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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
6 pages in length. More today than ever before, humor is a critical component in today's society. The extent to which humor lightens an otherwise stressful situation is both grand and far-reaching; that funniness is able to draw people together under a single common denominator speaks volumes regarding its inherent persuasiveness. Speech writers have long understood the tremendously influential power of humor, incorporating its lightheartedness into sermons, orations and lectures every possible chance. Of course, humor is not always appropriate for every type of speech, however, when its presence is a suitable addition, humor can be the one aspect that persuades an otherwise neutral audience. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
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6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: LM1_TLCHumorPer.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
stressful situation is both grand and far-reaching; that funniness is able to draw people together under a single common denominator speaks volumes regarding its inherent persuasiveness. Speech writers have
long understood the tremendously influential power of humor, incorporating its lightheartedness into sermons, orations and lectures every possible chance. Of course, humor is not always appropriate for every type
of speech, however, when its presence is a suitable addition, humor can be the one aspect that persuades an otherwise neutral audience. This paper will demonstrate the inherent value
of humor when incorporated into all types of speeches by briefly looking at research and methodology. II. RESEARCH Myriad studies have looked at the various reasons why humor is
such a powerful device for speechmakers. Indeed, the very nature of human laughter is that which relieves tension, relaxes physical tension and brings about a general sense of happiness
due in great part to the chemical release of endorphins. When these neurotransmitters flow through the body, they mimic the uplifting effect of drugs like opium and morphine to
induce an overall sense of happiness (Kalat, 1995). According to Charles R. Gruner and William E. Lampton, authors of Effects of Including Humorous Material in a Persuasive Sermon, it was
hypothesized that humor has two important roles in speechmaking: persuasion and increasing the speakers ethos rating. While findings did not ultimately support this conjecture, they did indicate how the
speakers ethos (character appeal) was greatly enhanced when humor was integrated into the speech. The authors further point out how there is not a given association between humor and
the symbolic element, noting how its presence does not "generally support the assumption that laughter-provoking stimuli have rhetorical impact" (Gruner et al, 1972, p. 189). They do, however, refer
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