Does a humorous element characterize embarrassment?
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Glenn E. Weisfeld
Glenn Weisfeld has conducted research on dominance hierarchies, pride and shame, marital satisfaction, street gangs, and kin recognition through olfaction. He wroteEvolutionary Principles of Human Adolescence (Basic Books, 1999). Articles on the possible functions of humor appeared inEthology and Sociobiology in 1993 and inHumor in 2006. A cross-cultural study of humor in marriage was published inHumor in 2011.
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Miriam B. Weisfeld
Miriam Weisfeld is the Associate Artistic Director of Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington, DC. She has lectured on theatre at Harvard, MIT, George Washington, Northwestern University, the Kennedy Center, and the Moscow Art Theatre School. She holds an MFA in Dramaturgy from the A.R.T./MXAT Institute at Harvard University. She is a contributing author to the upcomingRoutledge Companion to Dramaturgy.
Abstract
Evidence is mixed on the question of the distinctiveness of embarrassment as a negative self-conscious emotion. Embarrassment is particularly likely to feature blushing, smiling and laughter, and to follow some minor and surprising social gaffe. Perhaps embarrassment can be distinguished from similar emotions by these observable expressive elements, rather than just in terms of contextual factors. Although slumped posture and averted gaze accompany all the negative self-conscious emotions, blushing may sometimes accompany embarrassment in order to accentuate one's submission disposition when the offense is minor and unusual. The frequent and distinctive smiles and laughter of embarrassment may reflect a truly humorous aspect to the embarrassing incident, and not just anxiety. As with other instances of humor, people are amused by embarrassing situations when the victim commits some unexpected, minor faux pas. These amusing, informative scenarios are a staple of conversation, and protect those present against committing a similar offense in the future. Thus, perhaps true embarrassment might be interpreted as a blend of two universal emotions, humor appreciation and shame, and defined operationally as exhibiting submission displays and smiling or laughter in response to having committed some unusual peccadillo.
About the authors
Glenn Weisfeld has conducted research on dominance hierarchies, pride and shame, marital satisfaction, street gangs, and kin recognition through olfaction. He wrote Evolutionary Principles of Human Adolescence (Basic Books, 1999). Articles on the possible functions of humor appeared in Ethology and Sociobiology in 1993 and in Humor in 2006. A cross-cultural study of humor in marriage was published in Humor in 2011.
Miriam Weisfeld is the Associate Artistic Director of Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington, DC. She has lectured on theatre at Harvard, MIT, George Washington, Northwestern University, the Kennedy Center, and the Moscow Art Theatre School. She holds an MFA in Dramaturgy from the A.R.T./MXAT Institute at Harvard University. She is a contributing author to the upcoming Routledge Companion to Dramaturgy.
©2014 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- An analysis of humor orientation on Facebook: A lens model approach
- The state-of-the art in gelotophobia research: A review and some theoretical extensions
- The interpersonal meaning of humor styles
- Does a humorous element characterize embarrassment?
- Impacts of humor and relevance on the remembering of lecture details
- Humor and laughter in Japanese groups: The kuuki of negotiations
- School-age children talking about humor: Data from focus groups
- Danish humor in cross-cultural professional settings: linguistic and social aspects
- Book Review
- Book Review
- Book Review
- Book Review
- Book Review
- Acknowledgement of referees
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- An analysis of humor orientation on Facebook: A lens model approach
- The state-of-the art in gelotophobia research: A review and some theoretical extensions
- The interpersonal meaning of humor styles
- Does a humorous element characterize embarrassment?
- Impacts of humor and relevance on the remembering of lecture details
- Humor and laughter in Japanese groups: The kuuki of negotiations
- School-age children talking about humor: Data from focus groups
- Danish humor in cross-cultural professional settings: linguistic and social aspects
- Book Review
- Book Review
- Book Review
- Book Review
- Book Review
- Acknowledgement of referees
