Humor and Laughter in Counseling: A Content Analysis of 39 Videorecorded Counseling Sessions

ABSTRACT

Humor and laughter have long been considered psychologically beneficial; however, the use of humor in counseling remains controversial. There is a scarcity of empirical studies on the topic, while available studies have yielded conflicting results. A content analysis of 39 video-recorded counseling sessions was conducted to examine the frequency and features of humor. Quantitative results showed that laughter was present in all 39 sessions. Both clients and counselors were shown to initiate humor with similar frequency. However, clients laughed significantly more than counselors. Qualitative results illustrated some documented psychological functions of humor in counseling. The omnipresence of humor and laughter in the dataset and associated benefits and risks, highlights the need for intentional use in counseling, informed by empirical research.

KEYWORDS:

• Humor
• laughter
• mixed-methods
• counseling
• content analysis
• creativity in counseling

Author Note

We have no conflict of interest to disclose.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their contributions to this paper: Dr. Jaklin Eliott, Dr. Margaret Agee, Dr. Peter Bray

Disclosure statement

We wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication and there has been no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome. We confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. We further confirm that the order of authors listed in the manuscript has been approved by all of us. We confirm that we have given due consideration to the protection of intellectual property associated with this work and that there are no impediments to publication, including the timing of publication, with respect to intellectual property. In so doing we confirm that we have followed the regulations of our institutions concerning intellectual property. We understand that the Corresponding Author is the sole contact for the Editorial process (including editorial Manager and direct communications with the office). She is responsible for communicating with the other authors about progress, submissions of revisions and final approval of proofs. We confirm that we have provided a current, correct email address which is accessible by the Corresponding Author.

Notes

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