Ahh

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AhhBut for the Complexities of Laughter

• Communication through Humor and Laughter
• By John Klevins

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General Information

• Laughter is an Exclusively Human Characteristic
• No other creature on earth shares humor and
  laughter
• Freud said it was a discharge of psychic energy
  resulting from inhibited tension
• Contemporary Academic Literatures Definition
• Humor is a stimulus and a cognitive process
• Humor is a construct and laughter a physical
  occurrence
• Typically associated with pleasant emotional
  states
• (Martin, 2001 Mahoney et al., 2002)

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General Information

• Humor Laughter represent both verbal and
  non-verbal forms of communication
• Impact of Humor
• Perceptions of Humor and Laughter Causes,
  Intentions, Consequences, Appropriateness and
  associated body movements have dramatic impact
  on the level of acceptability (Mahoney, et al.,
  2002)
• Barrier to Communication
• If recipient of humor feels threatened or
  vulnerable or doesnt understand the intent

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Physiology of Humor and Laughter

• Bodily Functions
• Increased heart rate, circulation, blood
  pressure, and pulse
• Body temperature rises a half a degree
• Following laughter there is a drop in blood
  pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and muscle
  tension
• Resulting in a sense of Relaxation (Fry, 1994)

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Physiology of Humor and Laughter

• Benefits to the Body
• Improved oxygenation increased energy levels
  and enhanced circulation of immune substance
• Vigorous laughter stimulates and exercises the
  skeletal, facial and abdominal and thoracic
  muscles
• Released Endorphins often leads to a sense of
  well- being and in some, elation
• Along with the heightened sense of relaxation
  comes a reduction in stress, an increase in
  positive emotions and the accompanying
  improvement to physical health (Rotton
  Shats, 1996)

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Other Benefits of Humor and Laughter

• Emotional, mental, spiritual and physical
  benefits are often underestimated in the lives
  of patients, caregivers, family members and
  physicians
• Within Healthcare humor and laughter creates a
  more relaxed atmosphere which enables patients
  to be more receptive to learning and more willing
  to participate in their own care
• Humor as a communication device is also used as
  an aid by families to assist themselves with the
  stressors of consistent caregiving (Hulse, 1994)
  
• For the depressed, anxious or obsessive,
  laughter can be a great distracter, capturing a
  persons short term awareness and shifting their
  perceptions. (Richman, 1995)

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Social Benefits of Humor and Laughter

• Socially, humor is a strong communication
  strategy and a means to facilitate social
  interactions and promote group adherence
  (Lapierre Padgett, 1991)
• Humor tends to unite people, acknowledges a
  their acceptance into a community and creates a
  common bond (Hulse, 1994)
• The ability to use humor and laughter as a
  communicative tool indicates a persons degree
  of social maturity and mental health,
  demonstrating a learned capacity to cope with
  stressful or unfamiliar circumstances (Pasquali,
  1990)
• Individuals with a greater sense of humor may
  be more socially competent and interpersonally
  attractive which may result in deeper and more
  satisfying social relationships (Martin, 2001)
• This person uses their sense of humor as a
  personality trait in a socially facilitative
  manner (Martin, 2001)

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Empirical Study- Functional Role as a
Communication Device

• Herth (1993) studied an elderly community,
  which categorized communication and
  socialization functions of Humor and laughter
• Cohort aged 65-80 defined functions as
  relaxation, joy and restoration
• Cohort aged 80-101 defined functions as
  perspective, freedom and connectedness
• Quotes of survey
• Humor makes me feel more at home
• Humor helps me to keep close to others and
  myself
• Humor restores my fighting spirit
• (Herth, 1993, pg 151)

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Marginalization of the Soft Emotions

• In the fields of psychology and medical science,
  humor, laughter and positive emotions (soft)
  share a common fate they have been inadvertently
  sidelined
• Negative human emotions such as anger, fear,
  anxiety, sadness and jealousy fit empirical
  models more so than soft emotions
• Positive emotions may not produce a reliable and
  consistent response each and every time they are
  tested or analyzed, very complicated
  (Fredrickson, 1998)

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Marginalization of the Soft Emotions

• Thus, the study of positive emotions may
  require some re-tooling, different types of
  empirical models
• Historically Soft Emotion Based Literature has
  been Theoretical, Clinical and Anecdotal
• There is renewed public interest for these soft
  emotions, leading to an increased number of
  recent empirical studies

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Humors Effect on Communication with the Elderly

• Humor is vital to the successful aging process
  with age, perception becomes reality (Fry, 1986)
• Lauer Lauer Kerr (1990) studied 100 senior
  couples
• Married Couples of at least 40 years
• Findings emphasized that communication lead
  by humor and daily laughter were key
  ingredients that ensured long-term marriage
• Richman Papers (1995) illustrated the impact on
  Depressed and Suicidal
• Humor and Laughter allows these patients to
  laugh at themselves and bring them to a point
  of self-acceptance and overall life-acceptance

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Humors Effect on Communication with the Elderly

• Eriksson Eriksson (1986) study of Senior
  Storytelling
• Storytelling is the oftentimes humorous medium
  through which the elderly communicate knowledge,
  understanding and wisdom they have accumulated
• Social isolation and alienation become
  dangerous life threatening circumstances, thus a
  forum where the afflicted senior has the ability
  to tell a story where participants can help the
  teller to see humor can be extremely therapeutic
• The simple presence of communicated humor
  reduces isolation and creates a common bond
  between participants

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Applications-Future Directions

• Need additional Substantive Empirical Studies
  with unquestionable methodologies, models and
  findings.
• Substantive studies on humor as a
  communication device and healer have not
  attained a high level of mutual agreement among
  the literary community
• There needs to be a concentrated effort to a
  continued change to the status quo within the
  caregiving community to consistently incorporate
  the opportunity of communicated humor and
  interpersonal laughter

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Applications-Future Directions

• Promote Humor as a healing agent in caregiving or
  medical assistance settings
• Humor as a segment of a holistic approach to
  physical, mental, spiritual and emotional healing
  process
• When you are sitting on a bus or standing in an
  elevator, change someones day or possibly life
  with humorous communication or a friendly smile
  or gesture