Humor: Benefits and Effects on Reproduction
Ideally this paper will describe a novel study proposal and its relevant background literature. A literature review on one of our 20 questions can be acceptable if it showcases a novel idea of your own related to the question.
The Laughing Animal Psych 490—Seminar Series Spring 2021 Papers: Anytime you present your research or research ideas, the general outline will be very similar. Your papers should follow this same structure. First, present the general research question(s); Second, discuss the background literature relevant to that question; Third describe the hypotheses/predictions; Fourth describe the study; Fifth, describe the implications of the idea and study to broader questions in the field and if relevant to the real world. Thus the focus of the paper should move in an hour-glass function from broad to specific to broad again. Your papers should be at least 10 pages long, excluding the title page, abstract (120 words), and reference page (with at least 5 sources). They should be written in APA- style. An APA-style handout is included in the resource folder on Canvass. I find templates invaluable, and a much needed supplement to a page full of stylistic rules, so also in the resource folder is an example paper, written about the paper, in the proper format called “psychapa example paper.” This is not a methods class, so format is not the key thing I am looking for in these papers. Content and creativity are most important. The purpose of this assignment is to get you examining a unique idea related to or informed by laughter and humor. What you choose to write about should be related to something you found particularly compelling in this section of class. Hopefully your thought paper can help make this is clear. You may have found a social issue that you want to address more closely. Or, you may have found a gap in the literature on a particular topic that needs addressing. You may merge two different fields of study. You may read a published paper that left more 2 questions than answers, in which case any of those questions are appropriate opportunities for a paper topic to be found. Not ideal would be writing your paper on an idea that simply replicates another study with only a slight variation. Less than ideal is an idea that has already been tested in the published work (you need to search PsychInfo/Google Scholar to be sure your topic has not already been done!). Whether your idea has been studied should become evident as you search for references related to your interests. Don’t go crazy over this. It should be relatively obvious if the subject has been addressed before. If it has, don’t fret. Read through what others have done, and you will invariably dig up even more ideas and the effort will sharpen your focus. Note searching PsychInfo or Google Scholar is a great way to generate ideas and get your bearing in the research question. You may borrow methodology from others, and even the structuring of your some of your thoughts, so long the overarching idea is uniquely yours. This paper is an opportunity to be creative and propose your idea, and offer a way of testing it. Ironically, humor has much to reveal to us about how to provoke and produce creative ideas. Your thought papers will be chalk full of great thoughts, ideas, and hypotheses (even fleshed out study ideas). Dig back through them for ideas if you are struggling to come up with something. Also, remember that I am a resource outside of class too. If you are struggling, please get in touch with me, and I can help you generate a topic by asking directed questions. You will find that the hardest part of this process is generating a topic. Once that is done, the paper should unfold fairly smoothly. Also, don’t hesitate to meet with me, even if you are not struggling to come up with an idea. I absolutely love to discuss ideas and brainstorm ways to translate them into testable question
Humor and Laughter
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Abstract
Laughing can result from comedy, but not all laughter results from humor. Although humor (a play with ideas) is said to be based on playfulness, not all play is hilarious. Although it mostly overlaps with the socio-affective component of humor, cheerfulness is seen as the temperamental underpinning of good humor, a tendency for laughter, and maintaining humor in the face of hardship (Cowan, 2021). Laughter was once thought to be a play signal and to denote the annulment of seriousness, although play may exist without laughter.
Laughter and cheerfulness all add to the humor in life, and given how similar they all seem, it makes sense to map out the area by analyzing them all at once to see where they overlap and differ. Although these qualities and behaviors have the potential to contribute to a good life, there is a risk of ignoring their less noble aspects. For example, laughter may be used to express amusement and scorn for other people, and while humor may be benevolent, there is also the possibility of sarcasm. This essay will discuss the various benefits of humor and how it has drifted across cultures and different human populations. The essay will also discuss how humor affects reproduction.
Humor and Laughter
Question One
The Adaptive Nature of Humor
Most explanations for humor either ignore crucial types of humor like wordplay and tickling, or they raise challenging issues with an evolutionary theory like group selection, excessive complexity in design, and dubious fitness benefits. They also frequently ignore research on humor and laughter. For us to continue to find enjoyment, laughter was developed. The positive social signal of laughter encourages the humorist to continue offering this enlightening stimulation (Cowan, 2021). In response to genuine wit, laughing expresses admiration and thanks as well as a desire to give something back in exchange for being given a thought-provoking concept. Humor thus helps the comedian as well as the audience.
The two most adaptive challenges in the development of humans have been how to stay in a group and advance in a group hierarchy. The likelihood that the solver will live and succeed in reproduction increases if an adaptive issue is solved. The topic of laughing is explored in how it was utilized to address the adaptive challenge in this essay. The awareness of a disparity catalyzes laughing.
