Humor in psychodiagnostic and psychotherapy – possibilities and limits

The greatest philosophers from antiquity to present werefocused on the topic of humor. There are so many partial psychological theories of humor, that they weresplited by Raskin and Attardo to the 3 groups – metatheories :1/ psychoanalytical, 2/ cognitive-perceptional, 3) social-behavioral. Theauthors report possibilities how to use humor – its comprehension and emotional experiencing – in the differential diagnostics of psychiatric disorders. The Test of Jokes was used by groups of patients with schizophrenia, affective disorders, dependences and by healthy participants as well. Humor as atherapeutic tool is used in different psychotherapeutic approaches. Common effective therapeutic factors of humor are: influence on “atmosphere“ of therapeutic relationship, support of cognitive factors (insight, reframing, restructuralization), facilitation of abreaction of tension and anxiety, improvement of socialskills (assertiveness, social attractiveness) of the client. Humor is also atool for saving a mental health and wellbeing of the therapist. The basic principles of the use of humorous stimulus (e.g.verbal jokes) are timing, adequacy to situation aperceptiveness of the client. The limits of use of humor in the psychotherapy are on the both sides – by client (cognitive andaffective disorders), on the side of therapist his cognitive style, therapeutic metaskills and personal sense of humor.

Anton Heretik, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovak Republic e-mail: anton.heretik@gmail.comAndrea Heretiková-Marsalová, Psychiatric Clinic UNB Ružinov in Bratislava, Slovak Republic e-mail: andrea.marsalova@gmail.com