Study shows link between AS and gelotophobia

Page 1 of 1 [ 13 posts ] 

Meow1971
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

User avatar

Joined: 27 Apr 2011
Age: 53
Gender: Male
Posts: 210

10 Aug 2011, 10:53 am

None of us like to be laughed at (NT or ASD) but gelotophobia is a more severe case of this. A recent study showed that 45% of the AS population in the study also scored high for gelotophobia. Here is a recent post I did on the subject: http://asdjobsink.blogspot.com/2011/08/aspergers-gelotophobia-laughed-at.html



Artros
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Jul 2011
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Posts: 646
Location: The Netherlands

10 Aug 2011, 12:03 pm

I honestly think it's more of a bullying thing. When you're being laughed at for years by bullies, you start associating people laughing at you with bad things. I know it took me years to get over a number of issues related to that, and I still don't like it. I also think part of it is the fact that Auties have problems differentiating between a friendly laugh and a mean laugh. That makes it more difficult to judge how one should react to people laughing at you and causes increased anxiety.

I'm surprised at the katagelasticism result, though. I do not really laugh derisively at others. It's part of the whole "do not do unto others as you would not have done upon you" philosophy I keep.


_________________
"Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant. " -Socrates
AQ: 40/50
EQ: 17/50
SQ: 72/80 (Extreme Synthesiser)
Aspie test: about 150/200 Aspie, about 40/200 NT


EllenDee
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

User avatar

Joined: 22 Feb 2011
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Posts: 72

10 Aug 2011, 12:06 pm

I had never heard of gelotophiobia before. I looked at the criteria, and I don't think they fit me, but being laughed at is definitely one of the things that I fear in social situations. However, as Artros said, this is more of a learned response from years of bullying - being laughed at is generally the first clue I get that I have stuffed up my behavior somewhere, and is likely to be the prelude to further bullying, exclusion etc.



wavefreak58
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Sep 2010
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 4,419
Location: Western New York

10 Aug 2011, 12:06 pm

Fear of Jello? :?


_________________
When God made me He didn't use a mold. I'm FREEHAND baby!
The road to my hell is paved with your good intentions.


Artros
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Jul 2011
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Posts: 646
Location: The Netherlands

10 Aug 2011, 12:13 pm

My first reaction was "fear of ice cream? Whaaaaa?"


_________________
"Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant. " -Socrates
AQ: 40/50
EQ: 17/50
SQ: 72/80 (Extreme Synthesiser)
Aspie test: about 150/200 Aspie, about 40/200 NT


marshall
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 14 Apr 2007
Gender: Male
Posts: 10,752
Location: Turkey

10 Aug 2011, 1:56 pm

How is this a phobia? Fear of being laughed at is not irrational. Fear and/or anger is the most natural emotional response to being the object of ridicule and disrespect.



Meow1971
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

User avatar

Joined: 27 Apr 2011
Age: 53
Gender: Male
Posts: 210

10 Aug 2011, 1:59 pm

Correct but letting that fear alter your lifestyle and affect your physically is where it can get out of control similar to someone who is afraid of heights never wanting to leave the first floor.

The Wikipedia article on gelotophobia may help clear it up some: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelotophobia



ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 18 Jun 2008
Gender: Female
Posts: 12,265

10 Aug 2011, 2:39 pm

marshall wrote:
How is this a phobia? Fear of being laughed at is not irrational. Fear and/or anger is the most natural emotional response to being the object of ridicule and disrespect.


It's irrational the same way paranoia is. Why worry about being laughed it? I have convinced mmyself it's nbd if someone laughs at me and I was plenty ridiculed when younger.

If you want to quote this and type a bunch of ha ha has under it, I won't mind.



Callista
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 3 Feb 2006
Age: 41
Gender: Female
Posts: 10,775
Location: Ohio, USA

10 Aug 2011, 2:44 pm

Well, fear of snakes is a phobia, right? And snakes really can be dangerous. The difference between sensible fear/discomfort and a phobia is that a phobia kind of takes over your life, causing fear in situations where rationally you shouldn't be afraid. For example, a person with a phobia of snakes might feel afraid looking at a picture of a snake, or going into the reptile house at the zoo, in addition to the situations where anybody would and should feel afraid, like meeting a venomous snake sunning itself on your wood pile. On top of that, the person with the phobia will alter their routine and limit themselves to avoid the object of their phobia--they might avoid biology class, or avoid watching the nature channel, or even in extreme cases avoid going outdoors unless they're in the city and there's no chance of snakes.


_________________
Reports from a Resident Alien:
http://chaoticidealism.livejournal.com

Autism Memorial:
http://autism-memorial.livejournal.com


MagicMeerkat
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 11 Jun 2011
Age: 37
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,821
Location: Mel's Hole

10 Aug 2011, 3:17 pm

Artros wrote:
I honestly think it's more of a bullying thing. When you're being laughed at for years by bullies, you start associating people laughing at you with bad things. I know it took me years to get over a number of issues related to that, and I still don't like it. I also think part of it is the fact that Auties have problems differentiating between a friendly laugh and a mean laugh. That makes it more difficult to judge how one should react to people laughing at you and causes increased anxiety.


^^THIS^^


_________________
Spell meerkat with a C, and I will bite you.


OJani
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Feb 2011
Age: 50
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,505
Location: Hungary

10 Aug 2011, 5:12 pm

I feel uncomfortable when other people laugh about something I either don't understand, don't find funny, or I can't hear because I'm out of hearing range (which is quite short anyway). I also feel uncomfortable (or even angry) when I hear forced laughing, for instance on the radio. I don't actually feel uncomfortable as much when people jokingly laugh at me (especially since I learned about AS). Perhaps I'm really fool in assuming that they are laughing primarily in a friendly manner.


_________________
Another non-English speaking - DX'd at age 38
"Aut viam inveniam aut faciam." (Hannibal) - Latin for "I'll either find a way or make one."


pensieve
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 18 Nov 2008
Age: 38
Gender: Female
Posts: 8,204
Location: Sydney, Australia

10 Aug 2011, 7:57 pm

I was never much of a fan of gelatos.

Maybe 10 years ago I worried about being laughed at but not so much anymore. I don't like socialising because of the useless crap people talk about and sensory issues.

I was actually looking for a word to describe why I laugh at people who seem to be under stress. Schadenfreude seems a bit harsh. This is a random thing that happens and it seems to be more due to not being able to cope with the emotions of the person under stress. It's almost like I'm detached from the reason behind it and find it ridiculous.


_________________
My band photography blog - http://lostthroughthelens.wordpress.com/
My personal blog - http://helptheywantmetosocialise.wordpress.com/


buryuntime
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Dec 2008
Age: 86
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,662

12 Aug 2011, 12:24 pm

isn't this basically more of an example that autistic people are more likely to have social anxiety disorder? Seems like a focus on a single detail rather than the 'whole'. And of course anyone with poor social experience and aware of it would be most likely to fear such things.