Research on humor is carried out in a number of areas in psychology, including the cognitive (What makes something funny?), developmental (when do we develop a sense of humor?), and social (how is humor used in social interactions?) Although there is enough interest in the area to have spawned several societies, the literature is dispersed in a number of primary journals, with little in the way of integration of the material into a book.

Dr. Martin is one of the best known researchers in the area, and his research goes across subdisciplines in psychology to be of wide appeal. This is a singly authored monograph that provides in one source, a summary of information researchers might wish to know about research into the psychology of humor. The material is scholarly, but the presentation of the material is suitable for people unfamiliar with the subject-making the book suitable for use for advanced undergraduate and graduate level courses on the psychology of humor-which have not had a textbook source.

2007 AATH Book Award for Humor/Laughter Research category!


*Up-to-date coverage of research on humor and laughter in every area of psychology
*Research findings are integrated into a coherent conceptual framework
*Includes recent brain imaging studies, evolutionary models, and animal research
*Draws on contributions from sociology, linguistics, neuroscience, and anthropology
*Provides an overview of theories of humor and early research
*Explores applications of humor in psychotherapy, education, and the workplace
*Points out interesting topics for further research and promising research methodologies
*Written in a scholarly yet easily accessible style
*2007 AATH Book Award for Humor/Laughter Research category