The difference between anticipated and actual conditions is known as the discrepancy. It cannot be a significant disparity to make people chuckle or smile. If a solution is implicitly anticipated, laughter and a happy mood will likely follow. Some people's laughing serves to bind them together in a cordial connection. On the other hand, when there is a contradiction between a real activity and a societal standard, the laughing turns scornful (ridiculous). The act of mocking serves to establish one's superiority over the target person. This role has evolved with the power hierarchy in society.
Humor is a social adaptation. The largest adaptive challenges in the development of humans as a species of social animals have been how to stay in the group and advance in the group's hierarchy. An adaptive problem's solution increases the likelihood of survival and successful reproduction. On the other hand, when a societal standard and actual conduct diverge, laughing turns scornful (ridiculous or insulting). One uses mockery to prove superiority over the target person (Yama, 2020). This role has evolved with the power hierarchy in society. It is because mocking the target person suggests that the mocker is better than the mocked person. Since it implies that the person laughing has no desire to be better than others, a self-deprecating chuckle or sense of humor is more likely to be well-received by others.
The advantages of grouping for adaptation come in two different forms. First, it gets simpler for animals to defend themselves against other groups of their species and predators (Yama, 2020). The ability to do things that a person cannot achieve alone, thanks to grouping, is the second advantage. For instance, as demonstrated by the example of mammoth hunters, hunting as a group is more advantageous and productive than hunting alone.
Effects of Humor on Genes and the Ability to Reproduce
Are humorous individuals more attractive? Or do those who are handsome tend to be perceived as funnier? The solution could rely on the humor's underlying evolutionary purpose. Although it has been suggested that humor is a sign of "good genes," the researchers contend that humor also indicates interest in social interactions, forging new connections, and keeping tabs on those already established. In three studies, both sexes were more likely to begin comedy, respond more favorably, and think the other person is amusing when first attracted to that person, which is consistent with this interest indicator model.
The results show that humor dynamics, not only comedy displays, affect both men's and women's sexual chemistry, indicating that humor may eventually serve as a tactic to start and maintain social interactions. Humor is an adaptive quality that makes people more attractive to partners. Furthermore, because of our sense of humor, we have an advantage over possible partners who could be brighter, prettier, or stronger than us (Medlin et al., 2018). The continuing of the strongest species in search of the strongest species is essential to evolution and aided reproduction. Therefore, the idea of strength may be evolving and starting to take dependability in comedy into account.
Of course, everyone has a natural sense of comedy, but it is clear that only some have a good sense of humor. Even if studying comedy theories is fascinating and enlightening, more is needed to ensure that one will become adept at delivering a punchline. It would be upsetting to hear about the numerous advantages of comedy only to find out that heredity is fully to blame for it. At least, there appears to be some genetic component to humor since some 5-HTTLPR gene variations have been associated with humor.
Fortunately, psychologists disagree on whether humor is a natural genetic feature or something that can be learned. There is no such thing as a truly humorless person since humor is ingrained in us all. In the past, we thought that just a few civilizations had humor. However, this idea has since altered because no society has discovered that it did not include humor (Medlin et al., 2018). So, attempting to find comedy in life will be good if you want to sharpen your sense of humor. The worst that may happen is that you could laugh more.
Darwin's sexual selection theory, which has been used to explain the existence of ornamental features in animal species, such as the elaborate tail of the peacock, provides the foundation for the hypothesis that humor may be appealing as a signal of genetic quality. Such traits improve reproductive success by improving mate attraction rather than immediately providing survival advantages (Medlin et al., 2018). Many sexually chosen features are believed to be indicators of excellent underlying genes.
In modern times, an attraction to various human features and behaviors has been explained by ideas of sexual selection and excellent genes. Such theories contend that aesthetically valued traits like musical ability, comedy, and creativity entail sophisticated cognitive processes that necessitate effective resistance to mutations and parasites during development. Therefore, these characteristics may have been chosen sexually and are desirable as they denote intellectual ability and underlying genetic fitness.
In most species, females are more responsible for the expenses of reproduction than men are, and they also suffer more negative effects from mating with inferior partners. Therefore, rather than the other way around, it is more common for males to compete for the attention of picky females. In light of this, empirical research based on the sexual selection hypothesis has the propensity to emphasize male displays for female evaluation during mate selection. For instance, study data revealed that although men prioritize comedy appreciators, women favor funny providers as possible partners.
Men prefer partners who think well of them and "laugh at what I say," but women want partners who "make me laugh" and make nice displays. Women are more inclined to seek partners who can make them laugh when posting personal advertisements, but males are more likely to provide a good sense of humor to possible mates. So, being funny may make a man more desirable, but not a woman (Medlin et al., 2018). Men who provide comedy are regarded by women as more attractive as relationship partners, while men do not think that women who make humor are more attractive. The probability of reproduction increases with the probability of attracting mates.
These res...