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Humor, laughter, and Physical Health: methodological issues and research findings
Psychological Bulletin
Abstract
All published research examining effects of humor and laughter on physical health is reviewed. Potential causal mechanisms and methodological issues are discussed. Laboratory experiments have shown some effects of exposure to comedy on several components of immunity, although the findings are inconsistent and most of the studies have methodological problems. There is also some evidence of analgesic effects of exposure to comedy, although similar findings are obtained with negative emotions. Few significant correlations have been found between trait measures of humor and immunity, pain tolerance, or self-reported illness symptoms. There is also little evidence of stress-moderating effects of humor on physical health variables and no evidence of increased longevity with greater humor. More rigorous and theoretically informed research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn about possible health benefits of humor and laughter.
... En este sentido, el principal problema reside en su compleja conceptualización. Actualmente, el humor carece de una definición unánime, en gran parte debido a su carácter multidimensional, al abarcar procesos tanto cognitivos como emocionales, motores, socioculturales y psicofisiológicos [2,3]. Debido a ello, es común la confusión conceptual entre el humor y la risa o el sentido del humor, cuando en realidad, se tratan de fenómenos diferentes. ...
... quirófano fueron los que lideraron las puntuaciones más altas con 20,33 (2,75) y 20,33 (2,55) puntos (p=0,891). Las puntuaciones más bajas las encabezaron los profesionales de hospitalización infantil con 19,50 (3,11) puntos. Éstos últimos puntuaron más alto en el factor 3, humor y cuidados, con 12,75 (2,22) puntos (p=0,887) y en el factor 4, empleo del humor en la vida cotidiana, junto con los profesionales de quirófano con 12,50 (3,11) y 12,60 (2,32) puntos (p=0,320). ...
... Los profesionales de urgencias fueron los que menos puntuaron en los factores 3 y 4, humor y cuidados y humor en el entorno privado con 11,00 (1,83) puntos (p=0,887) y 10,25 (2,06) puntos (p=0,320). Sin embargo, estos profesionales lideraron las puntuaciones más altas en el factor 5, formación en humor, con 6,50 (3,70) puntos, seguidos de los profesionales de la unidad de hospitalización infantil con 5,50 (2,08) puntos (p=0,495), en el factor 6, humor y entorno sanitario, seguidos de los profesionales del servicio de quirófano y de hospitalización infantil con 11,25 (0,96), 10,40 (1,64) y 10,25 (2,87) puntos (p=0,192), en el factor 7, demanda de formación con 7,25 (0,96) puntos (p=0,072) y en el factor 8, humor y ocio con 3,75 (0,96) puntos. Los profesionales de consultas fueron los que menor puntuación presentaron en los factores formación en humor y humor y entorno con 3,55 (2,90) (p=0,495) y 9,42 (1,86) puntos (p=0,192). ...
Introducción: El humor desempeña un papel fundamental como recurso de bienestar físico, mental, emocional y social para los pacientes como para los profesionales sanitarios. Objetivo: Analizar la actitud ante el humor en los profesionales sanitarios mediante la Escala Multidimensional del Humor en Profesionales Sanitarios (EMHUPS). Métodos: Estudio descriptivo realizado en un centro hospitalario. La escala EMHUPS consta de 35 ítems y 8 factores: humor con el paciente, el trabajo, los cuidados, el entorno privado, el entorno sanitario, el ocio, formación y demanda de formación en humor, con una varianza del 60,99% y una fiabilidad de 0,88. Se utilizaron los test de la Chi cuadrado, t de Student, ANOVA o sus variantes no paramétricas. Significación estadística p<0,05. Resultados: Participaron 250 profesionales; 87,6% mujeres, 56,4% enfermeras, con media de 40,61(11,40) años. La escala EMHUPS correlacionó negativamente con la edad. Se observaron diferencias en entre géneros, estado civil, servicio, turno, tipo de contrato y antigüedad laboral. No se observaron diferencias significativas en la categoría profesional. Conclusión: La actitud ante el humor de los profesionales sanitarios varía según el contexto sociocultural y laboral. Este análisis es clave para planificar e implementar medidas orientadas a la promoción del humor como estrategia de cuidado y autocuidado.
