Humor and laughter in mental Humor and laughter in mental health & psychotherapyhealth & psychotherapy

Dr. Xiao Dong YUEDr. Xiao Dong YUE

Dept. of Applied Social Dept. of Applied Social StudiesStudies

City Univ. of Hong KongCity Univ. of Hong Kong

Hong Kong ChinaHong Kong China

What We Will Cover TodayWhat We Will Cover Today

• What is humor?What is humor?• What are the benefits of humor?What are the benefits of humor?• What are good humor and bad humor?What are good humor and bad humor?• What is laughter?What is laughter?• What are benefits of laughter?What are benefits of laughter?• What are laughter yoga and exercisesWhat are laughter yoga and exercises• What are historical records of therapeutic What are historical records of therapeutic

humor in Chinese history? humor in Chinese history?

Welcomes you to attend theWelcomes you to attend the 22nd International Society for Humor 22nd International Society for Humor

StudiesStudies

June 24-27, 2010June 24-27, 2010

Local Host:Local Host:Dr. Xiaodong YueDr. Xiaodong Yue

Department of Applied Social StudiesDepartment of Applied Social Studies

"What is Humor?"

• Humor is the tendency of particular Humor is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement .and provide amusement .

• HHumor refers to umor refers to a playful frame of mind a playful frame of mind that gives individual a feeling of wellbeing, that gives individual a feeling of wellbeing, better thinking skills, and relieve of pain better thinking skills, and relieve of pain feeling (Henmen, 2001).feeling (Henmen, 2001).

What is What is good for hgood for humour?umour?

James Thurber:James Thurber: Humor is a serious thing. I like Humor is a serious thing. I like to think of it as one of our greatest earliest to think of it as one of our greatest earliest natural resources, which must be preserved natural resources, which must be preserved at all cost.at all cost.

Joel Goodman:Joel Goodman: Humor is a universal languageHumor is a universal language..

Mark Twain:Mark Twain: The secret source of humor itself The secret source of humor itself is not joy, but sorrow. There is no humor in is not joy, but sorrow. There is no humor in heaven.heaven.

The Major Benefits of Humor & laughterThe Major Benefits of Humor & laughter

A good hearty laugh can help: A good hearty laugh can help: – reduce stress reduce stress – lower blood pressure lower blood pressure – elevate mood elevate mood – boost immune system boost immune system – improve brain functioning improve brain functioning – protect the heart protect the heart – connect you to others connect you to others – foster instant relaxation foster instant relaxation – Make you feel good. Make you feel good.

A good hearty laughA good hearty laugh

A good hearty A good hearty laughlaugh

• Magic poker

• Silly suicide

• Super piano play

Benefit of HumorBenefit of Humor

A “healthy” sense of humor would involve a generally cheerful temperament characterized by happiness, joy, optimism, and a playful approach to life.

---- W. Ruch

Ruch, W. (1993) . Exhilaration and humor. In Lewis, Michael, and Jeanette M. Haviland (eds). Handbook of Emotions. New York: Guilford Press, 41-51.

Humor StylesHumor Styles

• Affiliative humor : use of humor to amuse others and facilitate relationships;

• Self-enhancing humor: use of humor to cope with stress and maintain a humorous outlook during times of difficulty;

• Aggressive humor: use of sarcastic, manipulative, put-down, or disparaging humor;

• Self-defeating humor: use of humor for excessive self-disparagement, ingratiation, or defensive denial.

(Martin, et al., 2003)

PositivePositive

Self enhancing humorSelf enhancing humor Affiliative humorAffiliative humor

______________________________________________________________________

To self To othersTo self To others

Self defeating humor Aggressive humor

NegativeNegative

Humor StylesHumor Styles

幽默的分类幽默的分类

• 加拿大幽默研究学者加拿大幽默研究学者MartinMartin根据个人根据个人使用幽默的不同方式将幽默划分为使用幽默的不同方式将幽默划分为 ::

• 自强性幽默（自强性幽默（ self enhancing humoself enhancing humorr））

• 亲和性幽默（亲和性幽默（ affiliative humoraffiliative humor））• 敌对性幽默（敌对性幽默（ hostile humorhostile humor））• 自贬性幽默（自贬性幽默（ self-defeating humorself-defeating humor））

