Research Catalog

Title

Humor, its origin and development / Paul E. McGhee ; illustrated by Edie Pistolesi.

Author

McGhee, Paul E.

Publication

San Francisco : W.H. Freeman and Company, ©1979.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Pistolesi, Edie

Description

xi, 251 pages : illustrations; 24 cm

Series Statement

A Series of books in psychology

Uniform Title

Series of books in psychology

Subject

• Humor in children
• Wit and humor > Psychological aspects
• Wit and humor > Psychology
• 77.53 developmental psychology
• Wit and humor > Psychology
• Humor in children
• Wit and humor > Psychological aspects
• Kind
• Entwicklung
• Humor
• Ontwikkelingspsychologie
• Humor (grappigheden)
• Kind
• Entwicklung
• Humor

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

• 1. Explaining humor: a historical overview. What is humor? ; Psychological views of the basic characteristics ; Theories of humor development ; A general theory of humor? -- 2. The origin and early development of children's humor. The meaning of smiling and laughter in infancy ; Development of fantasy and make-believe ; Playful fantasy and the beginnings of humor ; Stages in the development of incongruity humor ; The humor of real incongruities -- 3. Humor and evolution. Humor in animals ; Smiling and laughter ; Animal play ; Humor and intelligence: the evolution of abstract forms of play ; An adaptive function of humor? ; The emergence of humor in signing chimpanzees and gorillas ; Language and the evolutionary origin of humor -- 4. Age differences. The preschool years ; The elementary-school years ; Age six to eight: a period of transition -- 5. Cognitive factors and humor. The importance of intellectual change, or, The problem with puns ; Additional cognitive influences ; Creativity and humor.
• 6. Social and personality influences. Social influences ; Personality influences -- 7. The making of a humorist: early childhood influences. The meaning of "sense of humor" ; Parental influences ; Early characteristics of the humorous child ; Are humorists born or made? -- 8. Sex differences: a sense of humor distinctly male or female?. Sex differences in adults ; Sex differences in children -- 9. Laughter, humor, and mental health. Humor as a coping mechanism ; Do laughter and humor indicate healthy adjustment? ; Humor in therapy -- 10. Concluding remarks.

ISBN

• 0716710951
• 9780716710950
• 071671096X
• 9780716710967

LCCN

79015401

OCLC

• ocm05101611
• 5101611
• SCSB-280612

Owning Institutions

Princeton University Library