Laughing, a Psychology of Humor

Laughing, a Psychology of Humor PDF Author: Norman Norwood Holland
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 246

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Book Description

Laughing, a Psychology of Humor

Laughing, a Psychology of Humor PDF Author: Norman Norwood Holland
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 246

Get Book Here

Book Description


Ha!

Ha! PDF Author: Scott Weems
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465080804
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 258

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Book Description
An entertaining tour of the science of humor and laughter Humor, like pornography, is famously difficult to define. We know it when we see it, but is there a way to figure out what we really find funny -- and why? In this fascinating investigation into the science of humor and laughter, cognitive neuroscientist Scott Weems uncovers what's happening in our heads when we giggle, guffaw, or double over with laughter. While we typically think of humor in terms of jokes or comic timing, in Ha! Weems proposes a provocative new model. Humor arises from inner conflict in the brain, he argues, and is part of a larger desire to comprehend a complex world. Showing that the delight that comes with "getting" a punchline is closely related to the joy that accompanies the insight to solve a difficult problem, Weems explores why surprise is such an important element in humor, why computers are terrible at recognizing what's funny, and why it takes so long for a tragedy to become acceptable comedic fodder. From the role of insult jokes to the benefit of laughing for our immune system, Ha! reveals why humor is so idiosyncratic, and why how-to books alone will never help us become funnier people. Packed with the latest research, illuminating anecdotes, and even a few jokes, Ha! lifts the curtain on this most human of qualities. From the origins of humor in our brains to its life on the standup comedy circuit, this book offers a delightful tour of why humor is so important to our daily lives.

The Psychology of Humor

The Psychology of Humor PDF Author: Rod A. Martin
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128135093
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 550

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Book Description
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

Exit Laughing

Exit Laughing PDF Author: Victoria Zackheim
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
ISBN: 1583944087
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
There’s nothing funny about dying … or is there? Malachy McCourt, Jacquelyn Mitchard, and 22 more share hilarious and moving stories of confronting death. Exit Laughing makes death more approachable as it reveals the funny side of “passing on.” As painful as it is to lose a loved one, Exit Laughing shows us that in times of grief, humor can help us with coping and even healing. Best-selling author Amy Ferris explains how her mother’s dementia led to a permanent ban from an airline. Ellen Sussman writes of flying her mother's body home and watching the burial wardrobe spill out on the baggage carousel. Broadway and television actor Richard McKenzie shares the riotous story of a funeral procession led by a lost hearse. Bonnie Garvin even manages to find a heavy dose of dark humor in her parents’ three unsuccessful attempts at a double suicide. These stories, along with tales from Joshua Braff, Barbara Graham, Dianne Rinehart, and more, constitute a book whose purpose is to remind readers that when dealing with illness, aging, and dying, there is an important place for laugh-out-loud humor.

The Laughing Guide to Well-Being

The Laughing Guide to Well-Being PDF Author: Isaac Prilleltensky
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1475825757
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 169

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Book Description
Do you experience stress? Are you interested in better health and well-being? Do you pursue happiness? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to read this book. If you answered no, you’re in denial. All of us can use a little help to become happier or healthier. Unfortunately, the help we get is often too scary: “if you don’t do this or that, some catastrophic event of epic proportions will happen.” Prilleltensky’s approach, in contrast, is to help you become healthier and happier through laughter. In this hilarious book, Prilleltensky combines humor with science to help you improve your well-being. Each chapter consists of the Laughing Side, a series of funny stories; and the Learning Side, a research-based, user-friendly guide to health and happiness. The first chapter provides an overview of well-being, while subsequent chapters cover each of its six domains: Interpersonal, Community, Occupational, Physical, Psychological, and Economic (I COPPE). When you finish the book you’ll have a greater understanding of your life, and ways to make it better.

