The effects on depression on the appreciation of ironic humor on physiological and subjective level
Date
2018Access restrictions
The author has not given permission to make the work publicly available electronically. Therefore the material can be read only at the archival workstation at Jyväskylä University Library (https://kirjasto.jyu.fi/en/workspaces/facilities).
Copyright
This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Depression has been shown to affect emotional reactivity, and thus humor appreciation can also be affected in depression. The aim of our research was to see whether such alteration occurs in appreciation of ironic humor by comparing depressed and healthy participants’ reactions to ironic conversations. With a multi-dimensional approach, we explored this on both physiological and subjective level, using skin conductance responses, facial EMG as well as subjective funniness ratings. Based on previous research, we expected the depressed and healthy participants to significantly differ in their responses to ironic humor both subjectively and physiologically. Our results show that on physiological level no group difference was found. However, based on subjective ratings, humor appreciation was altered in the depressed group, the depressed participants showing diminished humor appreciation. These controversial results support a theory that suggests a dissociation between the different domains of emotional processing in depression, specifically between autonomic responses and cognitive processes, such as emotional decision making. Understanding these underlying neural processes between humor and depression is, thus, vital in order to utilize humor more effectively in preventing and treating depression.
...


Metadata
Show full item recordCollections
- Pro gradu -tutkielmat [23424]
Related items
Showing items with similar title or keywords.
-
The Applications of Cognitive Mechanism of Verbal Humour to the Adjustment of Depressive Mood
Li, Xueyan; Wang, Huili; Saariluoma, Pertti; Wang, Xiaolu (Sciencedomain International, 2018)Aims: To apply the findings of neurolinguistic research to the practical technological artifact design, the cognitive mechanism of verbal humour is comprehensively investigated and designed with EEG-based Brain Computer ... -
Event-related potentials in response to irony in depressed and healthy controls
Haimi, Elina; Pesonen, Janne (2017)Humor has a positive impact on psychological and physiological well-being, and it improves social interaction and relationships. Depression is associated with numerous impairments, including affective symptoms and cognitive ... -
Depression and Violence in Adolescence and Young Adults : Findings From Three Longitudinal Cohorts
Yu, Rongqin; Aaltonen, Mikko; Branje, Susan; Ristikari, Tiina; Meeus, Wim; Salmela-Aro, Katariina; Goodwin, Guy M.; Fazel, Seena (Elsevier, 2017)Objective Despite recent research demonstrating associations between violence and depression in adults, links in adolescents are uncertain. This study aims to assess the longitudinal associations between young people’s ... -
Attitudes towards people with mental disorders in a general population in Finland :
Aromaa, Esa (Jyväskylän yliopisto, 2011)Stigma is common toward persons with mental health problems and can be defined as a label that sets a person apart from others, links her or him with undesirable characteristics and leads to avoidance by others in society. ... -
Employment and earnings trajectories before and after sickness absence due to major depressive disorder : a nationwide case–control study
Hakulinen, Christian; Böckerman, Petri; Pulkki-Råback, Laura; Virtanen, Marianna; Elovainio, Marko (BMJ Publishing Group, 2021)Objectives: To examine employment and earnings trajectories before and after the first sickness absence period due to major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: All individuals (n=158 813) in Finland who had a first ...