Abstract
A growing body of evidence, highlighting multiple benefits of laughter for health and wellbeing, has resulted in physician calls for laughter prescription. As a pragmatist, I was inspired to explore how these foundations could be converted into action. Here I present and critique my six-year laughter and humour research journey. My purpose is to substantiate the potential of laughter prescription with evidence-based, theoretical, and practical insight.
Central to my research is the one-minute Laughie (Laugh Intentionally Everyday) laughter prescription. Here I introduce this original contribution, contextualise laughter prescription, and present my first- and second-wave research. The latter, inspired by my critical literature review (Chapter 3), includes the Laugh-Health and Laugh-Thrive models. My critical commentary covers theoretical and applied research, reviews, commentaries, case studies, and citizen science research, motivated by the independent use of the Laughie in the “Laughie Challenge Australia”. My third-wave research, currently underway, includes the book ‘The Positive Psychology of Laughter and Humour.’ Pragmatic autoethnography, an approach I conceived, allows me to convey findings, experiences, and recommendations in accordance with my research paradigm. My five research contributions, include the development of a feasible laughter prescription modality; the demonstration that laughter and humour differ in nature, impact, and outcome and thus merit treatment as co-equals; pioneering research in solitary laughter; prototypal citizen science research; and a range of original ancillary methodologies.
I am the first to have engaged deeply with theoretical and applied laughter prescription. My contributions raise the profile of laughter prescription and demonstrate why we should consider to “laugh for a reason”. They also highlight the need to address conflational, measurement, mindset, and modality challenges within laughter prescription research, and value the hitherto dismissed topic of solitary laughter. Overall, I hope my research will encourage insight into laughter prescription, and its exploration, expert usage and practice