Patty Wooten presents ... 
An Interview with
William Fry Jr., MD
From Journal of Nursing Jocularity, Summer 1994, 4(2), pp 46-47.William Fry Jr., MD, is known as the granddaddy of laughter research in the area of physiological response. He is professor emeritus of Stanford University School of Medicine and lives now in Nevada City, California. Dr. Fry has been researching humor since 1953. He often presents at the annual International Society for Humor Studies conference, and continues to consult with researchers currently studying humor. In 1987 and again in 1989, Dr. Fry, Norman Cousins, myself, and several other humor researchers produced video programs about humor and healing. These were broadcast through the hospital satellite network and are still available for purchase.
Patty Wooten: Dr. Fry, speaking as a psychiatrist, can you clarify the connection between humor and mental health?
William Fry Jr.: I believe humor is both a contributor and a manifestation of our mental health. It reflects a positive orientation to life and a sense of well being. Humor is not just a maneuver or a joke. It gives us a broader, deeper view of life. It influences the relationships between human beings, as well as their relationship to their world.
PW: Exactly how can humor influence that relationship?
WF: Humor gives us an ability to detach from the situation and has a cathartic effect. Our ability to recognize some humorous aspects of a situation can give us a relief from the negative impact of emotions such as fear, anger, depression, disappointment, embarrassment, and chagrin. Humor helps to release the hold these emotions have on an individual. Humor offers a kind of protection when we witness or encounter a painful event.
PW: It seems to me, that this may be why health professionals, at least the ones who are able to avoid burnout, appreciate the opportunity to see the humorous side of their jobs.
WF: Absolutely. It is especially helpful for anyone who witnesses the suffering of others, because of the intensity of their own experience. I think this is why we see much more humor exchanged among nurses than we see among physicians. Nurses spend much more time with the patient, directly administering to their needs, so they are closer and more involved with the patient's suffering. The physician comes in maybe twice a day and spends only a few minutes with the patient -- perhaps that's why they call them the "Attendings."
PW: What do you think about the statement, "The greater the tragedy, the darker the humor?"
WF: I don't agree with that completely, but I do think that the more the setting deals with bodily functions, blood, excrement, and the like, then the humor will be more organic and reflect these themes. Whereas, in a more pristine settings such as the outpatient clinic, public health or classroom education, the humor will be of a more intellectual quality.
PW: How did you first get interested in doing your physiological research? At that time, there was no one else doing it.
WF: My first interest in humor began while I was working with Gregory Bateson, studying the nature of logical paradox in communication. Because so much of humor involves paradox, I began studying the cognitive elements of humor. A while later I became interested in the more psychological elements -- having to do with emotional needs and responses. I was involved in family therapy at the time and saw that humor played a strong role in the communication patterns of families. In 1963 I obtained a grant, and together with Edith Trager, an anthropologist, we began research in the area of paralinguistics.
PW: I think I need some clarification here, before you go on. What exactly is paralinguistics?
WF: It's the area of human communication involving non-verbal methods of communicating such as laughing or sobbing. Up to this time humor research had used a subjective scale to measure "funniness." I suspected that it would be more accurate to measure changes in bodily functions to reflect response to humorous stimuli. As you know, Stanford University is located in Silicon Valley. At that time, the sixties, the technology of instrumentation was growing rapidly. Companies were very eager to have researchers test their new instruments and provided us with very expensive equipment in exchange for feedback on their design protocols. 
PW: So where did you begin?
WF: Well, since laughter was primarily a vigorous respiratory activity, I was curious to discover if there were any significant changes in the oxygen saturation. I was concerned about the potential negative effect. I used the newly developed pulse oximeter to measure this. I found that after three minutes of continuous laughter, there was no change in the oxygen saturation, in spite of the increased ventilation and vigorous muscle activity which would increase consumption of oxygen.
PW: How did you insure that your subjects would laugh continuously for three minutes?
WF: Well, I used some Laurel and Hardy films, and made a composite audio tape including cuts from Bob Newhart and Jonathan Winters.
PW: What did you discover from your research and has this been published?
WF: Oh yes, several articles. (These references are listed at the end.) We found that the activity of laughter disturbed the usual predictable pattern of respiration, increased the minute volume, and created a forceful exhalation which could mobilize secretions.
PW: Can you please clarify the rumor that laughter increases the production of endorphins, thus resulting in decreased pain and a sense of euphoria.
WF: I have never read an article about research that definitively measured it and proved this in a scientifically satisfactory manner. I know that in the research I've done together with Lee Berk and Stanley Tan at Loma Linda University, we were unable to quantify any significant changes in endorphin levels with laughter.
PW: What were you able to prove?
WF: We've published our research showing that serum cortisol, dopec, and epinephrine levels were all decreased after laughter. We know that cortisol levels are increased with stress and that this suppresses the immune system's ability to respond and protect us. We also have measured increased levels of circulating antibodies up to 36 hours after laughter. This would indicate that, again, laughter may enhance our bodies ability to protect us. This part of the research project has been presented at several scientific conferences but has yet to be published.
PW: What's the most active area of humor research at this time?
WF: Application. There are many research projects exploring measurable changes as the result of humor programs. One I've recently read about is coordinated by Sabina White with the Student Health Service at the University of California Santa Barbara campus. She would be an excellent candidate for one of your next columns.
PW: You're right. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks so much for being the pioneer in laughter research, and for adding credibility to the maxim that Laughter is the Best Medicine.
References:
- Fry, W.F. (1971).
"Mirth and oxygen saturation of peripheral blood." Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 19, page 7684. - Fry, W.F. (1984).
"Laughter and health."
in Encyclopedia Britannica, Medical and Health Annuals: Special Report. USA: Encyclopedia Britannica, 259262. - Fry, W.F. (1979).
"Mirth and the human cardiovascular system."
in Mindess and Turek (Eds.), The Study of Humor, Los Angeles, CA: Antioch University Press. - Fry, W.F. (1977).
"The Respiratory Components of Mirthful Laughter." Journal of Biological Psychology, 19(2), 3950. - Berk, L. & Tan, S. (1989)
"Eustress of mirthful laughter modifies natural killer cell activity." Clinical Research, 37(115 A). - Berk, L. & Tan, S. (1989).
"Neuroendocrine influences of mirthful laughter." American Journal of the Medical Sciences, 298(December) 390396. - Berk, Lee S. (1984).
"Modulation of human natural killer cells by catecholamines." Clinical Research, 32(1).
|
|
|
|
|
This article was originally published in "Jest for the Health of It", a regular feature in the Journal of Nursing Jocularity.
Feature columnist Patty Wooten, BSN, is also a past President of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor, author of two books related to humor, and a national speaker presenting on the benefits of humor.