... Humour therapy, also referred to as therapeutic humour or laughter therapy [6], is a form of complementary medicine that utilizes the psychological and physiological benefits of humour to improve overall wellbeing. This strategy is based on the fact that laughter and well-being can reduce stress, enhance immune function, increase pain tolerance, and foster positive emotions [7]. Humour therapy can be especially effective for children due to their innate ability to engage in playfulness and find amusement more easily. ...
Background
Clowning has been used in many hospitals, particularly for children. Studies suggest the effectiveness of this methodology, but more evidence is needed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a humour therapy intervention on biological markers, pain and anxiety levels in paediatric patients.
Methods
Three different clinical contexts were chosen to assess the effect of clowning interventions: patients who were subjected to venepuncture (group 1), patients undergoing general anesthesia for any cause (group 2)and patients hospitalized in the pediatric ward without distinction of their disease (group 3). Groups 1 and 2 were divided into control (C) and intervention (I) subgroups. A saliva sample was taken from all the children to measure oxytocin and cortisol levels by ELISAs. Validated scales and crying time were used to determine pain, stress, and anxiety levels. Children in group 3 were assessed before and after the intervention, employing the same methods.
Results
A total of 272 patients were included. The children in group 1 (n = 125) were 7.7 ± 3.2 years old, and 53.6% were females. 48% were in the I group, which showed decreased cortisol levels and increased oxytocin levels. The I group exhibited a decrease in perceived pain and crying time. The children in group 2 (n = 69) were aged 7.1 ± 3.5 years, and 36% were females. 51% were in the I group, which showed increased oxytocin levels and decreased cortisol levels, acute stress levels, perceived pain, and crying time. The children in group 3 (n = 78) were 8.6 ± 3.3 years old, and 54% of the children were females. There was an increase in oxytocin levels and a decrease in cortisol levels, stress levels and perceived pain following the intervention.
Conclusions
This study suggested that an intervention based on clowning is an effective strategy for decreasing pain, stress, and anxiety levels in paediatric patients in different clinical contexts. These findings support the implementation of humour therapy programs in paediatric units.
... Há aquelas que acessam o humor como um estado de alegria (Ruch et al., 1996), e outras até testam como indivíduos observam e apreciam o humor (Thorson & Powell, 1993). Ainda que sejam consistentes para o que se propõem, essas escalas não distinguem explicitamente as funções potencialmente adaptativas do humor (Martin, 2001;Ruch et al., 1996). ...
O objetivo deste estudo foi buscar evidências de validade para o Questionário de Estilos de Humor (HSQ) numa amostra brasileira. Participaram 322 estudantes universitários com média de idade de 28,6 anos (DP=11,5), sendo 68,6% mulheres e 31,4% homens. Após procedimentos de tradução, aplicou-se a versão brasileira do HSQ, juntamente com instrumentos para aferir autoestima, timidez, individualismo e coletivismo. Os resultados mostraram uma estrutura de quatro fatores para o HSQ, tal como o instrumento original, com adequados índices de consistência interna. Foram encontradas correlações positivas entre Humor Autorreforçador e autoestima, e entre Humor Agregador e coletivismo. Também foram encontradas correlações negativas de Humor Autodepreciativo com autoestima, e de Humor Hostil com coletivismo. A dimensão Humor Hostil também foi capaz de diferenciar homens e mulheres, em acordo com estudos anteriores. As evidências de validade encontradas suportam o uso do instrumento para o contexto brasileiro.
... Dentro de este espectro, aparece el sentido del humor, como una actividad humana universal presente en toda clase de interacciones sociales, que se convierte en una forma lúdica de vivir al tiempo que permite la realización de las actividades sociales cognitivas y emocionales de los seres humanos [1, 2]. La necesidad del sentido del humor es innegable para la conservación y mantenimiento de la salud, como protector frente a eventos estresantes de la cotidianidad y aunque en ocasiones no sea clara la forma de utilizar este recurso, puede ser muy útil, sobre todo en el ámbito educativo [3,4]. ...
