Article Frontmatter was published on May 1, 2021 in the journal HUMOR (volume 34, issue 2).

Article ISHS memorial: Larry Ventis tribute was published on May 1, 2021 in the journal HUMOR (volume 34, issue 2).

During the first months of the corona crisis, people worldwide produced and shared thousands of uplifting (e.g., humorous, moving) media messages. The six studies reported here empirically tested the consolatory effects of viewing such positive media messages in the US, The Netherlands, and the UK. I compared the impact of humorous and moving (i.e., touching, heartwarming) messages, as they provide

A correlational study ( n = 180 adults) in the United States tested the hypothesis that self-directed humor styles predict emotional responses to COVID-19, specifically stress and hopelessness, and in turn predict engagement in protective behaviors. Results from a sequential mediation analysis supported our hypotheses. First, to the extent that people have a self-enhancing humor style they perceived

The COVID-19 pandemic that broke out in Israel in February 2020 prompted widespread public response, which included a deluge of humorous memes. The current article discusses the main meme cycles of the pandemic with the aim of uncovering the functions of the humorous meme, and particularly its singular language, which incorporates the universal and the particular, the global and the local, the hegemonic

In spring 2020, with most national football (soccer) leagues being suspended, fans from around the world turned to the Belarusian Premier League — Europe’s only championship to continue amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, a group of Australian football fans created the FK Slutsk Worldwide Facebook group, dedicated to the eponymous Belarusian club, which quickly transformed into a diverse online community

This research employs the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Focus Theory of Normative Conduct to convey how The Late Show with Stephen Colbert employs humor and satire with the aim of providing information, proffering injunctive norms, and modifying attitudes and subjective norms in its public audience, while exposing the inefficacy of behavioral controls and urging public authorities to adopt effective

This essay explores the news media’s portrayal of humor during the early phase of COVID-19-related lockdowns. Examining a collection of online news articles reveals the media tended to frame the issue as an ethical one (e.g., “is it okay to laugh at the coronavirus?”). After reviewing work on humor ethics, a qualitative content analysis of 20 news media articles is presented. Three issues from the

Article Humor in the age of coronavirus: a recapitulation and a call to action was published on May 1, 2021 in the journal HUMOR (volume 34, issue 2).

Article Frontmatter was published on February 1, 2021 in the journal HUMOR (volume 34, issue 1).

Article Reply to Holger Kersten: “Second Thoughts on Hyperbole about Satire’s Efficacy” was published on February 1, 2021 in the journal HUMOR (volume 34, issue 1).

Article Response to James Caron’s remarks was published on February 1, 2021 in the journal HUMOR (volume 34, issue 1).

Abstract Background Studies on children’s humor mainly focus on short-term effects of sense of humor and laughter. There is also evidence that children possess the predisposition to communicate humorously, labeled “Humor Orientation” (HO). All children possess some level of HO, but highly humor oriented children enact humor successfully and frequently, perceive situations more often as funny, and perform

Abstract Depressogenic traits are personality dispositions that put individuals at a higher risk for developing depression. Measured by the Depressive Experience Questionnaire (DEQ), self-criticism and dependency are two personality traits that are closely related to depression. The current study explored humor styles as potential mediating factors in the relationship between depressogenic traits and

Abstract Each day for two weeks participants described how often they had used four types of humor that day: affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, and self-defeating humor. Each day, participants also described the events that occurred in their lives (positive and negative crossed with social and achievement), and they provided measures of their well-being. Multilevel analyses (days nested within

Abstract The paper discusses Belarusian couples’ reflections on the role of humorous folklore in their daily family interactions. The interviewees generally regarded being humorous as a positive feature and identified (explicitly or implicitly) several functions of humor, such as framing group boundaries, offering criticism, and sharing ideas that would otherwise be difficult to communicate. A recurring

Abstract This study examined whether different humor styles (adaptive vs. maladaptive) mediate the relationship between early maladaptive schemas (EMS) and current levels of resilience. Results from a sample of 511 college students indicated that individuals endorsing EMS were significantly more likely to engage in maladaptive humor and significantly less likely to engage in adaptive humor, both of

