The psychology of humor : an integrative approach

Front cover......Page 1
Title page......Page 4
Copyright page......Page 5
Table of contents......Page 8
Foreword......Page 14
Preface......Page 16
Acknowledgements......Page 18
1 Introduction to the Psychology of Humor......Page 20
THE UNIVERSALITY OF HUMOR AND LAUGHTER......Page 21
The Social Context of Humor......Page 24
Cognitive-Perceptual Processes in Humor......Page 25
Emotional Aspects of Humor......Page 26
Laughter as an Expression of the Emotion of Mirth......Page 28
THE MANY FORMS OF HUMOR......Page 29
Jokes......Page 30
Spontaneous Conversational Humor......Page 31
Unintentional Humor......Page 33
Cognitive and Social Functions of the Positive Emotion of Mirth......Page 34
Social Communication and Influence......Page 36
Tension Relief and Coping with Adversity......Page 38
Etymology of Humor......Page 39
Changing Views of Laughter......Page 40
Wit versus Humor......Page 42
Evolution of the Concept of Sense of Humor......Page 43
HUMOR AND PSYCHOLOGY......Page 45
CONCLUSION......Page 48
2 Theories and Early Research I: Psychoanalytic and Superiority Theories......Page 50
Overview of the Theory......Page 52
Empirical Investigations......Page 55
Evaluation......Page 60
SUPERIORITY/DISPARAGEMENT THEORIES......Page 62
Overview of the Theories......Page 63
Implications of Superiority/Disparagement Theories......Page 66
Empirical Investigations......Page 68
Evaluation......Page 72
CONCLUSION......Page 74
Overview of the Theories......Page 76
Empirical Investigations......Page 78
Overview of the Theories......Page 81
Empirical Investigations......Page 85
Evaluation......Page 91
Overview of the Theory......Page 94
EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATIONS......Page 98
Evaluation......Page 99
CONCLUSION......Page 100
4 The Cognitive Psychology of Humor......Page 102
Schemas, Frames, and Scripts......Page 104
Applications of Schema Theory to Humor......Page 105
LINGUISTIC APPROACHES TO HUMOR......Page 108
Semantic Distance......Page 111
Semantic Priming Techniques......Page 114
COGNITIVE PROCESSES IN CONVERSATIONAL HUMOR: IRONY AND SARCASM......Page 116
Creativity......Page 120
Memory......Page 122
COMPUTATIONAL APPROACHES TO HUMOR......Page 124
HUMOR AS COGNITIVE PLAY......Page 127
CONCLUSION......Page 129
5 The Social Psychology of Humor......Page 132
HUMOR AS SOCIAL INTERACTION......Page 133
INTERPERSONAL FUNCTIONS OF HUMOR......Page 135
Self-Disclosure, Social Probing, and Norm Violation......Page 136
Decommitment......Page 137
Social Norms and Control......Page 138
Status and Hierarchy Maintenance......Page 139
Ingratiation......Page 140
Group Identity and Cohesion......Page 141
Discourse Management......Page 142
TEASING......Page 143
SOCIAL ASPECTS OF LAUGHTER......Page 147
Social Perception......Page 150
Interpersonal Attraction......Page 151
Humor as a Desirable Trait in Friendship and Mate Selection......Page 153
HUMOR AND PERSUASION......Page 155
HUMOR, ATTITUDES, AND PREJUDICE......Page 158
HUMOR AND INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS......Page 162
HUMOR AND GENDER......Page 166
CONCLUSION......Page 169
6 The Psychobiology of Humor and Laughter......Page 172
THE NATURE OF LAUGHTER......Page 173
Laughter and Emotion......Page 174
Acoustics of Laughter......Page 175
Laughter Respiration and Phonation......Page 178
Facial Expressions of Laughter and Smiling......Page 179
AUTONOMIC AND VISCERAL CONCOMITANTS OF MIRTH......Page 181
The Play Face......Page 184
Laughter and Smiling in Apes......Page 185
"Laughter" in Rats?......Page 187
PATHOLOGICAL LAUGHTER......Page 188
LAUGHTER AND THE BRAIN......Page 190
TICKLING AS A STIMULUS FOR LAUGHTER......Page 192
Humor and Brain Injury......Page 195
EEG Studies......Page 198
Brain-Imaging Studies......Page 200
EVOLUTIONARY THEORIES OF HUMOR AND LAUGHTER......Page 204
CONCLUSION......Page 207
7 Personality Approaches to the Sense of Humor......Page 210
WHAT IS SENSE OF HUMOR?......Page 211
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN HUMOR APPRECIATION......Page 214
