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Teaching Reflection: Relief Theory

One of my favorite chapters/units in the textbook thus far has been the unit dedicated to the theories of humor. I love the idea that there are theories that function to better describe what humor is, what is considered humorous, and to attempt to explain the social functions of humor. Relief theory is one in particular that I find interesting and will be diving into a bit deeper in this post.

Relief theory is described as a theory in which humor is utilized as a mechanism by which psychological stress is diminished. Laughter in this theory is a result of the release of psychological tension resulting from such acts as facing our fears, overcoming inhibitions, and releasing nervous energy built up in our everyday life. Humor in relief theory is neither a feeling of superiority nor the awareness of incongruity present but solely the feeling of relief that one experiences upon the removal of restraint. The more tension relief found in a situation is equivalent to more humor experienced. The release or relaxation experienced is essential to the humor found; emotional reaction is key in this theory.

This particular theory is least dependent on one's ability to reason. Jovial laughter with no clear cause other than relief is a wonderful way to describe this theory.

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