PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
On the surface, fear and humor seem like polar opposite states of mind, yet throughout our lives they continually interact. In this paper, we synthesize neurobiological, psychological, and evolutionary research on fear and humor, arguing that the two are deeply connected. The evolutionary origins of humor reside in play, a medium through which animals benignly explore situations and practice strategies, such as fight or flight, which would normally be accompanied by fear. Cognitively, humor retains the structure of play. Adopting a view of humor as requiring two appraisals, a violation appraisal and a benign appraisal, we describe how fear-inducing stimuli can be rendered benignly humorous through contextual cues, psychological distance, reframing, and cognitive reappraisal. The antagonistic relationship between humor and fear in terms of their neurochemistry and physiological effects in turn makes humor ideal for managing fear in many circumstances. We review five real-world examples of humor and fear intersecting, presenting new data in support of our account along the way. Finally, we discuss the possible therapeutic relevance of the deep connection between humor and fear.
摘要：
表面上,恐惧和幽默似乎是相反的心态，然而，在我们的生活中，它们不断互动。在本文中,我们合成神经生物学，心理,关于恐惧和幽默的进化研究，认为这两者有很深的联系。幽默的进化起源在于玩耍，一种媒介，动物通过它良性地探索情况和实践策略，比如战斗或逃跑，这通常会伴随着恐惧。认知上,幽默保留了游戏的结构。采用幽默的观点需要两次评估，违规评估和良性评估，我们描述了如何通过上下文线索使诱发恐惧的刺激变得幽默，心理距离,重构，和认知重新评估。幽默和恐惧之间在神经化学和生理效应方面的对立关系反过来又使幽默成为在许多情况下管理恐惧的理想选择。我们回顾了五个现实世界中幽默和恐惧交叉的例子，在此过程中提供新数据以支持我们的帐户。最后,我们讨论了幽默和恐惧之间的深层联系可能的治疗相关性。
