Date of Graduation
5-2017
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Psychological Science
Advisor/Mentor
Zies, Brenda
Committee Member/Reader
Schroeder, David
Committee Member/Second Reader
Stauss, Kimberly
Committee Member/Third Reader
Kayser, Casey
Abstract
Using humor and laughter within the health care field has the potential to be relevant to patients during treatment, to the patient-caregiver relationship, to the subjective well-being of health care providers, and to the environments’ (e.g., work settings) impact on group relationships (e.g., colleagues). A review of the literature examines how the psychological and physiological effects of laughter and humor within the human body impact health and well-being, how humor and laughter improve the patient-practitioner relationship, and if humor and laughter can potentially impact physician burnout. Several possible implications for these findings are discussed, such as professional medical comedians, improvements to medical education, and a theoretical technological application.
Citation
Grant, W. M. (2017). Humor in Medicine: A Literature Review of Humor’s Potential Therapeutic Value in Health Care. Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/psycuht/11
Included in
Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons, Anatomy Commons, Biological Psychology Commons, Child Psychology Commons, Community Health Commons, Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Health Psychology Commons, Interprofessional Education Commons, Medical Humanities Commons, Other Mental and Social Health Commons, Physiological Processes Commons, Preventive Medicine Commons, Psychiatry and Psychology Commons
