First They Scream, Then They Laugh: The Cognitive Intersections of Humor and Fear

TY - JOUR

T1 - First They Scream, Then They Laugh: The Cognitive Intersections of Humor and Fear

AU - Hye-Knudsen, Marc

AU - Kjeldgaard-Christiansen, Jens

AU - Boutwell, Brian

AU - Clasen, Mathias

PY - 2024/4/1

Y1 - 2024/4/1

N2 - On the surface, fear and humor seem like polar opposite states of mind, yet throughout our lives they continually interact. In this paper, we synthesize neurobiological, psychological, and evolutionary research on fear and humor, arguing that the two are deeply connected. The evolutionary origins of humor reside in play, a medium through which animals benignly explore situations and practice strategies, such as fight or flight, which would normally be accompanied by fear. Cognitively, humor retains the structure of play. Adopting a view of humor as requiring two appraisals, a violation appraisal and a benign appraisal, we describe how fear- inducing stimuli can be rendered benignly humorous through contextual cues, psychological distance, reframing, and cognitive reappraisal. The antagonistic relationship between humor and fear in terms of their neurochemistry and physiological effects in turn makes humor ideal for managing fear in many circumstances. We review five real-world examples of humor and fear inter- secting, presenting new data in support of our account along the way. Finally, we discuss the possible therapeutic relevance of the deep connection between humor and fear.

AB - On the surface, fear and humor seem like polar opposite states of mind, yet throughout our lives they continually interact. In this paper, we synthesize neurobiological, psychological, and evolutionary research on fear and humor, arguing that the two are deeply connected. The evolutionary origins of humor reside in play, a medium through which animals benignly explore situations and practice strategies, such as fight or flight, which would normally be accompanied by fear. Cognitively, humor retains the structure of play. Adopting a view of humor as requiring two appraisals, a violation appraisal and a benign appraisal, we describe how fear- inducing stimuli can be rendered benignly humorous through contextual cues, psychological distance, reframing, and cognitive reappraisal. The antagonistic relationship between humor and fear in terms of their neurochemistry and physiological effects in turn makes humor ideal for managing fear in many circumstances. We review five real-world examples of humor and fear inter- secting, presenting new data in support of our account along the way. Finally, we discuss the possible therapeutic relevance of the deep connection between humor and fear.

KW - humor

KW - fear

KW - play

KW - coping

KW - horror

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85195266266&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/14747049241258355

DO - 10.1177/14747049241258355

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 38840335

SN - 1474-7049

VL - 22

JO - Evolutionary Psychology

JF - Evolutionary Psychology

IS - 2

ER -