September 2006
Important Notice:
Members who consult the AATH E-zine know that the editor regularly states that the association of laughter and endorphin release has not been scientifically proven. This may be changing. In a recent study, Dr. Lee Berk of Loma Linda University in Southern California demonstrates endorphin release in a group of subjects who watched a comic video. This study has gone through peer review and has been presented at a major medical meeting, however it has not yet been published nor have these findings been independently repeated by other investigators. Both need to be done before we should fully embrace this finding. However, in light of Dr. Berk’s findings, the E-zine editor will no longer be correcting authors and speakers claiming the association of laughter and endorphins. Still, we advise caution in stating this until Berk's research has been reviewed and published.
The monthly, members-only, e-zine keeps AATH members updated on the latest developments in the world of applied and therapeutic humor. Each link will open a new window for anything outside the AATH website. All web links below have been carefully checked and worked at the time of publication. If the link does not take you to the listed article, please contact the owners of that website about finding that article. Disclaimer: Published by Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor. AATH accepts no responsibility for any claims, either expressed or implied, in this publication. The information and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of AATH, its officers, directors, staff, or members. |
Humor Research: Coping with Stress: Social Work Students and Humour
Authors: Moran, Carmen; Hughes, Lesley
Source: Social Work Education, Volume 25, Number 5, August 2006, pp.
501-517(17)
Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group
In social work,
humour is being increasingly accepted as a strategy for
coping with stress.
Humor and older adults: what makes them laugh?
Authors:
Kruse BG, Prazak M.
Source: J Holist Nurs. 2006 Sep;24(3):188-93.Related
Articles, Links
The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the
humor stimulus in a
population of older adults.
Sawf News
Younger Kids Are Funnier than Elder Siblings
August 16, 2006
Based on the study of 1,000 people, psychologist Richard
Wiseman found that a little over 50 percent of younger siblings found it
easy to be funny, as compared to only a third of first-born kids. http://news.sawf.org
SMILES-Toward a Better Laughter Life: A Model for Introducing
Humor in the Palliative Care Setting.
By Borod M.
This article reviews the role that humor and laughter
may play in medicine in general and palliative care in particular. In addition,
it introduces a model that clinicians can follow when trying to introduce
humor into their daily encounters with patients.
J Cancer Educ. 2006 Spring;21(1):30-4.
Monitor on Psychology
The formula for funny
By Sadie F. Dingfelder,
Vol. 37, No. 6, June 6, 2006
Like these comedians, some psychologists are
attempting to pinpoint exactly what people laugh at, and why. And while
scientists have been investigating humor since at least the 1960s, only
recently have they brought the data together into encompassing theories
of humor, says University of Western Ontario psychology professor Rod Martin,
PhD, author of “The
Psychology of Humor: An Integrative Approach” (Academic Press,
2006). www.apa.org
Monitor on psychology
A laughing matter
By Lee Winerman,
Vol. 37, No. 6, June 6, 2006
In general, he’s found, laughter isn’t
inspired by particularly funny remarks. Instead, it’s a ubiquitous
response to social situations. People laugh when they’re interacting
with other people regardless of the “jokiness” of the conversation,
but they don’t
laugh when they’re alone. www.apa.org
Monitor on psychology
The chuckle connection
By Zak Stambor,
Vol. 37, No. 6, June 6, 2006
While in-jokes can help people feel a part
of group, friends, co-workers and others can also use them to exert norms,
Fine says. And when a person is unaware of those implicit rules, the situation
can be anxiety-provoking, he adds. For instance, a spouse-to-be must learn
to toe the line between what the in-laws consider funny versus taboo. www.apa.org
Monitor on psychology
The anatomy of funny
By Lea Winerman,
Vol. 37, No. 6, June 6, 2006
Mainly using functional magnetic resonance
imaging (fMRI), the researchers have been finding that some common neural
circuitry—particularly
the brain’s reward circuit, the set of structures that underlie
our reactions to all sorts of pleasurable experiences, from eating to
sex—may also underlie our response to humor. www.apa.org
TimesOnline
The laughter cure
August 24, 2006
Dr Berk might stop short of claiming that laughter is a
panacea — but
it should at least be taken seriously, he says. “I’m making
quantum leaps here, but many studies have shown that for women who have
breast cancer, those with better NK activity have a better prognosis. www.timesonline.co.uk
AATH in the NEWS:
Billings Gazette
Breast cancer survivor focuses on humor
By Diane Cochran,
August 8, 2006
Laughter is a prescription for a cure, (E-zine Ed note: AATH
member Christine) Clifford said. www.billingsgazette.net
The September issue of Reader's Digest is focused on humor.
