Synonyms
Definition
Humor refers to “anything that people say or do that others perceive as funny and tends to make them laugh” (Martin and Ford 2018, p. 3).
Ostracism refers to the exclusion or rejection of persons.
Introduction
Most of us have been ostracized, ignored, or rejected at some point and experienced the hurtful consequences of being ostracized. Humor and laughter might have been one way of excluding us. This entry presents a brief definition of ostracism and its consequences, explains how humor and ostracism are related, and summarizes empirical research about the link between humor, laughter, and ostracism. It concludes with suggestions for future research in this area.
The Relation between Humor, Laughter, and Ostracism
When individuals are ostracized, they are ignored, excluded, or rejected (Williams 2007). Humor and laughter can be ways of ostracising individuals and groups. The term ostracism is based on the Greek word ostraca....
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References
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Ford, T. E., Buie, H. S., Mason, S. D., Olah, A. R., Breeden, C. J., & Ferguson, M. A. (2019). Diminished self-concept and social exclusion: Disparagement humor from the target’s perspective. Self and Identity, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2019.1653960.
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Williams, K. D. (2007). Ostracism. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 425–452. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.58.110405.085641.
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Gockel, C. (2020). Humor and Ostracism. In: Shackelford, T.K., Weekes-Shackelford, V.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3247-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3247-1
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