自强性幽默自强性幽默 美国发明大王爱廸生多年美国发明大王爱廸生多年

致力于白炽灯泡的发明不致力于白炽灯泡的发明不果。一天，有人取笑他果。一天，有人取笑他说说 ”︰”︰ 先生，您已经失败先生，您已经失败12001200 次了！”次了！”

“ “ 不！”爱廸生坚定地回不！”爱廸生坚定地回答：“我现在已经发现了答：“我现在已经发现了12001200 种材料不适合做灯丝种材料不适合做灯丝。”。”

女友问男友：“你喜欢我的温女友问男友：“你喜欢我的温柔可爱呢，还是我的聪明美丽？柔可爱呢，还是我的聪明美丽？”” 男友回答：“我就是喜欢你的 男友回答：“我就是喜欢你的这种幽默感！”这种幽默感！” 女友说：“刚认识时，你总是给我叫出女友说：“刚认识时，你总是给我叫出租车，而现在却叫我乘公共汽车。”租车，而现在却叫我乘公共汽车。” 男友回答说：“因为我现在感到自豪， 男友回答说：“因为我现在感到自豪，在出租汽车里只有司机一个人能看见你，在出租汽车里只有司机一个人能看见你，而在公共汽车里却有成百的人可以看到而在公共汽车里却有成百的人可以看到你。”你。”

亲亲和和性性幽幽默默

嘲讽性幽默嘲讽性幽默• 马克．吐温一次在酒席说：“美国国会中马克．吐温一次在酒席说：“美国国会中

的某些议员是狗娘养的。”这番话被公诸的某些议员是狗娘养的。”这番话被公诸于报后，有些议员大为愤慨，要求他道歉于报后，有些议员大为愤慨，要求他道歉，否则要诉诸法律。马克．吐温数天后在，否则要诉诸法律。马克．吐温数天后在《《纽约时报纽约时报》》登载了他的“道歉启事”：登载了他的“道歉启事”：

• ““ 日前鄙人在酒席上说有些国会议员是‘日前鄙人在酒席上说有些国会议员是‘狗娘养的’，我再三考虑，觉得此言不妥狗娘养的’，我再三考虑，觉得此言不妥，故特登报声明，把我的话修改如下，“，故特登报声明，把我的话修改如下，“美国国会中的某些议员不是狗婊子养的。美国国会中的某些议员不是狗婊子养的。””

• At the opening of a new play, George Bernard Shaw sent two tickets to Winston Churchill. Shaw wrote on the letter, “Here is a ticket for you and your friend—if you have one.”

• Churchill sent back the tickets with a message for Shaw. “I can’t attend on the opening night, but I would love to go to the second performance—if you have one.”

敌对性幽默敌对性幽默

自贬性幽默自贬性幽默我天生就是一我天生就是一个很焦点的女个很焦点的女孩，长了一张孩，长了一张妖媚的脸和一妖媚的脸和一副性感万分的副性感万分的身材，穿着大身材，穿着大胆张扬，个性胆张扬，个性叛逆嚣张，在叛逆嚣张，在各种场合都出各种场合都出尽风头尽风头…………

Cautions about using humor

• Beware of sarcasm and abusive humor

• Avoid racist and sexist humor

• Be aware of your own feelings and your reactions to clients, patients and colleagues

• Note your own uneasiness about material

• Be cautious about the person feeling that she or he is not being taken seriously

• Humor must always be used to facilitate, not interrupt the purpose of the interaction

What Creates Humor• Ambiguity 含糊性• Exaggeration 夸张性• Understatement 缩小性• Incongruity or Irony 不协调性• Situation-Insight 情景化的领悟• Sudden Insight 突发的领悟• Superiority 优越性• Surprise or Shock 惊奇性• A Trick or Twist 曲折性• Word Play 文字游戏

• A good man dies and goes to heaven. When St. Peter asks him if there’s anything he can do for him, the man explains that he would love to talk to Mary, the mother of Jesus. St. Peter is happy to set up such a meeting. After a few polite formalities, the man tells Mary the purpose of his request. He has always wanted to ask her something.

• When she encourages him to go ahead, he says, “I’ve wondered why in all your pictures you look so sad. Please tell me what it is.” Mary sighs and then with a

little wistful smile confesses, “I always wanted a I always wanted a daughterdaughter.”

Incongruity and Surprise

• During the 1960s, some people wanted to nominate Senator Margaret Chase Smith for President of the United States. One reporter stuck a microphone in her face and asked, “Mrs. Smith, what would you do if you should wake up some morning and find yourself in the White House?”