In one article, "The Funny Factor," (E-Zine Ed. note: AATH members)
Ed Dunkelblau, William Fry, Ron Berk and The Association for Applied and Therapeutic
Humor are mentioned.
Reader’s Digest
The Funny Factor
By Dan Ferber,
September, 2006
Today, using the tools of neuroscience (functional MRI machines,
PET scans and statistics) and psychology (questionnaires, psychology students
and more statistics), researchers like Allman are beginning to understand
exactly how our brain's humor muscles figure out what's funny, and how
exercising them may sharpen our minds. (E-Zine Ed. note: AATH and members
of AATH including former president: Ed Dunkelblau, Bill Fry, and Ron
Berk are mentioned or quoted.) www.rd.com
Arizona Republic - Phoenix,AZ,USA
Author endorses laughing
for better health
... 5-year-old laughs about 150 times a day; the average 45-year-old laughs
about five times a day, according to the Association for Applied and Therapeutic
Humor. ...(E-zine Ed. note: this misinformation is not the position of AATH;
a note to that effect was sent to the Arizona Republic). www.azcentral.com
Yahoo! Finance
Winners Announced for 'Over 65, Into
Over-Drive' Contest; Tongue-In-Cheek Competition, Now Ended, Invited
Examples of Age-Defying, Un-Wimpy Activities
Press Release,
August 24, 2006
The second-place entries came from the two coasts, California
and New York: "I
am over 65 and ... laughing all the time as the world's only
Jollytologist
... and president of The Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor." --
Allen Klein, San Francisco, CA http://biz.yahoo.com
Monitor on psychology
How laughing leads to learning
By Zak Stambor,
Vol. 37, No. 6, June 6, 2006
The key to his (E-zine Ed. note: AATH member,
Ron Berk) teaching style, he says, is using humor to enhance otherwise
dull statistical methodology by tapping into students’ multiple intelligences
and learning styles in a way that forces them to think in divergent and
real-life ways. www.apa.org
TheNews-Gazette.com
Fleeting days away from their worries
By Debra Pressey,
August 27, 2006
A specialist in therapeutic humor, Hart (E-zine Ed. note:
AATH member and 2007 Conference Chair, Deb Hart) said camp is such a relief
for the families – especially for those who come from rural areas
where the stigma of HIV infection tends to be greater. www.news-gazette.com
HUMOR in the NEWS:
Kansas City Star
Be a crab, but take the time to
laugh
By Marli Murphy,
July 29, 2006
The absolute best-case scenario for these folks is that
their child survives to be significantly developmentally disabled
with medical complications that can include serious heart problems,
kidney and bowel issues, vision and/or hearing impairment, no speech
and a short life almost always spent in a wheelchair. Not a laugh
riot, to be sure. www.kansascity.com
Psychology Today
Humor Secrets
July/August 2006 Issue
(E-zine Ed. Note: While not available on line,
this article examines in beautiful detail humor and its different styles.
All who are interested in healthy humor vs toxic humor would benefit
from reading this article. Psychologist, Rod Martin is featured.)
News-Leader.com
Love & laughter
By Sony Hocklander,
July 30, 2006
In the most healthy relationships, says Smirnoff, one
partner tends to be what he calls "the performer." The other
serves as the audience, or recipient. Though everyone is a little of
both, most prefer one over the other. www.news-leader.com
Fife Today
Light, Laughter, and Care—10 Years On
August, 1, 2006
“There are very sad times in the house, but more
often than not it's a happy place to be," she added.
"The children are very positive and when you go into the lounge there is
a lot of play and laughter."
www.fifenow.co.uk
Biology 103
Laughing Matters
By Maggie Scott-Weather
When we laugh, the brain pressures us to simultaneously
make gestures and sounds. Fifteen facial muscles contract, the larynx
becomes half-closed so that we breathe irregularly, which can makes
us gasp for air, and sometimes, the tear ducts become activated (1).
Nerves sent to the brain trigger electrical impulses to set off chemical
reactions. These reactions release natural tranquilizers, pain relievers
and endorphins (2). http://serendip.brynmawr.edu
24-7 PressRelease
Overseas Calling Cards Can Boost
Immune Function to Fight and Resist Disease
August 2, 2006
Dating back to ancient Greece, when hospitals were
purposely built near amphitheatres, the healing power of laughter
has long been believed to be a legitimate contributing factor of
recovery in the health industry. www.24-7pressrelease.com
Purina Petcentric
Do Cats Have a Sense of Humor?
