT 46 supporting way. 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. Chapter 2 - Incongruity Theory . I hope thats not the case below, but youll likely find the jokes less funny for the analysis. When in reality, it is simply a medium-sized tool for brushing. Vaughan, J., Zeigler-Hill, V., & Arnau, R. C. (2014). Thank . Your friend has started out with two pieces of sensuous knowledgea medium brush we use for toilets and a small one we use for teethand intentionally grouped them both under the abstract knowledge of 'toothbrush'. I would have gone on, but you can check out www.thesaurus.com if you want to find other synonyms for incongruity. Recent scholars have proposed several theories explaining the underlying mechanisms of humor. "Irony is the . 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. In K. S. Cameron & G. M. Spreitzer (Eds.). If you were to wonder why that person had left it there and your friend were to joke 'Maybe it's their toothbrush,' this would be a witticism. According to incongruity theory, things that are funnyor 'ludicrous'show us the differences between how we perceive the world and how it in fact exists. Legal. Here, you have brought two pieces of sensuous knowledgeto call someone on a telephone and to present them with a wearable ringunder the single piece of abstract knowledge, a word that has multiple definitions, 'ring'. Its not without its issues or critics. Even our vernacular Get it? question, indicates that one has to understand the ideas involved to find humor. 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). The answer is in a real sense spot on. Two main theories of humor studies can be identified. . The predictive nature of humor, authoritative parenting style, and academic achievement on indices of initial adjustment and commitment to college among college freshmen. An elegant example is the Hotel de Matignon, a mansion built in Paris in 1725 that now serves as the residence of the French Prime Minister. Well thats the big question and one that occupies and vexes many researchers (this author included). How many surrealists does it take to change a lightbulb? Schulman-Green, D. (2003). Describes the works of dermot bolger, e.m. forster, and kazuo ishiguro. Patient: Bullets!. not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something) with your understanding of the world. This theory is intuitive, as a joke with an expected or obvious punchline is simply not funny. Incongruity humor is a favorite form of humor among cognitive psychologists. 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. 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. Happiness and humor group promotes life satisfaction for senior center participants. Meaningful quotes and additional resources are also included, along with a bit of humor sprinkled throughout. In fact, when you get a joke, so the objection goes, there is no incongruity at all. If I told you a joke where Etruscans were the main actors, you might not find it funny. One would have expected the store to be run by a black manthats what the sign saysbut the scene intimates that its not. Incongruity is a mismatch between what we see or understand to be true and what we (consciously or unconsciously) expected. 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). Who's to say that object is only a toilet brush? For example, you could buy five pigs. If you want to find humor, look for ways that things dont seem to fit together. By filling out your name and email address below. Effects of humor in the language classroom: Humor as a pedagogical tool in theory and practice. A metaanalysis of positive humor in the workplace. There is little doubt that humor enables people to cope better with stress. The authors describe this as akin to a hydraulic engine, with laughter serving the function of a steam pipe pressure valve. A friend is performing at an open mic night. 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). 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. Martin, R. (1989). Inferiority Theory. For more on the Relief theory, see Morreall 1983, 20-37; Roberts 2019, 91-93, and Freud 1960. The question alone is utterly nonsensical. This seems fairto think about something as a human is to have a certain understanding or perception of that thing. This is specifically a wordplay used as a witticism. However, most evidence proposing a link between humor and improved health is anecdotal. Other genres such as the grotesque, the macabre, the horrible, the bizarre, and the fantastic all go against our aesthetic categories, and we don't find them funny, either. Gelkopf, M., Gonen, B., Kurs, R., Melamed, Y., & Bleich, A. al. The listener has to figure out how one side can be exactly like the other, and especially so at that. The noun work in a way other wordtypes likely wouldnt.

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