Occasionally, I come across something that is funny (to me), and I am struck by how it is consistent with the benign violation theory. The latest: Success Kid meme. The benign violation theory proposes that humor occurs when a situation is simultaneously seen as wrong, unsettling or threatening (i.e., a violation) and okay, acceptable or […]
I have been asked to a give a talk at a law and well-being conference today. The title of the talk is: What Makes Things Funny? Implications for Morality, Good Manners and Well-Being A talk like this makes me think about my humor research in new ways. When people consider humor’s effect on well-being, their […]
Friend, Alf Lamont, took on the topic of Dad Humor in advance of Father’s Day. My family is a peculiar cycle of funny and unfunny. My dad is an intelligent, accomplished, caring, and otherwise excellent father, but he’s a miserable comic. His jokes have nearly rendered me blind from how far back my eyes roll, […]
Nick Haslam, professor at the University of Melbourne and author of Psychology in the Bathroom, answers the question: My favorite example of bathroom graffiti: Here I sit brokenhearted. Tried to sh*t, but only farted. Learn more about his book HERE.
When I say “how to begin your research paper,” I mean, “this is how you should structure the first one to three paragraphs of your research paper.” Scholars, such as Daryl Bem, suggest taking an hour-glass approach to writing a research paper. Start with broad generalizations (e.g., “William James famously noted…”), winnow the literature down […]
(With Joel Warner. This post has appeared on the Humor Code’s Huffington Post and Psychology Today blogs.) Massive open online courses, or MOOCs, are garnering lots of attention these days. Some see large-scale, web-based classes as the new frontier for colleges and universities, a great leap forward that could revolutionize higher education. Duke University professor […]
I am at the Wharton School for a conference on emotions and retailing (see below). I have written and spoken about the ways that humor is important. In short, humor enhances your well-being because it is pleasurable, smoothes social interactions, and enhances coping. This visit, however, got me thinking about ways that humor is important […]
Boulder Startup Week is back. Each May, we throw a 5-day event that showcases the unique startup culture of Boulder. No registration required. You’ll find meetups, coffee shop pow-wows, the largest Ignite in the world, parties, drinks, food, hikes, bike rides, sun, and good people. I am giving a talk, Change through Comedy, on Thursday 5/16 at […]
