Pranks Psych 101
posted by ModeratorFiled under: Sociology and Psychology of Pranks, Why Do a Prank?, What Makes a Good Prank?
Submitted by Steffani Martin and Peter Maloney:
April Fool! The Purpose of Pranks
by Benedict Carey
New York Times
April 1, 2008
Keep it above the belt, stop short of total humiliation and, if possible, mix in some irony, some drama, maybe even a bogus call from the person’s old flame or new boss. A good prank, of course, involves good stagecraft. But it also requires emotional intuition.
Psychologists have studied pranks for years, often in the context of harassment, bullying and all manner of malicious exclusion and prejudice.
Yet practical jokes are far more commonly an effort to bring a person into a group, anthropologists have found — an integral part of rituals around the world intended to temper success with humility. And recent research suggests that the experience of being duped can stir self-reflection in a way few other experiences can, functioning as a check on arrogance or obliviousness. (more…)
by Bruce Grierson, for 
