The Psychology of Humor: An Integrative Approach

by Rod A. Martin, Thomas Ford

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

Genres: Psychology, Humor, Nonfiction, Social

540 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2006

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did it! Being a textbook, this was pretty intense reading and I feel pretty proud of myself for completing it. It may well be the ONLY textbook I have EVER read cover to cover (because my brother wrote it).
This is a very extensive look at all the research that has been done on humour and suggests areas where more research is required. It also looks at the generally accepted notions of humour and the science (or lack thereof) behind it. It seems there is no simple answer because (as with most areas of psychology) there are so many different ways in which humour can be used with beneficial and detrimental outcomes.
Overall, a good read for those interested in the many aspects of the psychology of humour (although I think I'll suggest a re-writing in non-textbook format for those of us who aren't psych majors!).

[Jaleesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this for a class I was taking and actually ended up liking it. I will definitely go through and read through it again in the future.

[mavromou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro cumple con lo que promete, es una mirada integral del concepto del humor desde una perspectiva psicológica, en cuanto a lo emocional, cognitivo y de comportamiento.

Es ideal para el que quiera tener una visión amplia del tema, entender las primeras teorías y su evolución como así también las áreas de aplicación.

En mi estudio relacionado con la creatividad fue de gran ayuda dado que además de exponer las ideas y conceptos que trata el libro, hay referencias académicas que sostienen y permiten ampliar el conocimiento y enterarse de distintos autores que tratan o estudiaron distintos temas relacionados...

Podría decirse que el libro brinda el estado del arte en materia del estudio psicológico del humor.

[Mélanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent resource.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm desperately trying to crank out a journal manuscript on the sociology of economists' laughter, and I found this overview to be REALLY nice. It does a great job of laying out not just the psychology stuff, but also the philosophy, social psychology, and sociology that I'm more familiar with (including stuff like Christie Davies and Michael Mulkay). If you want to academically analyze humor, I'd say definitely start here.

[Mariia Lyshen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Насправді не дочитала, але планую точно повертатися. Інформативно та хóроше. Біблія психології гумору (або я не знаю, із чим порівняти)