Objetivo: Medir el sentido del humor en estudiantes y docentes universitarios de programas académicos del área de la salud de una universidad de Cartagena. Metodología: Estudio descriptivo con 550 estudiantes y 107 docentes. Se utilizó la Escala Multidimensional Del Sentido del Humor (MSHS) que contiene 24 ítems. Los datos se almacenaron y analizaron en el paquete estadístico SPSS versión 20.0®. Se obtuvieron promedios con desviaciones estándar y para determinar la significancia estadística se utilizó la prueba U Mann Whitney asumiendo un nivel de significación menor del 5%. Resultados: Los docentes del programa de Enfermería reportan menor sentido del humor (Promedio MSHS =81.8) que los pares de otros programas, aunque no hay diferencias significativas (Prob. U mann Whitney = 0,428). Entre los estudiantes, según programa académico, los de química presentan el menor sentido del humor (Promedio MSHS = 83.7), los de medicina el mayor (Promedio MSHS = 88.2) las diferencias son significativas. (Prob. U mann Whitney = 0,016). En todos los programas, los hombres muestran mayor sentido del humor que las mujeres. Las estudiantes de enfermería reportan menor sentido del humor en comparación con los hombres del mismo programa (Promedio MSHS 82.6. Prob. U mann whitney = 0.005). Los hombres de odontología tienen mayor sentido humor (Promedio MSHS = 90.9) que sus compañeras (Promedio MSHS = 84.2), esta diferencia es significativa (Prob. U mann whitney = 0.012). Conclusión: Las estudiantes de medicina y los estudiantes de odontología son los de mayor sentido del humor, este aspecto resulta relevante para la promoción de la salud mental, desde el nivel formativo.
Aim of the Study: The main aim of current research was to explore the impact of father’s authoritarian parenting style on humor and happiness along with students. Methodology: The sample comprised of (N=200) students. The data was taken from University of Sargodha and public colleges. Purposive sampling technique was used to gather data. Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ: Buri, 1971), Need for Humor (NFH) developed by Cline, (203), and Happiness Scale developed by Lyubomrisky (1999) were used to operationalize and collect the data from participants. Findings: Father’s authoritarian parenting style was positive predictor of happiness. Results revealed that male were high on humor and happiness. Implications of research, besides its limitations and recommendations, for father research have been discussed. Conclusion: The recent research elaborates the outcome of father authoritarian parenting style on humor and happiness between students. Results of the research reveals that intensity of humor is more in males as compared to females. In happiness males are high as compared to females. Father’s authoritarian parenting style is a negative predictor of humor and happiness.
Humor has probably existed since humans knew language, or even older. If we trace its origins, humor comes from the Latin word umor which means 'fluid'. Since 400 BC, the ancient Greeks thought that human mood was determined by four types of fluids in the body, namely blood (sanguis), mucus (phlegm), yellow bile (choler), and black bile (melancholy). There are many humor theories, none of which are exactly the same as each other, none of which can describe humor completely, and all tend to be influenced by each other. For students, humor itself functions as a way to lighten the atmosphere when gathering. This research uses qualitative research methods where the research subjects are students who are diagnosed with symptoms of anxiety. The results of this research are that the subject really likes to make people around him laugh, but if when he tells a joke and no one responds the subject will feel panicked, anxious, uncomfortable, uncomfortable and embarrassed, which will then become pressure for the subject. Based on the research results, there were no significant changes in humor in the subjects. In this case, the subject is not only diagnosed with anxiety, but there are also other diagnoses such as depression.