2006
Author Sarah Hartwell, who works for Cats Protection in the UK,
writes, “After spending hours watching my own cats, it seems
that they have a sense of humor, though nowhere near as sophisticated
as a human sense of humor. www.petcentric.com
Purina Petcentric
Do Dogs Have a Sense of Humor?
2006
It’s really not so hard to believe that dogs have the mental
prowess to grasp humor, since they so readily grasp the concept of
play. Dogs completely understand the difference between play and
something more serious, and are careful to make the distinction. www.petcentric.com
The Sun News
Limericks hold truths wrapped in humor
By Ernest W. Lefever
August 4, 2006
It became clear that limericks can transcend the naughty
and serve as a vehicle for self-understanding, political wisdom and
insight into religion, science and the arts.
www.myrtlebeachonline.com
ClarendonToday.com
Youth Conference 2006
By Brian Jarvis,
August 3, 2006
Sponsored by the South Carolina Dept. of Juvenile Justice
(DJJ) in conjunction with Safe Schools/Healthy Students, Youth Conference
2006 offered a host of presenters who used equal parts humor and
poignancy to convince about 50 youth – all of whom have had
run-ins with the law – to turn their lives around. www.clarendontoday.com
Charlotte Observer
Finding fun in Islamic world
By Omar Sacirbey,
August 5, 2006
Islamic Scripture seems to have given a cautious nod
to comedy. The Hadith, a collection of sayings by the Prophet Muhammad
that ranks second to the Quran as a source of guidance, encourages
humor and laughter.But Muhammad is also reported to have said, "Every
Muslim should beware of making fun of his fellow brother," and
warned that "too much laughter kills the heart." www.charlotte.com
Tennessean.com
Laughter best medicine, country labels
By Ryan Underwood,
August 6, 2006
Fueling such enthusiasm for comedy at the labels is simply
the fact that a hit comedy album can bring outsized returns. www.ashlandcitytimes.com
abc News
Laughter May Indeed Be the Best Medicine
By Lee Dye,
May 10, 2006
It's a small study, and not likely to be embraced by everyone,
but lead researcher Lee Berk says it's very convincing, and the changes
take place "at the chemical level." The rewards, including
the "feel good" attitude resulting from the increased supply
of endorphins, can last up to 24 hours, he adds. http://abcnews.go.com
Tooele Transcript Bulletin On-line
Women learn to
beat cultural negativity
By Karen Hunt,
August 11, 2006
Research has found laughter improves our health, but
by age five the amount we laugh starts decreasing, Metzger said.
In addition, as we make others feel important the good done will
come back. www.tooeletranscript.com
Tennessean.com
Stress less by learning to work in
your natural rhythm
By Maggie McGuire,
August 15, 2006
Norepinephrine levels rise when another driver cuts
you off or you're late and stuck in a stagnant line, keeping you
from thinking clearly. Laughter lowers levels of norepinephrine,
calming you down. www.rctimes.com
The Herald
Laughter in the face of disaster
By Mark Fisher,
August 15, 2006
None of this sounds like the stuff of comedy, but it's
the everyday reality of their lives - and laughter is a survival mechanism. www.theherald.co.uk
rediff News
How to laugh your way to success
By Michelle Dammon Loyalka,
August 18, 2006
And if there's one thing Heffron's learned at the helm
of their Los Angeles-based Eleven Eleven Productions, it's that humor
is a surefire way to keep employees on track. http://inhome.rediff.com
Ocregester.com
‘Comedy in recovery’ proves laughter
is the best medicine
by Greg Hardesty,
August 22, 2006
"From an addiction medicine standpoint, I think 'Comedy in
Recovery' is a wonderful concept," said Dr. Stuart Finkelstein,
an addiction medicine specialist for 25 years who is affiliated with
College Hospital in Costa Mesa. www.ocregister.com
Reuters AlertNet
Iraq: Laughter eases pain of child patients
August 20, 2006
"This improvement does not mean that she will be
cured instantaneously, but it has helped with the treatment," Jua'ad
said. Laughter improves health because it reduces the depression and
stress that can suppress the immune system, Jua'ad said. www.alertnet.org
ClickZ
A Funny Sort of Media Buy
By Tessa Wegert,
August 24, 2006
They say laughter is the best medicine. Does this hold
true if your ailment is a client in need of a good media placement?
