Laughter and Communicative Engagement in Interaction

Kovarsky, Dana; Curran, Maura; Nichols, Nicole Zobel

doi:10.1055/s-0028-1104532

Cited by 17 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Human laughter is generally viewed to communicate a sender’s message non-verbally and can be considered a multifaceted and complex social behavior that shapes group structures during social interaction (Szameitat et al, 2009). Conceptualizing laughter as a distinct form of communication could help to illuminate nurses’ understanding of how a PWCI and caregiver engage with one another, giving insight into the interpersonal relationship of the dyad (Kovarsky, Curran, & Nichols, 2009). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Humor and Laughter in Persons With Cognitive Impairment and Their Caregivers

et al. 2013

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Purpose The purpose of this study was to describe humor and laughter in persons with cognitive impairment (PWCI) and caregivers who were recalling a shared experience in a focus group. Design Twenty participants attended an Art Engagement Activity at the Andy Warhol Art Museum, which included a guided tour and an art project. All PWCI had medically diagnosed cognitive disorders and all caregiver participants did not. Four focus groups were conducted and transcripts of audio-recorded sessions were transferred to a qualitative software program. Methods Words, phrases and episodes of humor and laughter were used to construct codes, which were refined during group analysis using constant comparison. Findings Humor and laughter were present in all four focus groups. Emerging themes of humor included silliness, sarcasm and commenting about hardships of dementia. Laughter was identified in segments with and without humor. Some PWCI were unable to follow social cues. Conclusions Humor and laughter played a role in creating a safe social environment. PWCI were able to engage in humor during social interactions, yet some had difficulty recognizing social cues. Further study may reveal roles of humor and laughter in adaptation to cognitive decline and holistic interventions for improved quality of life.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Humor and Laughter in Persons With Cognitive Impairment and Their Caregivers

et al. 2013

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“…, Kovarsky et al . , , , Rönfeldt , Simmons‐Mackie and Damico ). Investigations have focused on what Goffman () calls ‘considerateness’ or the actions participants take to safeguard their interlocutors public status as people who are well regarded, while ‘pride’ (Goffman ) or the actions participants take to safeguard their own respect‐worthy personas has not received any attention.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Humour in clinical–educational interactions between graduate student clinicians and people with aphasia

Archer

Azios

Moody

2019

Intl J Lang & Comm Disor

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Background During clinical interactions, clinicians and people with aphasia (PWA) use humour and laughter for a range of purposes, most of which contribute to friendly interactions in which the participants appear to develop a positive regard for one another. Moreover, humour is a vital component of facework, or the processes interactants engage in to protect their own and one another's well‐respected, public personas. Aims To examine the ways in which speech–language pathology graduate student clinicians enlist humour during one‐on‐one therapy sessions for PWA. Methods & Procedures Three dyads composed of one graduate student clinician and one person with aphasia acted as participants. We recorded six routine individual aphasia therapy sessions that were each about 60 min in length. All sessions were orthographically transcribed by a trained research assistant. Transcriptions included verbal and non‐speech communication (e.g., facial expressions, gestures, writing). For analysis, we employed an ethnographic microanalysis framework. First, by focusing on laughter produced by the interactants, we identified segments in the data that involved clinician‐led humour. Next, we sought to understand patterns that represented potential functions of humour. We consciously sought out instances that did not appear consistent with our developing understanding of the functions of humour. Such negative cases were used to refine our description of how graduate student clinicians use humour. Other verification procedures included member checking and peer debriefing. Outcomes & Results The findings illustrate that graduate student clinicians use laughter and humour for a range of interactional purposes when interacting with clients with aphasia. Humour was used as a means of (1) softening exposure to client's errors, (2) equalizing interactional power, (3) mitigating errors made by graduate student clinicians, (4) supporting own narrative production and (5) demonstrating affiliation. Conclusions & Implications The current study demonstrates that graduate student clinicians we observed, like the clinicians studied in previous investigations of humour in therapeutic encounters, possess the humour and laughter‐related skills that help to foster positive interactions with PWA. Future investigations of the source of these skills should determine if students are adept because of natural abilities or if students can be taught to be better interactants via instruction. Findings emanating from these studies can be used to inform curriculum design, which will in turn help our field better meet the needs of clients.

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“…For example, during individualized aphasia therapy, Simmons-Mackie and Schultz (2003) found that humor served "to lubricate the therapy process" (p. 751) by building solidarity, mitigating embarrassment, and soliciting cooperation with tasks. In a prior study of group interactions involving adults with TBI, selfdeprecating humor and good-natured teasing helped to minimize social distance and promote the face of the participants (Kovarsky et al 2009). Other research showed that, among adults with aphasia taking part in group therapy, humor coupled with laughter signaled their positive engagement in the therapeutic process (Simmons-Mackie & Damico, 2009).…”

Section: Topics In Language Disorders/october-december 2011mentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Student staff were told it was permissible to promote lighted-hearted, joking relationships, similar to those found among adult friends (Straehle, 1993), to foster group camaraderie. As a result, interactions often were characterized by good-natured teasing and laughter (Kovarsky et al, 2009). It is important to note that these students were not in a traditional training setting where they Copyright © 2011 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.…”

Section: Collecting and Examining The Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Humor, Rapport, and Uncomfortable Moments in Interactions With Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury

Kovarsky

Schiemer

Murray

2011

Topics in Language Disorders

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We examined uncomfortable moments that damaged rapport during group interactions between college students in training to become speech-language pathologists and adults with traumatic brain injury. The students worked as staff in a community-based program affiliated with a university training program that functioned as a recreational gathering place for any adult with traumatic brain injury who wished to attend. Analysis revealed the interactional difficulties experienced by the student staff as they tried to manage offensive humor produced by an individual with traumatic brain injury without interfering with rapport. Nevertheless, successive instances of sexually explicit humor resulted in rapport being damaged to such an extent that it eventually derailed the entire interaction. Results are discussed in terms of those aspects of context outside the communicative intentions of any of the interactants that contributed to this breach in rapport.

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Laughter and Communicative Engagement in Interaction

Cited by 17 publications

References 10 publications

Humor and Laughter in Persons With Cognitive Impairment and Their Caregivers

Humor and Laughter in Persons With Cognitive Impairment and Their Caregivers

Humour in clinical–educational interactions between graduate student clinicians and people with aphasia

Humor, Rapport, and Uncomfortable Moments in Interactions With Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury

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