Customer Reviews

The Psychology of Humor: An Integrative Approach

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although there are probably several reasons for the shortage of psychological research concerning humor, one such reason no doubt involves the fact the past research tended to consider humor to be a one-dimensional characteristic. On the other hand, Martin argues that there are four distinct types of humor to consider: Affiliative (positive, facilitates relationships); Self-enhancing (positive, using humor to cope); Aggressive (criticize or manipulate others); and Self-defeating (self-disparaging). The distinction seems to me a distinct and significant step forward in humor research, and studies using Martin's resultant Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ) are already bearing this out. I can honestly say that his book made me think about how I use humor, and as a result influenced both my teaching and my social interactions.
In addition, among a variety of related topics Martin covers the history of humor research, major theories, the development of humor, and correlates of the use of humor (physical and mental health, use in education, etc.). I was very impressed with this book (and I've obsessively read roughly one hundred books in the past year related to positive psychology), and have been recommending Martin to anyone who is interested in humor and who will listen.

I used this book for a psychology of humor class - I went into the class thinking the book would be fun to read but I was sadly mistaken. The book does an awesome job reviewing the literature don't get me wrong, but it is just so dry and colorless. I have read the whole thing this semester and have had a tough time making it through any of the chapters in one sitting. It is very informative and I did learn a lot, but I just wish it was a little more fun and appealing...it is a humor book after all!

A splendid, thorough text by an author who has contributed stellar work to this literature. The writing is clear and accessible. I would have loved a few more diagrams and illustrations. For example, explanations of humor's impact on various biological processes would have benefited from a picture or two. The organization is intuitively appealing. The author is candid about the shortcomings of theories and research on the topic. He does not gloss over the warts in the science. By explaining some of the problems, he ends up educating readers so they can become better consumers of research. Readers will find that the topic is much richer and more complex than they may have thought. They'll also discover that much of the common knowledge that 'everyone knows' on the topic is dead wrong. I hope to teach a semester-long course with it soon. A true achievement.

Many books on humor are available. These books range from those containing "canned jokes" to the biographies of the leading comedians. The Psychology of Humor is an assessment, evaluation, and analysis of humor. What is humor? What causes humor? In which circumstances do we laugh? Why do we laugh? Does humor augments or degrades interpersonal relationships? The book investigates these questions, which are answered using scientific inquiry. The book is divided into 11 chapters, each of which discusses the subject of humor from a distinct point of view. Some of the research results surprised me, but the other findings were self-evident. As a behavioral health specialist, I like the presentation of the theories of humor and various types of humor; humor's potential application in the workplace, psychotherapy, and other activities. The psychobiology of humor and social psychology of humor also deserves mention. Nonetheless, the whole book should be read to acquire perspective of it, which I enthusiastically recommend to obtain an insight into the highly desired but still weakly understood human characteristic of humor.

The book is indispensable for those who take interest in humor research especially from a psychological perspective. In a very comprehensive way it disusses different apsects of humor and humor theories.