Humor 101

A concise, reader-friendly introduction to an important-but often underappreciated topic in modern psychology-Humor 101 emphasizes the role of humor in psychology and discusses why it is an important topic for psychologists to study and understand.

Psychology professor Dr. Mitch Earleywine draws from his personal experiences in standup comedy to focus on how humor can regulate emotion, reduce anxiety and defuse tense situations, expose pretensions, and much more. Humor 101, part of the Psych 101 Series, puts the claim "humor is good for your health" to the test by exploring humor's mental and physical effects.

Social and situational aspects of humor, such as attracting mates, developing friendships, increasing group cohesion, and establishing status
The darker aspects of humor and how it can be used to hurt or harm people through teasing, taunting, bullying, and prejudice
An explanation of "how humor works" plus tips for readers on how to become funnier
New directions in humor research, such as studying humor as a form of intelligence or creativity, and promising computer science/artificial intelligence work