7/10/2014. Supplemental Handout (Not on website) Itunes Playlist PRIZE SURPRISE!!!!!

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1 Supplemental Handout (Not on website) Itunes Playlist PRIZE SURPRISE!!!!! 1

2 Defining Humor? Yikes! Getting a firm grasp on all the elements of humor is similar to controlling the use of liquor: it s like trying to tie a hair ribbon on a bolt of lightening. W.C. Fields, from Thorson and Powell (1993, p. 808) Elements of Humor Humorous Stimuli Emotional Response Physical Response 5 Elements of Humor Humorous Stimuli Physical Responses Emotional Responses jokes comments cartoons stories situations smiles laughter snickers giggles mirth joy happiness positive mood 2

3 Humor and the Brain 1. Humor activates areas of the brain used for processing language. 2. The brain searches for meaning in the stimulus. 3. The brain achieves a sense of reward when you get the joke. 4. Affective or outward reactions occur. 7 Matching Humor to Humans Please number a piece of paper from 1 to I am going to show you a series of 13 different humorous stimuli, and I want you to rate each one from 1 to 5 on your paper, according to this scale: 5 = very funny 4 = somewhat funny 3 = neutral 2 = not funny 1 = offensive 9 3

4 Attendees will be shown a series of stimuli, which they will rate from 1 5. Results 11 Person Centered Humor Right stimulus Right time Right place Right person Right relationship 12 4

5 Humor and Persons with Dementia They still get it (sometimes with our help) Reliant on intentional stance of caregivers (Sabat & Cagigas, 1997) Able to relate to environment (Buckwalter, 1993) Presence of personhood (Kitwood, 1997) Friends laugh often (Bell & Troxel, 1997) 13 Humor and Persons with Dementia Humor is a powerful element in all relationships. Humor helps people enjoy shared experiences, relieves tension, and brings people together. Bell & Troxel (1997) The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer s Care 14 Exercise With someone you don t know, please share a story about a time when a person with dementia surprised you with his or her use (or appreciation) of humor. When you re done, I ll ask a few volunteers to share their stories (or their partner s) with the group. 15 5

6 Humor and Physical Health 17 Physiology of Laughter Musculoskeletal Aspects (Fry, 1992) Coordinated movement of 15 facial muscles Use of diaphragmatic muscles Skeletal muscle contractions Cardiovascular Benefits (Boone et al, 2000) Increases heart rate Exercises the heart Increases stroke volume Promotes better circulation 18 6

7 20 Physiology of Laughter Benefits to Immune System (Berk, 2001; Lai et al, 2010) Increases salivary immunoglobulin (IG) Lowers cortisol levels Increases T cell activity Pain Tolerance (Cogan et al, 1987; Dunbar et al, 2011; Hudak et al, 1991; Fry, 1992) Increases pain thresholds Distracts from pain Releases endorphins Releases tension 21 Physiology of Laughter Metabolic Benefits (Buchowski et al, 2005) 10 to 15 minutes hearty laughter burns 10 to 40 calories Temporarily increases metabolic rate by 20% The above equates to over 4 lbs. per year Hearty laughter is NOT recommended for those prone to: Seizures/narcoleptic attacks Injury following pelvic or abdominal surgery Rib or shoulder fractures Acute asthma 7

8 Humor and Mental Health 22 Humor and Coping How a person copes with a stressor is related to how he or she appraises that stressor (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) stress appraisal coping Humor may improve coping abilities and decrease negative affect, depression, and anxiety (Lefcourt & Martin, 1986; Martin & Lefcourt, 1983)

9 Laughter Yoga Clowns on Rounds 9

10 The Jester has Lost His Jingle David Saltzman The Jester and Pharley Smile Cart The Medical Clown Project Play-Up Jean-Paul Bell Elderclowns Laughter Boss 10

11 Humor Styles 1. Affiliative Humor 2. Self enhancing Humor 3. Aggressive Humor 4. Self Defeating Humor 32 Humor Styles Affiliative Humor Used to enhance one s relationships with others in a positive manner Typically used in a benevolent, self accepting way Individuals high in this dimension often use humor as a way to: charm and amuse others ease tension among others improve relationships Users are often spontaneous in their joke telling, frequently participate in witty banter, and enjoy laughing with others Associated with increased levels of self esteem, psychological well being, emotional stability, and social intimacy 33 11

12 34 Humor Styles Self Enhancing Humor Related to having a good natured attitude toward life, having the ability to laugh at yourself, your circumstances and the idiosyncrasies of life in constructive, non detrimental manner Used by individuals to enhance the self in a benevolent, positive manner Best understood as a type of coping or emotionregulating humor in which individuals use humor to look on the bright side of a bad situation, find the silver lining or maintain a positive attitude even in trying times Promotes creativity and reduce stress in the workplace Related to increased levels of self esteem, optimism, and psychological well being, as well as decreased levels of depression and anxiety 35 Humor Styles Aggressive Humor Characterized by the use of sarcasm, put downs, teasing, criticism, ridicule Used at the expense of others Prejudices such as racism and sexism are considered to be the aggressive style of humor May at times seem like playful fun, but the underlying intent is to harm or belittle others Related to higher levels of neuroticism and lower levels of agreeableness and conscientiousness Individuals who exhibit higher levels of aggressive humor tend to score higher on measures of hostility and general aggression 36 Self Defeating Humor Humor Styles Characterized by the use of potentially detrimental humor towards the self in order to gain approval from others Use of self disparaging humor in which laughter is often at the expense of the humorist Comes in the form of pleasing others by being the "butt" of the joke Humor is used as a defense mechanism for hiding negative feelings about the self Associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety and psychiatric symptoms, as well as lower levels of self esteem, psychological well being and intimacy 12

13 Self Defeating Humor Humor Styles Characterized by the use of potentially detrimental humor towards the self in order to gain approval from others Use of self disparaging humor in which laughter is often at the expense of the humorist Comes in the form of pleasing others by being the "butt" of the joke Humor is used as a defense mechanism for hiding negative feelings about the self Associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety and psychiatric symptoms, as well as lower levels of self esteem, psychological well being and intimacy 37 Putting it into Practice

14 40 40 It Starts with You Your attitude is infectious You set the tone You are observant You model the behavior You lead by example You share what you know AND learn from others You help others to find their style You applaud others efforts You make play a priority With Elders

15 Exercise Read through another person s Humor Profile, and think of one way you might use the information to bring joy, connectedness, or identity support to the person s life. I ll ask for a few volunteers to share what they came up with and how it related to the information on the Humor Profile With Elders Find ways to add humor to everyday interactions Be playful and encourage others to do so also Keep track of successes and challenges what works and what doesn t Add humor related information to care/service plans In Your Community Share what you know with co workers Get staff input and learn from their experience Encourage spontaneity and fun Train and follow up; compliment and coach Practice! Encourage playful culture at meetings, inservices, etc

16 With Families/Friends Educate; share resources for fun visits Learn their humor styles; honor their identities Share joyful, fun stories about their loved one Communicate positives not just challenges Share photos, videos Themed events Ask for input/volunteers Engage in fun conversation whenever possible Please join us for Part 2 (Session E7) from 10:30am noon! Thank you! Kelli Hawver Teresian House Center for the Elderly kelli.hawver@teresianhouse.com (518) Ann McQueen State of Oregon Department of Human Services Aging and People with Disabilities ann.mcqueen@gmail.com (503)