Some people (the lucky ones!) instinctively know how to make others laugh. Others take a more academic approach to comedy, humor, and laughter.
No matter which of these categories you fall into, the fact is that you can learn to amuse and entertain other people. This requires understanding the psychology of humor. And that means getting to grips with incongruity.
Let’s get into it!
The American Psychological Association emphasizes that, according to research, incongruity is the key ingredient in getting others to laugh. Another vital factor is uncovering an unspoken truth.
Topher Bellavia, a member of the Washington Improv Theater, points out that creating successful scenes means mirroring the world in a slightly askew way.
Showing the world from a slightly different perspective means leaning into absurdity and exaggeration.
“Our basic mantra is 'truth in comedy.' People want to see themselves on stage, and they want to see people they know on stage. When they see that, it resonates with them and it causes them, for some reason, to laugh,” Bellavia told the APA.
And yet, improv pros and comedians aren’t always sure why they make others laugh. It sometimes comes as a surprise to them, too.
“As a performer, [audience laughter] can be very disorienting. Sometimes I'll do something that I don't even intend to be funny, and it will be hysterical to someone,” another member of the Washington Improv Theater, Anna Trester, said.
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According to researcher and psychology professor Rod Martin, PhD, at the University of Western Ontario, incongruity, an idea or object being out of place, lies at the heart of humor.
Furthermore, the juxtaposition of truth and incongruity provides the audience with different perspectives on situations that they find familiar.
In a nutshell, humor helps you see the familiar in a fresh, new way by focusing on a mismatch between your expectations and reality.
However, what’s also needed is a playful atmosphere where there’s no threat.
“There could be things that are incongruous, but they aren't funny. Someone walking down the sidewalk and being hit by a car is incongruous, but not funny,” Martin explained.
