Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Humor plays an important role in the everyday functioning of individuals, both in private and professional environments. The goal of this research is to investigate the role of humor in the business environment of a health clinic as depicted in a sitcom. The research is based on the method of content analysis applied to a video recording of the sitcom, which included both quantitative and qualitative analysis of a representative sample of episodes. The results show that comic scenes account for 15.31% of the total duration of the analyzed episodes. Humor most commonly manifests as witty comments, jokes, irony, and sarcasm. These scenes elicit various emotions and reactions from the participants in communication; the most common include confusion, indifference, association, and relaxation. The positive effects of humor are visible in the development of a supportive working atmosphere, improved interpersonal relationships, elevated mood, and reduced stress. The humor styles identified include affiliative, self-defeating, self-enhancing, and aggressive, with affiliative humor being the most prevalent. When used in a socially acceptable way that respects ethical norms and diversity, humor can contribute to reduced stress, stronger teams, and better communication in the healthcare business environment.
Authors: Jana Kvalan, Violeta Vidaček Hainš
Institution: University of Zagreb
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4412096022