Do Clowns Really Taste Funny? An Investigation of the Relationship between Humor and Playfulness in Clown Doctors

Dionigi, Alberto; Fermani, Alessandra; Canestrari, Carla

doi:10.3390/bs13040328

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…A content-related explanation could be that high nonsense, indeed, may be maladaptive for MAs. Studies suggest that people high in nonsense (a) have lower conscientiousness and (b) prefer using humour on their own, avoiding interactions with others [ 20 , 49 ]. However, conscientious working behaviour (e.g., due to high responsibility for others’ and one’s own health) [ 50 ] as well as functioning social relationships (e.g., with colleagues) are both crucial in the medical field.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medical assistants’ comic styles and their potential for positive functioning at work: a cross-sectional study including a subgroup analysis

Raecke,

Proyer

2024

BMC Prim. Care

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Background Medical assistants are essential for the healthcare system. However, they face several working demands every day, for which they need resources to cope. While several studies show that humour can be a resource for healthcare professionals, studies on humour styles/comic styles in healthcare are scarce. But, as humour styles (e.g., light vs. dark) may have varying – and even negative – effects on positive psychological functioning, it is important to investigate their individual potential for medical assistants. Thus, this study investigates the relationships between medical assistants’ comic styles and their positive psychological functioning at work. Methods Applying a cross-sectional design we assessed German medical assistants’ eight comic styles (i.e., benevolent humour, fun, wit, nonsense, irony, satire, sarcasm, cynicism) and facets of positive psychological functioning (e.g., well-being, feeling of competence). We analysed relationships between the variables by means of Pearson correlations, ANCOVAs and hierarchical regressions. All analyses were conducted with the total sample (N = 608; completion rate 44%) as well as a large subsample of medical assistants working in general medicine (N = 263). Results While most of the light styles (e.g., benevolent humour) relate positively to most facets, the dark style sarcasm relates negatively. The other dark styles showed coefficients around zero or even slightly positive ones (e.g., satire). Most relationships were also prevalent in the subgroup of medical assistants working in general medicine. Conclusions The eight comic styles might have varying potential for medical assistants’ positive psychological functioning at work, with benevolent humour being most adaptive and sarcasm being maladaptive. This study points to the relevance of raising attention regarding the (mal-)adaptiveness of different comic styles of healthcare professionals. Trainings of professionals (e.g., vocational education and training of medical assistants) might integrate the topic of humour (i.e., foster benevolent vs. caution against sarcastic humour) to build and maintain this helpful resource which professionals can use as a tool to master various challenges of everyday work (e.g., cope with stressful situations).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medical assistants’ comic styles and their potential for positive functioning at work: a cross-sectional study including a subgroup analysis

Raecke,

Proyer

2024

BMC Prim. Care

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“…To date, the only empirical study assessing whether clown doctors possess specific differences in terms of humor, compared to laypeople as well as related to their character, has been conducted in Italy [16]. This study has asserted the following.…”

Section: The Comic Style Markers Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Jesters of Well-Being: Examining the Relationship between Clown Doctors and Patients

Dionigi,

Fermani,

Canestrari

2024

Behavioral Sciences

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Clown doctors play a crucial role in enhancing the well-being of patients through the use of humor. However, little is known about how the use of humor by clown doctors changes in relation to the developmental age of patients. This research explores the interplay between the type of humor used by clown doctors, their experience (in terms of years of clowning and type of clowning), and the developmental age of the patients (children, adolescents, adults, elderly). Data for this cross-sectional study were collected through an online survey distributed to 210 Italian clown doctors (143 females, 67 males), aged between 18 and 75 years (M = 47.34, SD = 12.31), affiliated with different Clown Care Units. The survey included the Comic Styles Markers, questions on the patients’ developmental age, type of clowning (Auguste vs. Whiteface), and years of experience. The findings enhance our understanding on how clown doctors interact with patients of different developmental ages. The discussion draws connections to previous studies conducted on groups of clown doctors, providing a broader context for understanding the implications of humorous interactions in this unique healthcare domain.

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Do Clowns Really Taste Funny? An Investigation of the Relationship between Humor and Playfulness in Clown Doctors

Cited by 2 publications

References 40 publications

Medical assistants’ comic styles and their potential for positive functioning at work: a cross-sectional study including a subgroup analysis

Medical assistants’ comic styles and their potential for positive functioning at work: a cross-sectional study including a subgroup analysis

Jesters of Well-Being: Examining the Relationship between Clown Doctors and Patients

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