Theories of Humor

 

Physiological/Sensory

 

 

 

 

 

Affective/Evaluative

 

Relief:
pleasurable relief as pent-up nervous energy, anxiety, or sensory excitement is rapidly deflated

 

 

 

 

 

Release:
pleasurable release of psychic energy otherwise used to regulate or repress socially taboo topics or desires

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Juxtaposition]
the close juxtaposition of the familiar or expected against what initially is unfamiliar or unexpected but subsequently proves fitting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Incongruity:
pleasurable recognition of the close juxtaposition of the familiar against what initially is unexpected and/or meaningless but subsequently proves compactly yet pivotally meaningful

 

 

Superiority
pleasurable sense of one’s relative eminence at expense of someone or something aggressively downgraded

 

 

 

 

Cognitive/Intellectual

 

 

 

 

 

Though I shall not attempt to do so here, a measure of corroboration might be obtained by consulting the specific analysis of some of the various proponents of the four theories of humor identified below.


 

 

Theorists of Humor

 

Physiological/

Sensory

 

 

 

 

 

 

Affective/

Evaluative

Relief:
Rene Descartes (1649)
Herbert Spencer (1911)

John Dewey

 

 

 

 

 

Release:
Shaftesbury (1711)
Alexander Bain

Sigmund Freud (1905)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Juxtaposition]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Incongruity:
Francis Hutcheson (1750)
Immanuel Kant
Arthur Schopenhauer

James Beattie (1778)

Soren Kierkegaard

Henri Bergson (1911)

 

 

Superiority:
Plato

Aristotle

Quintillian

Thomas Hobbes (1651)

Konrad Lorenz

 

 

 

 

Cognitive/Intellectual

 

 

 

 

 

Types of Laughter/Smiling

 

Physiological/

Sensory

 

 

 

 

 

 

Affective/

Evaluative

Relief:
Shrieks of laughter

 

 

Funeral giggling

 

 

Release:
hoots

 

Sigh

 

 

 

sniggers

Snort
suppressed smile

 

 

 

[Juxtaposition]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cackle
sneer

Smirk
scorn

 

full-throated
Belly laugh

 

Wry smile

knowing smile

Incongruity:

 

 

victory guffaw

Hah!
Superiority

 

 

 

 

Cognitive/Intellectual

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The analysis of humorous and non-humorous laughter can be extended to other sorts of behavioral responses to non-humorous pleasure.  Again, the merit of this schema turns on its ability to situate behaviors that respond to non-humorous yet pleasurable stimulants.  Such stimulants may elicit strong reactions and display recognizable affinities with certain sorts of humor responses.  However, such responses are an immediate expression of relief, release, superiority or resolution.  Whereas, humor responses arise only after the encounter with a juxtaposition is satisfactorily reconciled with attendant pleasure.

 

Related non-humorous ‘pleasure’

 

Physiological/

Sensory

 

 

 

 

 

 

Affective/

Evaluative

Hysteric

 

 

 

 

 

Boor

Relief:
imminent
danger

Exhilaration

Roller coaster
loss of bodily control

 

 

swearing

 

Release:
 

tickling

Surprise, ‘boo’

 

 

 

 

Devil’s advocacy

 

delusion

 

[Juxtaposition]
sheer recognition

 

 

Judging others

magic

Imitation
mimicry

play

Wordplay
double entendre

Familiarity
Banter
everyday chatting

gossip

derision

illusion

 

Riddle
puzzle
:

Playing with playing

irony

Incongruity

 

Generalized flippancy

Superiority:

Buffoon

 

 

 

 

 

Cynic

 

 

 

 

Cognitive/Intellectual

 

 

 

      

In the above table, in passing, I have also indicated what I take to be four versions of humorous excess in terms of the character type critics of humor, like Aristotle or modern celebrants of ‘the death of irony’, have tended to use.  Thus, a hysteric is in a state of uncontrollable physiological excitement and expression, a boor relentlessly dwells upon and violates the socially taboo, a cynic engages in constant and undifferentiated denigration of everything, while the buffoon without passing judgment makes light of everything.