Humor 101

Humor 101 PDF Author: Mitch Earleywine, PhD
Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
ISBN: 0826106099
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 266

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Book Description
"Humor is complex, and the author, Mitch Earleywine, does an exceptional job of covering the big bases of humor from a research perspective in a small space with a readable content. When I first picked up this book and began reading it, I was looking for depth. What I found was an overview and at the same time a very exciting way to provide an entrÈe into psychology-a vehicle for students to grab hold of topics central to psychology but studiedand researched in terms of modern themes, and particularly humor." --PsycCRITIQUES "I've just finished reading Humor 101 with great interest and admiration. The book combines psychological research and practicality beautifully and humorously." -- Bob Mankoff Cartoon Editor, The New Yorker Magazine "In lucid, cheerful prose, Earleywine offers up the impossible: an explanation of humor that is as thoughtful, fascinating, and entertaining as humor itself." Elisa Albert Author of ,The Book of Dahliaand How This Night is Different "Dr. Earleywine's witty insight on this topic will make you funny, happy, and wise. Mitch has that rare ability to clearly explain something that is mysterious as it is magical: the power of laughter. Read this book and laugh while you learn." Brett Siddell Sirius/XM Satellite Radio Personality "Dr. Earleywine has written the perfect guide to understanding humor. No one else has the unique combination of witty stage time, outstanding teaching expertise, and impressive scientific background. You'll love this book." Derrick Jackson Winner, Ultimate Laff-Down What makes something funny? How does humor impact health and psychological well-being? How can you incorporate humor into everyday life? A concise, reader-friendly introduction to an important but often underappreciated topic in modern psychology, Humor 101 explains the role of comedy, jokes, and wit in the sciences and discusses why they are so important to understand. Psychology professor Dr. Mitch Earleywine draws from his personal experiences in stand-up comedy to focus on how humor can regulate emotion, reduce anxiety and defuse tense situations, expose pretensions, build personal relationships, and much more. He irreverently debunks the pseudoscience on the topic of humor and leaves readers not only funnier, but better informed. The Psych 101 Series Short, reader-friendly introductions to cutting-edge topics in psychology. With key concepts, controversial topics, and fascinating accounts of up-to-the-minute research, The Psych 101 Series is a valuable resource for all students of psychology and anyone interested in the field.

Inside Jokes

Inside Jokes PDF Author: Matthew M. Hurley
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262518694
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 375

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Book Description
This evolutionary and cognitive theory of humor seeks to reveal the complex science behind why we crack up. “A sophisticated analysis . . . written with clarity, good cheer, and, of course, wit.” ―Steven Pinker, author of How The Mind Works Some things are funny—jokes, puns, sitcoms, Charlie Chaplin, The Far Side, Malvolio with his yellow garters crossed—but why? Why does humor exist in the first place? Why do we spend so much of our time passing on amusing anecdotes, making wisecracks, watching The Simpsons? In Inside Jokes, Matthew Hurley, Daniel Dennett, and Reginald Adams offer an evolutionary and cognitive perspective. Humor, they propose, evolved out of a computational problem that arose when our long-ago ancestors were furnished with open-ended thinking. Mother Nature—aka natural selection—cannot just order the brain to find and fix all our time-pressured misleaps and near-misses. She has to bribe the brain with pleasure. So we find them funny. This wired-in source of pleasure has been tickled relentlessly by humorists over the centuries, and we have become addicted to the endogenous mind candy that is humor.

The Social Psychology of Humor

The Social Psychology of Humor PDF Author: Madelijn Strick
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000371174
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
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.

The Psychology of Humor and Wit

The Psychology of Humor and Wit PDF Author: Donald M. Johnson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Comic, The
Languages : en
Pages : 68

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Book Description


Kids Who Laugh

Kids Who Laugh PDF Author: Louis R. Franzini
Publisher: Square One Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 0757050085
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
While some children are born with an innate sense of humor, for most kids, humor is a learned behavior. Kids Who Laugh is the first book to examine the psychology of humor in children and explore the many benefits that this characteristic has to offer, including self-confidence, coping skills, creativity, self-control, and more. Most important, it offers the actual tools that parents can use to give their child the gift of laughter.