Patients' reactions to humorous interventions in psychotherapy

This study explores the preference of patients for humorous or nonhumorous therapist interventions. Hysterical, obsessive, and depressive patients were presented with three functional kinds of humorous interventions: emotional confrontation, anxiety reduction and perspective development. The data indicate that the patients consistently favored the nonhumorous interventions, but the degree of this preference varied according to personality style. Obsessive patients stood out in their ardent repudiation of humorous interventions. The results suggest that the desirability of utilizing humor in therapy depends on a multiplicity of parameters.