An Introduction to the Psychology of Humor

An Introduction to the Psychology of Humor
Author: Janet M. Gibson
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2019-01-31
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0429672853

An Introduction to the Psychology of Humor provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of psychologists’ research on humor. Drawing on research from a variety of psychological perspectives, from cognitive and biological to social and developmental, the book explores factors that affect our detection, comprehension, liking, and use of humor. Throughout the book, theories and paradigms of humor are explored, with each chapter dedicated to a distinct field of psychological research. Covering topics including humor development in children and older adults, humor’s effectiveness in advertisements, cross-cultural psychology and humor’s functions in the workplace, the book addresses the challenges psychologists face in defining and studying humor despite it being a universal and often daily experience. Featuring a wealth of student-friendly features, including learning objectives and classroom activities, An Introduction to the Psychology of Humor is an essential read for all students of humor.

The Psychology of Humor

The Psychology of Humor
Author: Rod A. Martin
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 550
Release: 2018-07-14
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0128135093

Most of us laugh at something funny multiple times during a typical day. Humor serves multiple purposes, and although there is a sizable and expanding research literature on the subject, the research is spread in a variety of disciplines. The Psychology of Humor, 2e reviews the literature, integrating research from across subdisciplines in psychology, as well as related fields such as anthropology, biology, computer science, linguistics, sociology, and more. This book begins by defining humor and presenting theories of humor. Later chapters cover cognitive processes involved in humor and the effects of humor on cognition. Individual differences in personality and humor are identified as well as the physiology of humor, the social functions of humor, and how humor develops and changes over the lifespan. This book concludes noting the association of humor with physical and mental health, and outlines applications of humor use in psychotherapy, education, and the workplace. In addition to being fully updated with recent research, the second edition includes a variety of new materials. More graphs, tables, and figures now illustrate concepts, processes, and theories. It provides new brief interviews with prominent humor scholars via text boxes. The end of each chapter now includes a list of key concepts, critical thinking questions, and a list of resources for further reading. - Covers research on humor and laughter in every area of psychology - Integrates research findings into a coherent conceptual framework - Includes brain imaging studies, evolutionary models, and animal research - Integrates related information from sociology, linguistics, neuroscience, and anthropology - Explores applications of humor in psychotherapy, education, and the workplace - Provides new research, plus key concepts and chapter summaries

The Psychology of Humor

The Psychology of Humor
Author: Jeffrey H Goldstein
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 317
Release: 2013-10-22
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1483288544

The Psychology of Humor: Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Issues examines theoretical perspectives and empirical issues concerning the psychology of humor. Theoretical views of humor range from the physiological to the sociological and anthropological. The relations between humor, laughter, and smiling are considered, along with the connection between collative variables and arousal. Comprised of 13 chapters, this book begins with an introduction to the history of thought and major theoretical issues on humor, followed by a description of models of different aspects of humor. The next section deals with empirical issues in which selected research areas are given detailed attention. The relations between humor, laughter, and smiling, on the one hand, and collative variables and arousal, on the other, are analyzed. Subsequent chapters explore the cognitive origins of incongruity humor by comparing fantasy assimilation and reality assimilation; a two-stage model for the appreciation of jokes and cartoons; and the social functions and physiological correlates of humor. The relationship between arousal potential and funniness of jokes is also explored, together with humor judgments as a function of reference groups and identification classes. The final chapter presents an annotated bibliography of published papers on humor in the research literature and an analysis of trends between 1900 and 1971. This monograph will be of interest to psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, and behavioral scientists.

The Psychology of Comedy

The Psychology of Comedy
Author: G Neil Martin
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 187
Release: 2021-08-17
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 1000428842

What makes us laugh? Why is comedy so important? How does comedy affect our behaviour? The Psychology of Comedy provides a unique insight into the role of laughter and humour in our lives. From the mechanics of comedy and what makes a good joke, to the health benefits of laughter, the book delves into different types of comedy, from slapstick to complex puns, and the physiological response it provokes. The dark side of comedy is also considered, confronting the idea that what is funny to some can be offensive to others, making this universal experience also highly subjective. In a time when comedy continues to be one of the most popular and enduring forms of art, The Psychology of Comedy reminds us that laughter really is good for the soul.

