The concept of humor and performance patterns among junior high school students: Results of focus group discussions

Objectives: To investigate the concept and experiences of humor among junior high school students in Taiwan through focus group discussions. Methods: Four junior high schools were selected from the northern, southern, eastern, and western regions of Taiwan, respectively. Eight boys and eight girls were randomly selected from grades 7 to 9 in each school, and their consent to participate in the study was obtained. The students were grouped for discussion by sex, resulting in a total of 64 students in eight focus groups. The focus group discussions were carried out in late 2005 at times arranged by each school. The discussions were taped using a mini-digital recorder in addition to being documented by the observer's written notes. The contents of the recordings and the observer's notes were entered into a computer word for word. The resulting manuscripts were then read and discussed by the researchers and the final data summarized and analyzed. Results: 1. Students commonly associate humor with "funny," "escaping inertia of thought," or "negative adjectives." 2. Based on students' experiences, humor consists of four types: making fun of oneself, making fun of others, verbal or physical humor, and quick-witted reactions. 3. The topics about which students express humor are related to individual characteristics and life events, with sex topics and dirty jokes predominating. 4. Students believe that the positive expression of humor is beneficial to psychological and social health. Conclusions: Junior high school students have both positive and negative attitudes toward the concept of humor and performance patterns. They believe that the positive expression of humor can help relieve stress and is beneficial to psychological and social health. The exact relationship between humor performance and health deserves in-depth future research.