Tension-Release Humor
A targeted use of humor within an interaction intended to release built-up tension and restore the user's capacity to keep working. Distinguished from incidental humor by its deployment at a point of friction or stall.
Operational Definition
EVENT. One occurrence would be coded when a humorous turn occurs immediately after a friction marker (expressed frustration, repeated unsuccessful attempt, or stall) and is followed within two turns by resumption of task-directed activity. The humor turn at the friction point is the unit counted.
Measurement Schema
Proposed measurement protocol (not yet empirically validated): Sequential coding: raters tag friction markers, subsequent humor turns, and task-resumption within a two-turn window; boundary agreement would be assessed via Cohen's kappa. Primary metric: task-resumption rate after friction-point humor, with median turns-to-resumption as a secondary latency indicator.