Antioch University AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive Student & Alumni Scholarship, including Dissertations & Theses Dissertations & Theses 2010 What is it like to be funny? The spontaneous humor producer’s subjective experience Lisa Goldstein Graham Antioch University - PhD Program in Leadership and Change Follow this and additional works at: https://aura.antioch.edu/etds Part of the Leadership Studies Commons, Other Business Commons, and the Other Theatre and Performance Studies Commons Recommended Citation Graham, L. G. (2010). What is it like to be funny? The spontaneous humor producer’s subjective experience. https://aura.antioch.edu/etds/659 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student & Alumni Scholarship, including Dissertations & Theses at AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations & Theses by an authorized administrator of AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE FUNNY? THE SPONTANEOUS HUMOR PRODUCER’S SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE LISA GOLDSTEIN GRAHAM A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Ph.D. in Leadership and Change Program of Antioch University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy May, 2010 This is to certify that the dissertation entitled: WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE FUNNY? THE SPONTANEOUS HUMOR PRODUCER’S SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE prepared by Lisa G. Graham is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership & Change. Approved by: Dr. Jon Wergin, Chair date Dr. Elizabeth Holloway, Committee Member date Dr. Elaine Gale, Committee Member date Dr. Cecily Cooper, External Reader date Copyright 2010 Lisa G. Graham All rights reserved Acknowledgements I extend my sincere and heartfelt thanks to the many people who have played an integral role in my dissertation process. I am grateful to all of the study participants who bravely allowed an unknown researcher to videotape their meetings and then took time out of their busy schedules to complete IPR interviews. Without exception, participants were warm, welcoming, forthcoming, and funny. I am also deeply thankful to my dissertation committee. Ideally, Dr. Jon Wergin, Dr. Elizabeth Holloway, and Dr. Elaine Gale would have been participants in this study because all three have wonderful senses of humor. Working with a committee of professionals who I respect not only as academics but also as people has been a true gift. Dr. Wergin has been an extraordinary chair, providing me with just the right balance of support, guidance, and challenge. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed – and benefitted from – his calming presence and his ability to see logic and organization amidst chaos. In addition to serving as the methodologist on this committee, Dr. Holloway acted as my advisor and guide throughout the Antioch program in Leadership & Change. I have grown academically and personally as a result of my advising relationship with her. Dr. Gale has also been a consistent source of support and ideas throughout my time at Antioch. Her approach combines sound academic advice with a genuine and contagious enthusiasm; I leave every interaction with Dr. Gale feeling energized. Finally, I thank Dr. i Cecily Cooper, a respected humor and leadership researcher at the University of Miami, for serving as my external reader. I am also thankful to the rest of the Leadership & Change faculty. Guided by Dr. Laurien Alexandre, one of the most effective leaders I have ever known, the faculty model the principles of leadership that they teach. Several friends and family members have also contributed meaningfully to my academic journey. To my parents Linda and Nick Goldstein: Thank you for always encouraging me to pursue my academic passions and for showing interest in every stage of my work at Antioch. To Dr. Laura Santana: Thank you for your friendship and for serving on my coding team. To Dr. Harriet Schwartz: I appreciate your contributions to this study as my coding and accountability partner, but I am even more thankful for your amazing friendship and support over the past five years. I cannot imagine my Antioch experience without you. To Stacey Mandel: You proofread my application to Antioch, attended a residency with me, and have been my constant cheerleader for over 30 years. You embody everything it means to be a true friend. To Charles Graham: I have saved the best for last. Words cannot express how lucky I am to have you as my best friend and husband. I am so thankful for the beautiful life we have together, and I’m incredibly excited about our future. Without your unwavering emotional and financial support, I could not have completed the