Using humor as a coping tool in the face of stressful situations increases positive affect and well-being by enabling individuals to evaluate the negative situation from a new perspective. In this study, the mediating role of reappraisal in the relationship between coping through humor and mental well-being was examined. The sample of the study consisted of 505 university students studying at state universities in Turkey in the 2023-2024 academic year. Data were collected from students in state universities in 20 different cities of Turkey. Considering the ease of accessing data, the convenient sampling method was preferred. The Coping with the Humor Scale, the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale Short Form, and the Reappraisal subscale of the Emotion Regulation Scale were used as data collection tools in the study. The reliability of the scales used in the study was examined by confirmatory factor analysis. The relationships between variables were examined by Pearson correlation analysis and regression analysis was performed using Process Macro (model 4). In the regression analysis, mediation was tested with the Bootstrap technique. According to the results of correlation and regression analyses, it was seen that there were significant positive relationships between coping through humor, mental well-being, and reappraisal. According to the results of regression-based Bootstrap analysis, coping through humor is a predictor of mental well-being and reappraisal has a partial mediating role in the relationship between coping through humor and mental well-being. It is thought that the results obtained can contribute to research and application examples involving humor and reappraisal in increasing the mental well-being of university students and fill a gap in the literature.
Introducción:
Niveles altos de estrés pueden provocar el burnout con efectos negativos para la persona, siendo más acusado y frecuente en ámbitos laborales como el docente. Asimismo, la inteligencia emocional y el estilo de humor se relacionan con su aparición, duración e intensidad.
Objetivo:
Analizar este síndrome en docentes, así como el grado de predicción que la inteligencia emocional y los estilos de humor tienen en él.
Método:
Se utilizará un diseño de tipo predictivo transversal. La muestra se compone de 196 docentes.
Resultados:
Se encontró una relación entre aspectos de la inteligencia emocional y los estilos de humor con el burnout. El análisis de regresión mostró que la regulación emocional predice en parte el burnout profesional y que la evaluación de las propias emociones y el humor afiliativo explican parte del burnout relacionado con el alumnado.
Discusión:
La inteligencia emocional, especialmente la relacionada con el uso y la regulación de las emociones, y el estilo de humor adaptativo se relacionan de forma negativa y predicen un menor burnout en los docentes, por lo que estos podrían beneficiarse de la capacitación en inteligencia emocional como parte de las estrategias de prevención y tratamiento.
For decades, coping researchers have used between-person designs to address inherently within-person questions derived from theory and clinical practice. The authors describe recent developments in the use of within-person, process-oriented methods that examine individuals intensively over time. Ongoing studies of stress and alcohol consumption, the effects of depression on adaptational processes, and the temporal dynamics of coping with chronic pain demonstrate that by tracking rapidly fluctuating processes such as mood and coping close to their real-time occurrence, daily process designs offer unique insights into conceptually and clinically challenging questions. Such designs also provide new opportunities to examine the purported mechanisms of therapeutic interventions. Despite its demands on participants and investigators, daily process research offers fresh opportunities to link psychological theory, research, and practice.
This study examined the circumstances surrounding the natural occurrence of laughter in everyday life. Eighty community participants (50 women and 30 men), ranging in age from 17 to 79, each completed a daily laughter record for three days, along with self-report measures of laughter responsiveness, coping humor, and Type A personality characteristics. Laughter incidents were coded according to time of day, source and initiator of laughter, and whether the individual was alone or with others. On average, participants reported approximately 18 daily incidents of laughter, but with wide individual variation being evident (0 to 89 incidents per day). Frequency of laughter also generally increased throughout the day, being most pronounced in the evenings. The most prominent source of daily laughter was spontaneous situational laughter, with "canned" jokes accounting for the least amount of naturally generated laughter. In accord with the primarily social nature of laughter, most incidents of laughter occurred in the presence of others, and were also initiated by others. Overall, men and women did not differ in the frequency with which they laughed. However, gender differences did emerge when age was taken into account. Older women tended to laugh less frequently than did younger women, but this age difference was not found in men. In addition, for both men and women, older individuals did not show the general increase in frequency of laughter during the evening. Gender differences also emerged in the correlations between total laughter frequency and personality variables. For example, a higher frequency of daily laughter was associated with greater Type A characteristics in men, but with fewer Type A characteristics in women. These findings are discussed in terms of possible gender differences in the meaning and function of laughter.
