Is Laughter the Best Medicine?: A Study of the Effects of Humor on Perceived Pain and Affect of Humor on Perceived Pain and Affect

This paper presents a study of the effects of humor on affect and perceived pain in elderly residents of a long-term care facility. Movies were viewed by two groups (humor and non-humor) and differences between groups were noted on measures of perceived pain and affect. Humor is shown to provide significant benefits to aged clients. Qualitative information on program implementation is included.