Antioch program, and this study would not exist. ii Abstract The purpose of this study is to explore the experience of the individual who spontaneously produces humor during conversation. Although a broad humor literature exists, very little research addresses the experience of the spontaneous humor producer. This study represents an early step toward filling this gap in the literature. I gathered data by videotaping organizational meetings and conducting subsequent Interpersonal Process Recall (IPR) interviews with individuals who produced humor during the course of the meetings. I analyzed data from the IPR interviews using an emergent thematic analysis. Most humor producers in this sample were consciously aware of specific external cues, thoughts, and feelings when they produced humor. Sometimes, participants were aware of what they hoped to accomplish by interjecting humor and, at other times, they recalled their intentions only upon reflection. Producers’ tacit assumptions, or underlying beliefs about humor and/or about themselves, as well as certain aspects of the context affected their humor production as well. The study also uncovered three themes about the experience of humor production. First, humor producers were fully engaged in the dynamics of the current interaction when they contributed humor. Second, many humor producers reported having a sense of other group members’ internal experiences. Third, participants’ roles within the group often led to different experiences of humor production. Leaders tended to initiate humor in hopes of influencing others and/or creating change. Team members who did not hold formal iii positions of leadership were especially tuned into their managers’ actions, thoughts, and feelings. This study adds meaningfully to the humor literature, especially to research on humor functions, tacit knowledge, humor and social sensitivity, and humor and hierarchical relationships. The results of this study also have important implications for leadership. In addition, I propose a connection between this study’s findings and research on improvisation. The electronic version of this dissertation is at OhioLink ETD Center, http://etd.ohiolink.edu/. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements i Abstract iii Table of Contents v List of Tables x List of Figures xi Chapter I: Introduction 1 Importance of Humor Research 1 Definition of Humor 2 Purpose of the Study 3 Research Question and Introduction of Relevant Literature 4 Tacit Knowledge 6 Epistemological Stance 7 Owning My Perspective 10 Organization of this Dissertation 12 Chapter II: Review of the Literature 13 Definition of Humor 13 Humor is Spontaneous and Intentional 13 Humor May be Expressed Verbally or Nonverbally 15 Humor Exists when Any of the Interacting Parties Perceive a Communication to be Amusing 16 Terminology 17 Overview of Humor Research 18 Scholarship of Integration 19 Humor Theories 20 Superiority Theory 20 Incongruity Theory 21 Relief Theory 22 Categories in the Organizational Scheme 23 Context and Evolutionary Roots of Humor 23 Humor Interpretation and Appreciation 26 Humor Functions 28 Humor and Leadership 36 Humor and Influence 41 Humor and Positive Relationships 42 Humor and Cohesiveness 44 Humor Production 46 Measuring Humor Production 47 Cognitive Process of Producing Humor 50 Theories and Models of Humor Production 54 Humor Style 57 Humor Orientation 59 v Personality and Humor Production 61 Abilities and Humor Production 64 Gender and Humor Production 67 Familial and Childhood Antecedents 68 Humor Production in the Workplace 68 Cultural Role of the Humor Producer 70 Summary of Humor Production Research 72 Tacit Knowledge 72 Conclusion 76 Chapter III: Method 78 Rationale for Methodological Fit: IPR 78 IPR as a Research Method 80 Strengths of IPR 82 IPR Produces Data about Subjective Experience 82 IPR Fits the State of Research on Humor Production 84 IPR Aligns with the Study’s Epistemology 85 IPR Enhances Recall 86 IPR is a Better Fit for this Study than Other Methods 87 Potential Limitations of IPR 89 Studying Subjective Experience 89 Distinguishing Recall from Reconstruction 92 Participant Omission 93 Video Effects 94 Summary of Methodological Fit of IPR 96 Protocol for Gathering Data via IPR 97 Recruit Participants 97 Prepare for Target Meeting 104 Attend Target Meeting 104 Reiterate the Purpose of the Study 105 Invite Participants to Complete Informed Consent 106 Gather Demographic Information 108 Start Video Camera and Gather Team Information 108 Maintain Researcher Role 109 Select Humor Incidents 109 Criteria for Identifying Humor Incidents 110 Complete the IPR Interview Process 112 Start the Audio Recorder and Debrief Participant 113 Introduce the IPR Interview 113 vi Play