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The central theme presented is that chronic stress responses contribute to the development of coronary artery disease, and that acute stress responses can act as a trigger for the clinical presentation of underlying, previously silent heart disease. There is evidence of a contribution of stress to the development of coronary atherosclerosis and to the triggering of clinical complications, such as fatal arrhythmias and myocardial infarction in the presence of underlying coronary artery disease. The principal mediating mechanism is activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Panic attacks are uncommonly complicated by cardiac events such as coronary spasm and myocardial infarction, and represent an explicit demonstration of the stress-heart link. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
This experiment was conducted to clarify the influence of laughter on the immune system. Nineteen volunteer subjects were taken to a variety theater to experience laughter for three hours. Blood samples were taken from the subjects immediately before and after the performance. The NK activity and CD 4/8 ratio of these blood samples were examined. Without exception, in those subjects with NK activity levels which were below average before the performance, there was a significant increase in these activity levels, and in the CD 4/8 ratios immediately after the performance (p<0.05, Wilcoxon's rank-sum test). In all the subjects who had CD 4/8 ratios that were above the standard level immediately before the performance, there was a significant decrease of these ratios immediately after the performance (p<0.05, t-test). From these findings it is concluded that laughing increases the NK activity of people whose activity levels are below average and normalizes the CD 4/8 ratios of people whose ratios are above or below the standard levels.
Two studies were conducted to examine the way in which humor could account for the stress moderator effects found in earlier research. In study one, perspective-taking humor measured by responses to Far Side cartoons was found to predict emotional responses during tasks in which mortality was salient. While most subjects were dysphoric following death-focusing exercises, those who had scored high on perspective-taking humor showed little change in affect. In study two, perspective-taking humor accounted for variance in systolic blood pressure during the recovery from an uncontrollable stress task. In contrast, such differences in recovery were not obtained following the administration of a more controllable stress task. These data were taken to offer some support for the idea that perspec tive-taking humor is more an emotion-focused coping technique that facilitates recovery from stressful circumstances than a means of dealing with the stress itself.
The central theme presented is that chronic stress responses contribute to the development of coronary artery disease, and that acute stress responses can act as a trigger for the clinical presentation of underlying, previously silent heart disease. There is evidence of a contribution of stress to the development of coronary atherosclerosis and to the triggering of clinical complications, such as fatal arrhythmias and myocardial infarction in the presence of underlying coronary artery disease. The principal mediating mechanism is activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Panic attacks are uncommonly complicated by cardiac events such as coronary spasm and myocardial infarction, and represent an explicit demonstration of the stress–heart link. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The impact of humorous and stressful stimuli on 50 students' secretory Immunoglobulin A (sIgA) concentrations was examined, as well as how writing about those stimuli moderated this relationship. Subjects watched a humorous or stressful video and then wrote about either the video or a mundane topic. Subjects' saliva was collected before and at three points subsequent to watching the video and assayed for sIgA concentrations. A repeated measures analysis of covariance revealed that video writers had higher sIgA concentrations than mundane writers, and that men and women differed in response to the humor video. The findings are consistent with recent evidence that it is possible to moderate the relationship between environmental stimuli and immunological functioning.
Substantial research has demonstrated that cognitive psychological techniques including distraction can increase pain tolerance. In recent years, there also have been claims that humor and laughter possess unique characteristics for coping with pain and stress. Theoretically, explanations include the release of endorphins, the lowering of tension, as well as the distraction that results from humor. The question is whether humor is more effective than simple distraction. For this purpose humor was contrasted with a repulsive stimulus and a neutral stimulus controlled for interest level, that would also have distraction capabilities but not the unique aspects of humor. Pain tolerance was tested using cold pressor stimulation. Four groups (20 subjects in each) were tested. Three groups were shown a film: (1) a humorous film, (2) a repulsive film, (3) a neutral film. Group 4 was not shown any film. Results indicated that both the humor and repulsive groups showed a significant increase in pain tolerance as compared to the other groups. The repulsive group yielded the largest increase in pain tolerance although not different from the humor group. Except for sex differences, pain ratings did not show any group effects. Discussion focused on the type of distraction that would be meaningful for increasing pain tolerance and on the place of humor in pain control.