Abstract Developmental studies on humor have historically approached a limited age range – from birth until early adolescence – and have mostly considered humor interpretation and the production of situational and verbal humor. Focusing on cartooning, a highly demanding cognitive and communication activity, in this paper we aim to provide empirical data drawn from a larger age span than usual – 10

Journal Name: HUMOR Volume: 33 Issue: 4 Pages: i-iv

Journal Name: HUMOR Volume: 33 Issue: 4 Pages: 645-653

Abstract This study investigated the relationship between types of humor (aggressive humor and affinity humor) of homeroom teachers, as recognized by their students, and five domains of class climate (mutual respect among the students, discipline, willingness, enjoyment, and resistance). The participants included a total of 500 students – 250 primary school students (fourth to sixth grade) and 250

Abstract The present study investigates the relationships of eight comic styles (fun, benevolent humor, nonsense, wit, irony, satire, sarcasm, and cynicism) with acceptability of prejudice (laughing at different groups and topics), humorous self-image (funniness and frequency of laughter), humor appreciation (funniness and aversiveness of cartoons with different structures and contents), and happiness

Abstract Each day for two weeks participants described how often they had used four types of humor that day: affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, and self-defeating humor. Participants also completed the Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ), the Coping with Humor scale (CHS), a measure of the Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality, and the Rosenberg Self-esteem scale (RSE). A series of multilevel analyses

Abstract Recent research suggests that trait cheerfulness triggers larger state cheerfulness variations after facing amusing and sad clips. The present study aimed at replicating and extending these effects. A sample of 80 psychology students (68 women) was selected depending on their scores in trait cheerfulness. Participants watched a set of positive and negative pictures, which was accompanied by

Abstract Using three archival data sets, mean differences in the four humor styles of affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, and self-defeating were assessed for adults (n = 6404) across four English-speaking countries: Canada (n = 339), the USA (n = 165), the United Kingdom (n = 4012), and Australia (n = 1888). As age and sex varied greatly across the samples and had significant relationships with

Abstract The paper elucidates the “paradox of comedy”—a perpetual philosophical concern regarding the nature of theatrical/stage comedy—through a cross-cultural comparison between Bharatamuni’s (circa 500 A.D.) and Henri Bergson’s (1859–1941) theorization of the comic and thereupon, fathoms the Indian comic tradition in the canon of comedy studies. Bharata’s hāsya in Nāṭya Śāstra and Bergson’s Laughter

Abstract Mirth may alleviate negative feelings that could be aroused by a humor stimulus. Pity and embarrassment have been advanced as anxieties that could be caused by cruel and obscene humor in the absence of mirth. Incongruity, however, remains an explanatory challenge for arousal/anxiety-based interpretations of humor. In order to find ways that incongruity could be provocative, this paper analyzes

Abstract The use of humor may affect how bystanders respond to slurs. Undergraduates (N = 192) completed a measure of prejudice towards people with intellectual disabilities and were randomly assigned to read a scenario in which a peer uses a slur either as part of a joke (humor condition) or a statement (control condition). Participants responded to measures of intent to assertively respond and their

Abstract This study investigated relational uncertainty as a mechanism through which perceived partner humor use affects recipient’s relationship satisfaction. Two hundred individuals completed measures of their partners’ perceived positive and negative humor use, their relational uncertainty and relationship satisfaction. Results reveal that perceived partner’s positive relational humor use predicted

Journal Name: HUMOR Volume: 33 Issue: 4 Pages: 655-656

Abstract Supervisor humor has been shown to be related to various employee outcomes. In this vein, prior research has demonstrated the positive role of supervisor humor in increasing employee job performance. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms that explain this relationship. Addressing this gap, the present study develops and tests a moderated mediation model by

The topic of sex differences is often viewed as controversial, where both academics and laypeople debate whether men and women differ in their behaviors, abilities, preferences, and other attributes. The debates are wide-ranging from basic disagreements on what these differences are, if they even exist, how important they may be, and to what is the best way to explain them. The field of humor research

Abstract We examine the degree to which women and men use humor to confront sexist jokes. We also test the social benefits and perceived effectiveness of confronting with humor. One-hundred-sixty-four (46% female) participants read about a male coworker who made a sexist joke and reported how they would respond in an open-ended format. Women were more likely than men to say they would respond with

