I’m very excited about this research, but, instead of a conclusion, I will offer what I call the “view from a morass.” My first view is that checking for the transference of delightful incongruity to cognitive conflict has proven to be a dead end. I wanted to see if students were making such a transference. Not only do I see no clear signs of such a transference from the data, but I don’t know how to test for it in any way that maintains any objectivity. My current research method cannot tell me about such a transference of humor’s delight in incongruity to a mature appreciation for cognitive conflict.

My next view is that this research does show is how differently students respond to laughter. Some come away mostly indifferent. A large percent of them report that the action of searching out, presenting, and seeing items related to a controversial topic that make them laugh lowers their level of discomfort and cognitive conflict. Of those students, some express how this lowered anxiety helps them effectively cope with the conflict and creates a better learning environment. Yet, as noted, some of the comments seem to open the possibility that laughing could encourage students to be less engaged and less positively motivated to think, learn, and grow. Finally, some actually felt the level of cognitive conflict increase. These students seemed much more attuned to the satirical and even sardonic elements of laughter. Others noted that the attention given to the topic clarified the conflict and thereby made it more serious and “grave.”

My plan in looking at the data I’ll collect in the next 2 months is to see how these trends continue to develop. Can I distinguish those who laugh, feel less conflict and are still engaged from those whose laughter invites them to disengage? Can I see more clearly how the type of laughter may account for their different responses? Clearly, the laughter of those who feel more conflict is that of irony and satire, often pointed at hypocrisy. Are there other qualities that are common to the laughter of those who find the conflict increased? And what typifies the laughter for those who find the conflict minimized?