Abstract
Pediatric dentists have suggested several behavioral techniques for alleviating anxiety of children in their clinic. Until now there has been no report of the use of humor in dental settings, even though it has been found effective in reducing anxiety. A sample of pediatric dentists was interviewed and observed in order to study their use of humor. It was found that dentists use humor in a consistent way in accordance with the systematic desen-sitization model. Dentists create a playful-humorous atmosphere using verbal and nonverbal cues. They produce humorous bisocia-tions, incongruities, rhymes, absurdities, exaggerations and puns. Their humor serves several functions: social, emotional, cognitive, informational, and motivational.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Humor and Children’s Development |
| Subtitle of host publication | A Guide to Practical Applications |
| Publisher | Taylor and Francis |
| Pages | 171-178 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781317839934 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780866566810 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Jan 2014 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 1989 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Social Sciences
- General Psychology