BookRod A. Martin, Thomas E. Ford.
Summary: 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.
Contents:
Front-matter
Copyright
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Psychology of Humor
Chapter 2: Classic Theories of Humor
Chapter 3: Contemporary Theories of Humor
Chapter 4: The Personality Psychology of Humor
Chapter 5: The Cognitive Psychology of Humor
Chapter 6: The Physiological Psychology of Humor and Laughter
Chapter 7: The Developmental Psychology of Humor
Chapter 8: The Social Psychology of Humor
Chapter 9: The Clinical Psychology of Humor: Humor and Mental Health
Chapter 10: The Health Psychology of Humor: Humor and Physical Health
Chapter 11: Applications of Humor in Education and in the Workplace
Bibliography
Author Index
Subject Index