Gelotology (The Study of Laughter)

Created by Joël Croichy

Gelotology is the study of laughter and its effects on our health and well-being. Studies have proven that laughter can improve our heart health, boost our immune system, improve memory and creativity and enhances mood among others. Laughter is a natural response to humor and comes in many forms such as images, audio, text, video, or memories. When we laugh, it releases hormones called endorphins which makes the body feel good and is considered as a natural pain reliever.

Although laughing is an essential part of our lives, there isn’t much research available that explains why we find things funny. “Most people think of laughter as a simple response to comedy, or a cathartic mood-lifter. Instead, after ten years of research on this little-studied topic, I concluded that laughter is primarily a social vocalization that binds people together.” Obstacles, struggles, and mistakes happen to all of us. Rather than beating ourselves up, laughter can be used as a tool to poke fun at our situation which can provide happiness even during tough times.   

What is comedy and what determines if something is funny?

Comedy can be found in different types of entertainment like plays, stand-up, TV shows, podcasts and movies, and are meant to make people laugh. “Simply put, [incongruity-resolution] theory states that humor arises when we are presented with absurd or unexpected information, which is then resolved gracefully or unexpectedly (i.e., a good punch line). [Incongruity-resolution] theory can’t explain everything, but if you apply it to jokes or funny experiences in your own life, you’ll find it can explain most instances of humor.” Comedy is considered an art form and can be very subjective. Something is that funny to you, may not be funny to someone else, so there is no simple answer to why something is funny. Most of the times, something is funny because the joke contains many truths of an event or situation or the joke does a great job capturing the moment.  

There is a comedy for everyone. Many types of comedy:

•    Slapstick

•    Parody

•    Spoof

•    Satire

•    Irony

•    Sarcasm

•    Farce

•    Black Comedy

•    Surrealism

Laugh On!

Reference  

Jackson, Steven B. “What's Funny?” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 18 May 2012, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-conscious/201205/whats-funny.

Purcell, Maud. “The Healing Power of Humor.” Psych Central, 17 July 2016, psychcentral.com/lib  /the-healing-power-of-humor/. 

“What Is Comedy and What Makes Something Funny?” What Is Comedy and What Makes   Something Funny? :: Language Foundry, www.thinctanc.co.uk/words/comedy.html.