Encyclopedia of Humor Studies

Encyclopedia of Humor Studies
Author: Salvatore Attardo
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Total Pages: 985
Release: 2014-02-25
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1483364704

The Encyclopedia of Humor: A Social History explores the concept of humor in history and modern society in the United States and internationally. This work’s scope encompasses the humor of children, adults, and even nonhuman primates throughout the ages, from crude jokes and simple slapstick to sophisticated word play and ironic parody and satire. As an academic social history, it includes the perspectives of a wide range of disciplines, including sociology, child development, social psychology, life style history, communication, and entertainment media. Readers will develop an understanding of the importance of humor as it has developed globally throughout history and appreciate its effects on child and adult development, especially in the areas of health, creativity, social development, and imagination. This two-volume set is available in both print and electronic formats. Features & Benefits: The General Editor also serves as Editor-in-Chief of HUMOR: International Journal of Humor Research for The International Society for Humor Studies. The book’s 335 articles are organized in A-to-Z fashion in two volumes (approximately 1,000 pages). This work is enhanced by an introduction by the General Editor, a Foreword, a list of the articles and contributors, and a Reader’s Guide that groups related entries thematically. A Chronology of Humor, a Resource Guide, and a detailed Index are included. Each entry concludes with References/Further Readings and cross references to related entries. The Index, Reader’s Guide themes, and cross references between and among related entries combine to provide robust search-and-browse features in the electronic version. This two-volume, A-to-Z set provides a general, non-technical resource for students and researchers in such diverse fields as communication and media studies, sociology and anthropology, social and cognitive psychology, history, literature and linguistics, and popular culture and folklore.

Humour: A Very Short Introduction

Humour: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Noël Carroll
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 145
Release: 2014
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 0199552223

Examines the leading theories of humor, focusing on the incongruity theory.

Laughology

Laughology
Author: Stephanie Davies
Publisher: Crown House Publishing
Total Pages: 162
Release: 2013-06-24
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1845908120

A practical guide to using laughter and humour as a thinking skill to feel better and communicate more effectively. This book will explain simple techniques that will improve the reader's ability to gain a more positive perspective in difficult situations and increase their happiness through adopting the techniques from the Laughology model.The key subjects covered are What is laughter;What is humour; The psychological connection;

The Social Psychology of Humor

The Social Psychology of Humor
Author: Madelijn Strick
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 251
Release: 2021-04-05
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 1000371174

This important new book provides a comprehensive analysis of humor from a social-psychological perspective, addressing questions about the use of humor and its effects in daily life. It examines the social psychology of humor on micro-level phenomena, such as attitudes, persuasion, and social perception, as well as exploring its use and effect on macro-level phenomena such as conformity, group processes, cohesion, and intergroup relations. Humor is inherently a social experience, shared among people, essential to nearly every type of interpersonal relationship. In this accessible volume, Strick and Ford review current research and new theoretical advancements to identify pressing open questions and propose new directions for future research in the social psychology of humor. The book explores fascinating topics such as humor in advertising, political satire, and the importance of a sense of humor in maintaining romantic relationships. It also examines how racist or sexist humor can affect personal and intergroup relations, and discusses how to confront inappropriate jokes. Offering new, precise, and operational conceptions of humor in social processes, this book will be essential reading for students and academics in social psychology, media, and communication studies.

Psychology, Humour and Class

Psychology, Humour and Class
Author: Babak Fozooni
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 310
Release: 2020-03-27
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0429874863

This challenging book critically examines three forms of contemporary psychology, all displaying various signs of crisis, through analogy with humour associated with three different class perspectives: mainstream psychology; critical psychology; and postpsychology. By fusing the best of the three psychologies with political and cultural critiques, the book poses the question: what if class conflict and the crises of psychology are related? This is precisely the Gordian Knot which Fozooni tries to untangle. First, the author demonstrates how psychology has traditionally veered towards either an upper-class or a middle-class paradigm. With the demise of these two old paradigms a new understanding of psychology is gradually emerging - a postpsychology. Describing how ‘mainstream’ and ‘critical’ psychologies are undergoing late-life crisis, and ‘postpsychology’ is experiencing its birth pangs in an environment hostile to its existence, the book provides an alternative narrative of psychology. The author suggests that whilst all three forms of psychology have contributed to our self-comprehension, it is only postpsychology that possesses the attributes necessary for a global remaking of humanity. Tackling the discipline of psychology head-on, Fozooni pits against it a series of scathing yet tongue-in-cheek critiques, making this fascinating and provocative reading for all students and academics interested in psychology, as well as the general reader.

Sweet Madness

Sweet Madness
Author: William F. Fry
Publisher: Transaction Publishers
Total Pages: 206
Release: 2011-12-31
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 141284388X

Written for all who are interested in the mechanics of humor, Sweet Madness presents a general discussion and introduction to the roles of paradox, metaphor, and fantasy in humor. The operation of the implicit and the unconscious in humor; the importance of humor to human life; and the development, from childhood on, of the sense of humor are discussed. The background for this serious study is drawn from such fields as psychiatry, psychology, anthropology, and sociology. William F. Fry, in this work, presents a new theory of the structure of humor based on the sometimes little understood psychological processes experienced by those who use humor or are exposed to humor. It is these relationships with other fields of study that allows for this investigation into the anatomy of humor. Fry, in this outstanding and erudite volume, takes a giant step in furthering our thinking about humor in transactional terms. Humor and a sense of humor are a vital part of human interactions, and as such, this book has much to contribute to the study of psychology, cultural, communications, and of coursehumor itself.