42 - What makes us laugh? The psychology of humour

04/14/19 • 84 min

This week, Two Shrinks tackle humour. Hunter and Amy agree with toddlers that wearing underpants on your head is indeed hilarious, snort over funny words and discuss the role of feedback in enjoyment of cartoons. We also chat about the role of humour in therapy - where can it help and when does it go too far? As always, we wrap up with things we came across. Hunter justifies his recent earworm and reads a perfectly ‘p’ preoccupied proposal to the APA before Amy finishes up with the tragedy of rabbit auricular amputation.

Hunter’s articles:

What makes some words funny?

Humour and psychotherapy

Amy’s articles:

Toddler humour production

Facial feedback and enjoyment in children with autism

TWCA:

Positive and negative earworms

Auricular amputations in rabbits

A perfectionistic proposal to the APA

Hunter’s articles:

What makes some words funny?

Humour and psychotherapy

Amy’s articles:

Toddler humour production

Facial feedback and enjoyment in children with autism

TWCA:

Positive and negative earworms

Auricular amputations in rabbits

A perfectionistic proposal to the APA

Previous Episode

41 - Harry Potter & the Pathological Personalities

41 – Ever wondered what Voldermort’s attachment style is? Does Bellatrix Le Strange meet criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder? What about Snape? Is his behaviour schizoid, obsessive or best explained by complex grief?

If you are a fan of Harry Potter then this is the Two Shrinks Pod episode for you. In this episode Amy and Hunter go through each of the ten personality disorders discussed in the personality disorder series last year and discuss which characters from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books could have personality disorders. They also discuss possible differential diagnoses and ponder the use of words starting with P in the DSM-5 diagnostic categories. For a bit of fun Hunter gives Amy the Two Shrinks equivalent of her O.W.L.s, quizzing her on her Harry Potter knowledge at the end of each personality cluster.

Next Episode

43 - Self-forgiveness as a therapeutic strategy - with Dr Grant Dewar

43 - This week Hunter brings you an interview whilst on location at the Health Psychology conference in Adelaide. He interviews Dr Grant Dewar who use self-forgiveness as a therapeutic strategy in particular using it to lessen the impacts of adverse traumatic events that have occurred earlier in our lives. His approach has its roots in ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) and is easy to understand. Grant has conducted a number of studies into this approach and uses it in his clinical practice. This should be of interest to therapists and also to people who are struggling with the effects that trauma and other negative experiences.

Research:

https://www.adelaide.edu.au/directory/grant.dewar#