Abstract Reappraisal is an effective emotion regulation strategy that draws on cognitive processes–like changing one’s thoughts to change one’s feelings–that are similar to those implicated in humor. Yet, very little is known about the links between the dispositional tendency to use reappraisal and individuals’ humor styles (e. g. aggressive, affiliative, self-deprecating, self-enhancing). Importantly

Abstract Benign violation theory suggests humor mocking normative values is funny if the humor is non-threatening. Research suggests sexism toward women (versus men) is particularly threatening due to inequalities in social power. In Study 1, we examined whether men and women differ in how amused and offended they were by sexist humor. We predicted men would perceive sexist humor as more funny and

Abstract The present study investigated whether antifat sexist humor (compared to antifat sexist statements or control statements), conveyed via Tweets, would impact perceptions of an overweight female target depicted in a workplace harassment scenario. We examined whether gender, antifat attitudes, and sexism would impact joke perceptions and moderate perceptions of the joke-relevant target. Participants

Abstract To account for sex differences in the production, receptivity, and preference for humor in potential mates during courtship, past research has often adopted an evolutionary approach. The present manuscript will attempt to integrate evolutionary explanations with proximal social and cultural influences using the traditional sexual script and ambivalent sexism theory. The results of both Study

Abstract Across two studies, we examined how the reaction of a woman who was targeted by potentially disparaging sexist jokes by a male joke-teller affected men’s and women’s perceptions of the jokes, the woman who was told the jokes, and the male joke-teller. Participants viewed videos in which a man told sexist jokes to a woman who responded with amusement, offense, ambiguity, or nonverbal disapproval

Abstract Both common observations and research evidence strongly suggest that there are major differences between adult males and females as to both the number of humorous attempts they display in social situations and the types of humor they initiate and appreciate. What the causes are for these differences, however, have been less clear, with attributions being related to both biological and environmental

Abstract This study explored how multifaceted facets of humor relate to sex differences and compassion for oneself, others, and the environment (Ntotal = 697; 57.5% female). We utilized the Dispositional Positive Emotions ‘amusement’ subscale (DPES-H), the Humor Styles Questionnaire Self-Enhancing Dimension (HSQ-SE), and the COPE Inventory to assess ‘coping humor’ (COPE-CH) and found that males report

Abstract Large scale campaigns frequently use humor to increase compliance with colonoscopy screening recommendations. Problematically, we know little about how humor functions to influence screening. This study seeks to understand whether and how messages framed using humor appeals function differently from those using fear appeals to increase colonoscopy intentions. An online experiment (N = 186)

Abstract Despite increasing interest in healthcare clowning, especially to evaluate its effectiveness in a large variety of settings, no investigations have been oriented toward exploring the potential risks associated with burnout in clown doctors. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between personality traits, emotional intelligence, and burnout and to predict the burnout levels of 160

Abstract We explore the idea that humor focused on social group disparities can be a viable tool to reduce some of the negative outcomes associated with interracial interactions. These interactions are crucial in promoting common understanding about the causes of social, educational, and economic disparities and crafting solutions to redress them. However, investigations have demonstrated that interracial

Abstract This study undertakes a contrastive lexical-semantic analysis of a set of related verbs in English and French (English to joke and to kid, French rigoler and plaisanter), using the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) approach to semantic analysis. We show that the semantic and conceptual differences between French and English are greater than commonly assumed. These differences, we argue,

Reinhold Aman, the celebrated and controversial expert on vulgar and offensive language, died on March 2, 2019 at the age of 82. Aman was best known as the founder and editor of Maledicta: The International Journal of Verbal Aggression, whose notoriety played a small but important role in the founding of the International Society for Humor Studies. Reinhold Albert Aman was born on April 8, 1936 in

Abstract This article offers a qualitative and quantitative socio-cultural examination of RoastMe, a peculiar humorous practice deployed on Reddit and reposted on various social media. First, RoastMe is characterized from the emic (user) perspective and conceptualized in the light of humor theory (superiority and incongruity approaches). RoastMe consists in some users’ posting pictures of themselves