The team behind a new comedy site would surely tell you it does. Daily
Comedy was launched earlier this month and is already garnering
advertisers' attention, despite the fact most might not normally
consider a comedy site for clients' campaigns. www.clickz.com
Readingeagle.com
Use laughter to deal with the world
By John C. Morgan,
2006
I never thought I'd be advocating poking fun at what other people
consider sacred, but the more I've thought about the world, the more
I realize a great deal of suffering is brought on by people who can't
or won't laugh at themselves. Laughter is the best medicine for pompous
leaders who permit no contrary arguments to their pet theories. www.readingeagle.com
Orlando Sentinel
Find inspiration, humor, wisdom in books on aging
By Brad Linderman,
August 27, 2006
Laughter and self-deprecation are potent weapons, the
perfect double-play against the challenges, and rigors, of growing
older. www.orlandosentinel.com
MiamiHerald.com
Humor at work isn’t always
a laughing matter
By Richard Pachter,
August 28, 2006
Still, humor-in-the-office books are usually not very
funny. For the most part, you had to be there, apparently. Yet, somehow,
against all odds, here are two recent books dealing with occupational
hilarity that are worthy of your consideration. www.miami.com
The Benton County Daily Record
Isn’t having
a sense of humor great?
By Bob Haynes,
August 28, 2006
All that is to say that humor sometimes brings us out
of our doldrums and allows us to get a fresh look at the joys and wonders
of life. nwanews.com
The Detroit News Online
Simple stress busters
By Aleza Stanard
Laughter can release endorphins, reduce stress hormones
and lower blood pressure. Rent a funny movie, visit a funny Web site
daily or vent your problems with a friend who will make you laugh.
Relieve stress and lift your spirit by trying to find some humor in
daily stresses.
www.detnews.com
OCregister.com
‘Comedy is recovery’ proves
laughter is the best medicine
by Greg Hardesty,
August 22, 2006
Humor is one of several tools to help them confront
their feelings – and
in doing so, get further down the road to recovery, experts say.
www.ocregister.com
The World of HUMOR
HUMOR IN THE NEWS: RELATED ARTICLE
Travel.iafrica.com
World Map of Happiness
July 28, 2006
"When people are asked if they are happy with their lives,
people in countries with good health care, a higher GDP (gross domestic
product) per capita, and access to education were much more likely
to report being happy," said Adrian White, the social psychologist
who carried out the study. http://travel.iafrica.com
Times Online
Focus: Coming Soon: The Viking guide to happiness
By John Elliott
and Clair Newell
July 30, 2006
“There is something in philosophy called the ‘paradox
of hedonism’, which means the more you concentrate on happiness,
the more you worry about happiness, the less likely you are to be
happy. The way to be happy is to sneak up on it.” www.timesonline.co.uk
Guardian Unlimited
More than a pleasure
By Mark Vernon
July 31, 2006
Now, the good life is one of those areas where policy-makers
and social scientists alike fear to tread: who is to say what a good
life is, in these pluralistic days? But consumerism has its own conception
of the good life, if one with diminishing returns for happiness.
And the good life is the necessary debate. For happiness is no goal
in itself. It is only found in specific ways of life. The question
is which ways of life. www.guardian.co.uk
FortWayne.com
Americans and happiness
By Tim Madigan
July 31, 2006
But for the past half-century, we in the United States
have enjoyed a spasm of income growth, purchasing power and luxury
unprecedented in human history, yet without the corresponding increase
in feelings of content. Instead, for the past 50 years, we have lived
on a happiness flatline, what prominent British economist Richard Layard
calls a "plateau
of happiness," a real and troubling disconnect between what
we have and how we feel. www.fortwayne.com
Yahoo! Finance
Count Your Blessings—and Your
Money
By Suze Orman,
July 31, 2006
I'm talking about how your happiness is affected when
you're worried about how you'll pay the bills at the end of the month,
save for the future, and be able to afford to retire. In other words,
how you'll make ends meet. When those worries are your reality, I think
it's ridiculously hard to be authentically happy. http://finance.yahoo.com
allafrica.com
The Monitor (Kampala) Editorial
Uganda: Govt Should Make Citizens
Happier,
August 1, 2006
The government just needs to ensure that citizens have
access to better health facilities. Scientists have confirmed that
a nation's level of happiness is most closely associated with health
levels. Prosperity and education are next. http://allafrica.com
The Detroit News Online
The science of happiness
By Alison Aproberts,
August 1, 2006
One of the biggest surprises in happiness research, Lyubomirsky
notes: "Life events don't have much of an impact." Outlook,
