Preface

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter I
2. Contents V
3. Preface 1
4. Part 1: Essence of Humor: What Makes Something Funny?
5. Section 1: Psychological Processes: Why Do People Find Things Humorous?
6. 1 Psychological Approaches to Humor: The Interaction of Cognition and Motivation 15
7. 2 Personality Approaches: Beyond the ‘Sense of Humor’ 31
8. 3 Evolutionary Approaches to Humor: Critical Review and New Advances 49
9. 4 The Neuroscience of Humor 65
10. Section 2: Text Properties: What Makes a Text Humorous?
11. 5 Computational Humor Models and Applications 87
12. 6 The Role of Incongruity in Humorous Texts 105
13. 7 Cognitive Approaches to Humor: Linguistic, Developmental, and Affective Science Considerations 125
14. 8 Humor and Figurative Language 145
15. Section 3: Broader Social Context: How is Humor Shaped by Social Relations and Culture?
16. 9 Failed Humor 165
17. 10 Humor and Culture 181
18. 11 Humor and Translation: Cultural Implications 201
19. 12 Cultural Analysis of Racial and Ethnic Humor 221
20. Part 2: The Functions of Humor: How Do People Experience, Perform and Share Humor?
21. Section 1: Psychological Processes: What Functions Does Humor Serve for the Individual?
22. 13 Effect of Humor on Cognition 243
23. 14 Humor Appreciation Across the Lifespan 257
24. 15 Humor, Health, and Well-Being: Is Humor Really Good for Us? 271
25. Section 2: Text Properties: What Contextual Factors Affect Humor Perception?
26. 16 The Sociopragmatics of Humor 289
27. 17 Conversational Humour 307
28. 18 Satire and Parody 327
29. 19 New Forms and Genres of Humor in Social Media 345
30. Section 3: Broader Social Context: How Does Humor Function in Social Relations and Culture?
31. 20 Humor as a Double-Edged Sword: Uniting and Dividing in Social Interaction 365
32. 21 The Role of Humor in Initiating Romantic Relationships 379
33. 22 Gender and Humor: The New State of the Art 395
34. 23 Ethnic Humor Across Cultures: Prevalence and Appeal 413
35. 24 Disparagement Humor and Subversion 431
36. 25 Humor in Media and Popular Culture 449
37. 26 Political Humor 467
38. 27 Culture and Comedy: Stand-up across Cultures 479
39. 28 The Art and Efficacy of Clowning 495
40. 29 The Dark Side of Stand-Up Comedy 509
41. 30 Play or Power: The Social Significance of the Practical Joke 523
42. 31 The Ethics of Humor and Comedy 539
43. 32 Humor in Religious Contexts: An Overview 557
44. 33 Humorless or Humor-Friendly Religion? Psychological Theory and Research 575
45. Postscript: Humor: Universality, Genealogy, and Concept Formation 595
46. Contributors 605
47. Index 617