Abstract Over the past two millennia, satire has transformed from a uniquely Greco-Roman theatrical and poetic form into an ambiguous catch-all applied to political and sociocultural commentary, humor, parody, sarcasm and irony. Despite being a subject of study in any number of fields, explications of satire are limited. It is likely for this reason that there are inter- and intra- disciplinary disconnects

Abstract The aim of the present study was to analyze the link between the five moral codes proposed in the Moral Foundations Theory and moral judgment of disparagement humor. We presented racist, sexist, homophobic, religion-disparaging and neutral jokes to a group of 108 participants, asking them whether they found laughing at a particular joke moral or immoral. Additionally, participants rated the

Abstract In this paper we explore the creation of jokes told on late night talk shows targeted at major party nominees for president from 1992–2008. We hypothesize that the number of jokes told about candidates are related to variations in polling numbers, mainstream media coverage, and party identification of the candidates. Our results show a positive relationship between the number of jokes told

Abstract This short paper responds to Oring’s renewed and detailed criticism of the General Theory of Verbal Humor (2019). While conceding the need for some clarifications and elaborations in multidisciplinary collaboration, it mainly points to misunderstandings and misdirections of that criticism.

The first thing that needs to be pointed out is that my appropriate incongruity perspective is not some unusual or idiosyncratic approach to the analysis of humor (Hempelmann 2019: 531). It is simply a form of incongruity-resolution, but as I have explained elsewhere (Oring 2003: 2–3), I have problems with the term resolution because the incongruities in jokes, unlike those in problems and puzzles

Abstract While significant debates are still ongoing, modern scholarship has made great strides in describing the nature of verbal irony and the sorts of markers that signal its use. Much of this research, however, has focused on the English language, leaving significant linguistic and historical data untouched. This study aims to fill a portion of this lacuna by investigating the typical cues for

Abstract The theme of resistance has been a popular topic in Asterix scholarship, whether this resistance is applied to the historical Gauls in their defiance of imperial Rome, to later nationalist or regionalist sentiments in France against invading forces, to any small groups of locals in opposition to foreign or global forces, to a cultural war between France/Europe and America, or to the dominant

The Script-based Semantic Theory of Humor (Raskin 1985) was proposed as a semantic theory (Raskin 1979), around the time than other script-like developments were discussed within the AI community. It is important to understand this in order to appropriately place the SSTH within its contemporaries. Within Artificial Intelligence back then, just like now, there was a hope that computers or other intelligent

Abstract The aim of the present study is to explore higher-order dimensions of humorous conduct derived from 100 non-redundant and comprehensive statements. These dimensions are validated in self- and other-reports and their criterion validity is assessed by relating them to other humor concepts (temperamental basis of the sense of humor, attitudes towards laughter and being laughed at, humor appreciation

Abstract The aim of this paper is to examine how the image of Josef Stalin is presented on the Russian internet. The main focus of our study will be the macro images and memes published on social media. This article examines how memes were used to articulate an attitude towards Stalin and his time in modern day Russia. The article touches upon three groups of memes: the comparison of Stalin and Putin

Abstract As many social movements demonstrate, humor can serve as an important resource to resist oppression, fight social injustice and bring social change. Existing research has focused on humor’s role within social movements and its positive effects on the free expression of criticism, reduction of fear, communication, mobilization of participants and so on. However, the current literature on the

Abstract Compliments and compliment responses (CRs) are face threatening acts which may jeopardize the interlocutor’s positive and negative face. Compliment responses are especially challenging because of the need to balance accepting the compliment with saving face for not sounding arrogant. The use of humor in responding to a compliment can serve as a mitigating factor to respond to a compliment

Abstract Despite its cultural reach and influence, comedy may not be well-understood in communication and public engagement efforts for social justice challenges. Research about comedy’s influence in social issues exists across disciplines and lacks common language. This article creates a practical framework toward the understanding of mediated comedy in social change communication by presenting a

Abstract The study tested effectiveness and feasibility of a humor training for members of a community mental health center suffering from schizophrenia, personality disorders, depression, or anxiety. The training group (n=28) was compared to a treatment-as-usual control group (n=26). Outcomes were divided into primary (coping humor and cheerfulness) and secondary ones (well-being, depression, anxiety