she says, may shape life events. For instance, those with high family
incomes are happier than those with lower incomes, but the money
might be a result of positive outlook rather than its cause. http://detnews.com
Exeter News-Letter Community News
Actively create your own happiness
By Shelley C. Gardener,
M. Ed., LCMHC,
August 8, 2006
"Positive Psychology" focuses on increasing
the experience of satisfaction, pleasure and joy in life. Researchers
in recent years have begun to collect data and formulate theories about
what it is that makes us happy, and how we can actively create happiness
for ourselves. www.seacoastonline.com
United Press International
Author: Happiness leads to weight loss
August 9, 2006
Those who are happy burn more calories than those who
are depressed or angry, according to Joe Vitale, author of "The
Attractor Factor and Life's Missing Instruction Manual."www.upi.com
Times On Line
Happiness is a good hug
By Sam Lister,
August 10, 2006
One recent study has indicated that physical contact,
such as hugs, can help people to live longer as it boosts the “feel-good” hormone
oxytocin at times of stress. www.timesonline.co.uk
The Conservative Voice
The Happiness Secret for
a Better Life
By David Leonhardt,
August 13, 2006
Yes, there is a secret to happiness. The secret is
gratitude. The secret is appreciation. Or, as I call it in Climb
Your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness, the secret
is to count your blessings. www.theconservativevoice.com
Wired News
Animals Just Want to Have Fun
By John Gartner,
August 15, 2006
He calls this line of study "hedonic ethology," and Pleasurable
Kingdom offers myriad examples of animals expressing humanlike
emotions, such as happiness, observed by luminaries of biological
science such as Charles Darwin, Joanna Burger and Jane Goodall. www.wired.com
Third Age
Our Obsession With Happiness
August 2006
Meanwhile, creative and not-so-creative approaches to finding
happiness proliferate. Some gyms offer "happy yoga" classes;
laughter workshops are available nationwide, and doctors dispense antidepressants
known as happy pills. www.thirdage.com
Cox Communications
Accentuate the positive
By Barbara Yost,
August 19, 2006
In a study begun months before the attacks of Sept.
11, 2001, Barbara L. Fredrickson, a professor of psychology at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, found that people identified
as being resilient and optimistic before the tragedy were half as likely
to suffer depression afterward as those more pessimistic by nature. www.azcentral.com
PeaceJournalism.com
An Experiment in HappinessBy Sarah Lake
August 22, 2006
What does it take to be 'happy' for more than just a
brief or transient period? Until we can answer these questions we are
effectively 'stabbing in the dark', going from one thing to another
hoping to find that elusive goal! http://peacejournalism.com
Guardian Unlimited
Unhappiness is inevitable
By Paul Mlolney,
August 28, 2006
The "happiness on prescription" argument rests
upon three key assumptions: that the causes of psychological distress
lie in the way that we see the world, not in the way that it is; that
psychotherapy and counselling are reliable and proven methods for solving
our problems; and that unhappiness is necessarily a bad thing. However,
the likelihood is that these assumptions are simply wrong. www.guardian.co.uk
Kansan.com
Success not always key to happiness
By Sam Schneider
August 28, 2006
Let’s focus on tending to those simple, happy
moments. Certainly there is a time for work, and in that time we should
work hard, but let’s be careful not to allow work to dominate
times that should be for other things. www.kansan.com
Baltimoresun.com
Therapeutic-laughter program set for seniors
July 30, 2006
Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks will
sponsor "Laughter
-- The Best Medicine," a program for seniors ages 55 and older
to strengthen the immune system, lower blood pressure and promote
emotional healing. www.baltimoresun.com
Laughter Yoga: No Kidding: At East West Book Store, Mountain
View
Arya Pathria conducted another great Laughter Yoga:
No Kidding at East West book store, Mountin View, CA. on Saturday,
July 15 for approx. 40 participants for 2 hours. Most of the people
were laughing throughout the workshop, enjoyed and had fun of group
laughter.
Place (Address, City, and State):
East West Book Store
324 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA. 94041
Contact person (Name,
telephone, email and web-site):
Arya Pathria, 408-926-3307, laughaway@yahoo.com
www.laughaway.com
The annual Clowns of America International convention will be conducted April 24- 29 at the Clarion Hotel in Springfield, MO. Featuring the best in clown arts education, challenging competitions and a lot of fun, the convention will also bring forth some great entertainment. Please go to www.mostuff362.com for registration information.
If you see something you would like to share in our E-Zine, send the lead to
Bob Nozik, E-zine Editor ezine@aath.org
