A study of storytelling, humour and learning in medicine
Kenneth Calman
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7861/clinmedicine.1-3-227
Clin Med May 2001 Kenneth Calman
University of Durham
KCB, FRSEAbstract
Story telling is a fundamental part of clinical practice. It provides the mechanism by which doctors and patients communicate and understand the meaning of illness and possible ways of dealing with it. Humour is a particular aspect of story telling and, while there are some negative aspects, generally does have a therapeutic benefit. The physiological effects of laughter are considerable. Both story telling and humour are important for learning and are complementary to the more formal learning from text books and lectures. Stories assist in the development of emotional knowledge. The hypothesis of the contagious theory of behaviour change is presented as a way in which ideas are transmitted from one person to another
- © 2001 Royal College of Physicians
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A study of storytelling, humour and learning in medicine
Kenneth Calman
Clinical Medicine May 2001, 1 (3) 227-229; DOI: 10.7861/clinmedicine.1-3-227
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