Recent theories of laughter.

Psychologische Ansätze zur Erforschung des Lachens

“…Insgesamt ist festzuhalten, dass der Beginn des zwanzigsten Jahrhunderts nicht gerade eine Oase ernst zu nehmender empirischer Forschung war. Dennoch beobachtete Diserens (1926) bereits wenig später in seiner informativen Zusammenfassung derzeitig aktueller Lachforschung "die Tendenz von intellektuellen Beschreibungen wegzukommen und eine zunehmende Bereitschaft, Phänomene des Lachens in behavioristischen Begriffen zu diskutieren" (247). In seinem Schlusskommentar notierte er, das Lachen sei eine Aktivität "von amöbenartiger Gestalt": Es handelt sich um eine komplexe Art des Verhaltens, die nicht gelernt ist, jedoch leicht in Gegenwart von psychischen Stimuli konditioniert werden kann.…”

A study of play in relation to intelligence.

“…7 "Looking at the daily comic strips," and "Reading jokes or funny sayings," are two activities in which the greatest difference in frequency of participation is found between the dull and the bright boys. These two activities are found also among the first three activities in the list of activities more frequently 7 The writers are assuming that sense of humor is revealed in the tendency of children to read jokes and look at the comic section of the newspaper. One may logically question the validity of this assumption.…”

“…The following table displays differences between the groups in these regards. Speculation in reference to the above group differences is interesting From the psychoanalytic standpoint humor may be thought to involve the release of inhibitions (7). There is some justification for assuming that the bright pupils are restricted in activity participation to a greater extent than are dull ones.…”

Humor and the ludicrous.

“…Since the article of Diserens (9) on laughter, in 1926, work on the subject has proceeded at about the usual rate. The classifications of laughter theories suggested at that time remain valid, no new type of theory having been developed.…”

“…Wit, humor, and the comic comprise the three categories of the ludicrous. The pleasure of wit is due to the economy in the expenditure in inhibition, of the comic to the economy in the expenditure of thought, and of humor to the economy in the expenditure of feeling (9). In his recent discussions of humor, Freud adds that it is a triumph of narcissism and the pleasure principle.…”