Theoretically-Based Content Approaches......Page 215
Early Factor Analytic Studies......Page 216
Ruch's Factor-Analytic Investigations......Page 219
Personality Correlates of the 3WD Dimensions......Page 221
SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF SENSE OF HUMOR DIMENSIONS......Page 224
Svebak's Sense of Humor Questionnaire......Page 225
The Situational Humor Response Questionnaire......Page 227
The Humor Styles Questionnaire......Page 229
The State-Trait Cheerfulness Inventory......Page 233
SENSE OF HUMOR AS AN ABILITY......Page 235
SENSE OF HUMOR AS STYLES OF HUMOROUS CONDUCT......Page 238
HOW MANY DIFFERENT SENSES OF HUMOR EXIST?......Page 240
PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF PROFESSIONAL HUMORISTS......Page 242
CONCLUSION......Page 244
8 The Developmental Psychology of Humor......Page 248
SMILING AND LAUGHTER IN INFANCY AND EARLY CHILDHOOD......Page 249
HUMOR AND PLAY......Page 253
HUMOR AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT......Page 257
McGhee's Four-Stage Model of Humor Development......Page 258
The Role of Incongruity and Resolution in Children's Humor......Page 260
Humor and Cognitive Mastery......Page 262
Cognitive Development of Irony and Sarcasm......Page 263
HUMOR AS EMOTIONAL COPING......Page 266
INTERPERSONAL ASPECTS OF HUMOR IN CHILDREN......Page 268
Teasing Among Children......Page 269
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN CHILDRENÌS SENSE OF HUMOR......Page 271
Genetic Factors in Sense of Humor......Page 272
Family Environment Factors in Sense of Humor Development......Page 275
Personality and Behavioral Correlates of Children's Sense of Humor......Page 278
HUMOR AND AGING......Page 282
CONCLUSION......Page 285
9 Humor and Mental Health......Page 288
Experimental Investigations of Humor and Emotions......Page 289
Correlational Studies of Trait Humor and Emotional Well-Being......Page 292
Distinguishing Potentially Healthy and Unhealthy Humor Styles......Page 295
HUMOR, STRESS, AND COPING......Page 301
Experimental Investigations of Humor as a Stress Moderator......Page 302
Correlational Studies of Sense of Humor and Coping Styles......Page 304
Humor in Coping with Specific Life Stressors......Page 306
Sense of Humor as a Stress Moderator......Page 310
Process Approaches to Investigating Humor in Coping......Page 314
INTERPERSONAL ASPECTS OF HUMOR IN MENTAL HEALTH......Page 316
Humor as a Facilitator of Healthy Relationships......Page 318
Interpersonal Aspects of Coping Humor......Page 322
CONCLUSION......Page 324
10 Humor and Physical Health......Page 328
POPULAR BELIEFS ABOUT HUMOR AND HEALTH......Page 329
HOW MIGHT HUMOR AFFECT HEALTH?......Page 332
Experimental Investigations......Page 336
Correlational Studies......Page 340
HUMOR AND PAIN......Page 342
HUMOR, BLOOD PRESSURE, AND HEART DISEASE......Page 345
HUMOR AND ILLNESS SYMPTOMS......Page 346
HUMOR AND LONGEVITY......Page 348
CONCLUSION......Page 350
11 Applications of Humor in Psychotherapy, Education, and the Workplace......Page 354
HUMOR IN PSYCHOTHERAPY AND COUNSELING......Page 355
Humor-Based Therapies......Page 356
Humor as a Specific Therapeutic Technique......Page 358
Humor as a Therapist Skill......Page 360
Research on Humor in the Therapeutic Process......Page 362
Risks of Humor in Therapy......Page 365
HUMOR IN EDUCATION......Page 368
Descriptive Studies of Teachers' Use of Humor in the Classroom......Page 370
Teachers' Use of Humor and the Classroom Environment......Page 371
Teachers' Use of Humor and Students' Learning......Page 373
Effects of Humor in Tests and Exams......Page 375
Effects of Humor in Textbooks......Page 376
Caveats in the Use of Humor in Education......Page 377
Conclusion......Page 378
HUMOR IN THE WORKPLACE......Page 379
Social Functions of Humor in the Workplace......Page 380
Humor as a Reflection of Organizational Culture......Page 384
Humor in Negotiation and Mediation......Page 385
Humor in Leadership......Page 386
Conclusion......Page 387
GENERAL DISCUSSION......Page 388
References......Page 392
Subject Index......Page 440
Author Index......Page 450