In this paper, you will analyze the theories and discussions of humor from Rod Martin text, The Psychology of Humor. Describe, in your own words, your understanding what we have studied in Rod Martin’s book
In this paper, you will analyze the theories and discussions of humor from Rod Martin’s text, The Psychology of Humor.
Describe, in your own words, your understanding what we have studied in Rod Martin’s book, The Psychology of Humor. Describe at least one or two ways the theories and research in Martin’s book applies to everyday life (the workplace, relationships, education, social environments or other areas), and incorporate how the theories in John Morreall’s book, Comic Relief: A Complete Philosophy of Humor apply to and are seen in your example(s).
The main theories from Morreall to consider are: Superiority, Incongruity, Relief and Relaxation.
It’s important to compare, contrast and integrate your writing in this paper. Do not simply itemize each type of theory, as you would a grocery list. Include more than one academic discipline in each paragraph wherever possible and demonstrate that you see how those disciplines, as well as the theories integrate or relate to each other.
Important: Be sure the entire paper is your original work. Do not repeat course material verbatim or put it in quotes; describe your understanding of what we have learned in your own words. If you do not put things in your own words, it can be seen as plagiarism and can become part of your record at Park. Please contact me if you have questions about plagiarism.
Assignment Details:
The paper is to have at least 3 or more full pages of your original writing, not counting a cover or abstract page (if used) or a reference page. The paper should not be fewer than three pages long, and should be double-spaced, in 12-point type (Times Roman is a good font to use), using APA guidelines. Be sure to put your name on the paper and in the document title. Otherwise, I will need to guess who submitted the paper, or draw names out of a hat!
Topic: Follow the guidelines in the second and third paragraphs above.
More details;
Understanding the nature of humor is a problem for psychology. Humor, comedy, and laughter are important and engaging
aspects of behavior. Consequently, they have received attention from many perspectives and approaches. The amount and diversity of relevant information should have made this book impossible to write.
The material for a work on humor is widely scattered, both in space and time. Even if the focus is on psychology, all the other areas touching humor need to be examined. Not only empirical research, but rational and literary thought must be included. Rod Martin has not only brought this material together but turned it into an easy read. To borrow a simile from James Agee, it must have been like “putting socks on an octopus.”
The Psychology of Humor: An Integrative Approach can stand at the head of a line of books that have presented a picture of this universal trait. Any philosopher who wrote on human nature discussed laughter and, at least by implication, humor.
Bergson and Freud at the beginning of the last century focused on laughter and with to present testable, if not tested, hypotheses. Psychologists in the middle of the century included humor as part of their assessments of personality. Chapman and
Foot, and Goldstein and McGhee (as well as McGhee and Goldstein) gave humor scholars a platform in the 1970s and 1980s.
Separate chapters in these various books permitted presentation of data and ideas, but little interaction or direct communication. Even now, with a yearly conference and a quarterly journal, disagreement is more typical than exchange and cooperation.