• she responded, “I would go to the I would go to the president’s wife, apologize, and leave president’s wife, apologize, and leave immediatelyimmediately.”

Situation & Surprise

• A four-year-old was brought to the A four-year-old was brought to the emergency room of a hospital with a bad emergency room of a hospital with a bad cough. The child kept up a non-stop cough. The child kept up a non-stop conversation while the nurse was trying to conversation while the nurse was trying to assess her lung sounds. assess her lung sounds.

• Finally, the nurse said, “Shhh, I have to see Finally, the nurse said, “Shhh, I have to see if Barney is in there.” The child looked at if Barney is in there.” The child looked at her and calmly stated, “her and calmly stated, “I have Jesus in my I have Jesus in my heart. Barney is on my underwearheart. Barney is on my underwear. ”. ”

Word Play & Surprise

Cats look serious.

Dogs look depressed.

Foxes look stupid.

Pigs look smart.

And many more

What Is What Is Therapeutic HumorTherapeutic Humor

What Is Therapeutic Humor?

• Therapeutic humor includes the intentional and spontaneous use of humor techniques by therapists and other health care professionals, which can lead to improvements in the self-understanding and behavior of clients or patients.

---- Franzini

岳晓东制作岳晓东制作

Humor for Healing

• Humor and laughter are currently being employed Humor and laughter are currently being employed by by psychotherapistspsychotherapists and other care givers as tools and other care givers as tools to promote and maintain health.to promote and maintain health.

• Laughter has many clinical benefits, promoting Laughter has many clinical benefits, promoting beneficial physiological changesbeneficial physiological changes and even has long- and even has long-term effects that strengthen the effectiveness of the term effects that strengthen the effectiveness of the immune system.immune system.

• In healthcare, humor therapy can help In healthcare, humor therapy can help relieve relieve stress associated with disease and illnessstress associated with disease and illness. It serves . It serves as a tool for disorders such as depression, and a as a tool for disorders such as depression, and a coping mechanism. coping mechanism.

• Humor and laughter are currently being employed Humor and laughter are currently being employed as tools to promote and maintain health as tools to promote and maintain health everywhere, from the classroom to the boardroom.everywhere, from the classroom to the boardroom.

HUMOR AS A COPING MECHANISM

• HHumor can help them express negative umor can help them express negative emotions in a positive light.emotions in a positive light.

• Humor therapy in this context is generated Humor therapy in this context is generated by the patient, not the therapist. It is by the patient, not the therapist. It is important to distinguish between laughing important to distinguish between laughing with a patient and laughing at a patient. with a patient and laughing at a patient.

• HHumor can provide ammunition to deal with umor can provide ammunition to deal with stress and the emotions surrounding it: anger stress and the emotions surrounding it: anger and fear.and fear.

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• Almost every major hospital in the United States now uses clowns, pets, clergy, and humor intervention as a regular part of their care systems.

• Sometimes the tone gets too heavy in meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, so humor is often used to transcend the moment and attain a broader perspective.

Norman Cousins Norman Cousins Making Making Miracle!Miracle!

• Over 25 years ago, Dr. Norman Cousins in his book “Anatomy of an Illness” described how watching Marx Brother movies helped him recover from a life-threatening tissue disease.

• "Is it possible," he wondered, "that love, hope, faith, laughter, confidence, and the will to live have therapeutic value?" Cousins made it a point to enjoy

a hearty belly laugh several times a day. A few A few minutes of laughter gave him an hour or minutes of laughter gave him an hour or more of pain-free sleep.more of pain-free sleep.

What Humor and Laughter can do What Humor and Laughter can do for onefor one’’s health and longevity!s health and longevity!

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NORMAN COUSINS• Cousins had developed a serious collagen disease that

affected the connective tissue of his spine and joints.• The disease was life-threatening, his pain was intense,

and the doctors gave him little hope for a full recovery.• Cousins was frustrated by the hospital routines and his

slow progress, so he checked himself out of the hospital and into a nearby hotel.

• Here he used “humor-intervention therapy.” He read humorous books, watched funny movies, and watched tapes of “Candid Camera.”

• He found that the more he laughed, the longer his body was without pain.

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PATTY WOOTEN

• Patty Wooten has been president of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor.

• Dressed as a clown named Nancy Nurse, Wooten makes fun of doctors, nurses, hospital administrators and even patients.