WASHINGTON: It seems that the saying ‘Laughter is the best medicine’ really is true.
In a new study, US researchers have shown that humour has its effects in all spheres of life. The study, conducted by Melissa B Wanzer, professor of communication studies at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY, has shown that humour helps medical professionals cope with difficult jobs.
In the study, the researcher also looked at the how humour affects the elderly and how it can increase communication in the workplace and in the classroom.
Wanzer asked medical professionals how they provided care for terminally ill people and manage to come back to work each day. The health care experts replied that it was humour that made them do so.
Wanzer has also found humour to be beneficial in other areas as well.
“If employees view their managers as humour-oriented, they also view them as more effective. Employees also reported higher job satisfaction when they worked for someone who was more humour-oriented and used humour effectively and appropriately,” Wanzer said. The researchers found that humour is an effective way to cope with on-the-job stress – again, when used appropriately.
In another study, Wanzer found that aging adults who used humour more frequently reported greater coping efficacy, which led to greater life satisfaction. Wanzer’s research also shows that students report learning more from teachers who use humour effectively.
“Regardless of the content, humour seems to be beneficial and productive. It helps to get the point across in about in almost any situation,” Wanzer said.
The study has been published in multiple journals, including Communication Quarterly , Communication Research Reports , Communication Education , Health Communication and Journal of Health Communication.
January 26th, 2008 Entry Filed under: In The News
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