Definitions of Humor

Bibliography and References

The following bibliographies were originally compiled by
Don Nilsen, Executive Secretary of the
International Society for Humor Studies
I have also made some additions.
For additional bibliographies click here

Humor and Stress
(Revised Ocotber, 1999)

Anderson, Craig A., and Lynn H. Arnoult. "An Examination of Perceived Control, Humor, Irrational Beliefs, and Positive Stress as Moderators of the Relation between Negative Stress and Health." Basic and Applied Social Psychology 10.2 (1989): 101-15.

Berk, L. S., S. A. Tan, W. F. Fry, B. J. Napier, J. W. Lee, R. W. Hubbard, J. E. Lewis, and W. C. Eby. "Neuroendrocrine and Stress Hormone Changes During Mirthful Laughter." American Journal of the Medical Sciences. 298.6 (1989): 390-96.

Berk, L. S., S. A. Tan, B. J. Napier, and W. C. Eby "Eustress of Mirthful Laughter Modifies Natural Killer Cell Activity." Clinical Research 37 (1989): 115A.

Bizi, Smadar, Giora Keinan, and Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi. "Humor and Coping with Stress: A Test Under Real-life Conditions." Personality and Individual Differences 9.6 (1988): 951-956.

Blissett, S. E., A. M. Nezu, and C. M. Nezu. "Sense of Humor as a Moderator of the Relation between Stressful Events and Psychological Distress: A Prospective Analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 54.3 (1988): 520-525.

Cann, Arnie, Kitty Holt, and Lawrence G. Calhoun. "The Roles of Humor and Sense of Humor in Responses to Stressors." HUMOR: International Journal of Humor Research 12.2 (1999): 177-194.

Carroll, James L. "Correlation between Humorous Coping Style and Health." Psychological Reports (1992): 402.

Dale, A., M. A. Hudak, and N. A. Yovetich. "Benefits of Humor in Reduction of Threat-Induced Anxiety." Psychological Reports 66 (1990): 51-58.

DesCamp, Karen D., and Cher C. Thomas. "Buffering Nursing Stress through Play at Work." Western Journal of Nursing Research 15.5 (1993): 619-627.

Dixon, N. F. "Humor: A Cognitive Alternative to Stress?" Stress and Anxiety Eds. I. Sarason and C. D. Spielberger. NY: Hemisphere, 7 (1980): 281-89.

Dobbin, J. Individual Differences in th Appraisal of Stress and the Immunological Consequences: Psychological Moderation of Lymphocyte Activation and Cytokine Production. Ontario, Canada: University of Western Ontario, 1990.

Dugan, Daniel O. "Laughter and Tears: Best Medicine for Stress." Nursing Forum 24.1 (1989): 18-26.

Gibson, Leslie M. Laughter: The Universal Language. Ozona, FL: Pegasus, 1990.

House, Robert. "Stressed Out? Laugh a Little!" Real Estate Today 22.8 (1989): 30-31.

Kamei, T., H. Kumano, and S. Masumura. "Changes of Immunoregulatory Cells Associated with Physiological Stress and Humor." Perceptual and Motor Skills 3.2 (1997): 1296-1298.

Kuhlman, Thomas L. "Humor in Stressful Milieus." Advances in Humor and Psychotherapy. Eds. Fry, William F., and Waleed A. Salameh. Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Press, 1993, 19-46

Kuiper, Nicholas, Rod A. Martin, and L. Joan Olinger. "Coping Humor, Stress, and Cognitive Appraisals." Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science 25 (1993): 81-96.

Labott, S., and R. Martin. "The Stress-Moderating Effects of Weeping and Humor." Journal of Human Stress 13.4 (1987): 159-164.

Lally, Steven. "Laugh Your Stress Away." Prevention. June, 1991: 50-52.

Laura, Ronald S., and Bob Wolff. "Not Just for Laughs: Humor Can Relieve Stress and Prolong Life." Muscle and Fitness. December, 1992: 148ff.

Lefcourt, Herbert M., K. Davidson, R. Shepherd, and M. Phillips. "Perspective-Taking Humor: Accounting for Stress Moderation." Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 14.4 (1995): 373-391.

Lefcourt, Herbert M., and Rod A. Martin. Humor and Life Stress: Antidote to Adversity. NY: Springer-Verlag, 1986.

Lefcourt, Herbert M., and S. Thomas. "Humor and Stress Revisited." The Sense of Humor: Explorations of a Personality Characteristic. Ed. Willibald Ruch. Berlin, Germany: Mouton de Gruyter, 1998: 179-202.

Lerner, Helene. Stress Breakers. Minneapolis, MN: Comp Care Publishers, 1985.

Light, K. Humor as a Coping Strategy: Its Relationship to Role Strain in Women. M.A. Thesis. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, 1997.

McHale, Maryellen. "Getting the Joke: Interpreting Humor in Group Therapy." Journal of Psychosocial Nursing 27.9 (September, 1989): 24-28.

Martin, Rod A. "Humor and the Mastery of Living: Using Humor to Cope with the Daily Stresses of Growing Up." Humor and Children's Development. Ed. Paul McGhee. NY: Haworth, 1989, 135-154.

Martin, Rod A., and J. P. Dobbin. "Sense of Humor, Hassles and Immunoglobulin A: Evidence for a Stress-Moderating Effect of Humor." International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine 18.2 (1988): 93-105.

Martin, Rod A., Nicholas A. Kuiper, L. Joan Olinger, and Kathryn A. Dance. "Humor, Coping with Stress, Self-Concept, and Psychological Well-Being." HUMOR: International Journal of Humor Research 6.1 (1993): 89-104.

Martin, Rod A., and Herbert M. Lefcourt. "Sense of Humor as a Moderator of the Relation between Stressors and Moods." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 54 (1983): 520-525.

Metcalf, C., and R. Felible. Lighten Up: Survival Skills for People under Pressure. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1992.

Moran, Carmen C., and M. Massam. "An Evaluation of Humour in Emergency Work." The Australasian Journal of Disaster and Trauma Studies 3 (1997): 26-38.

Moran, Carmen C. "Does the Use of Humour as a Coping Strategy Affect the Stresses Associated with Emergency Work?" International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters 8 (1990): 361-377.

Morreall, John. "Chapter 4: Humor is the Opposite of Stress." Humor Works. Amherst, MA: HRD Press, 1997, 59-90.

Nezu, Arthur M., Christine M. Nezu, and Sonia E. Blissett. "Sense of Humor as a Moderator of the Relation between Stressful Events and Psychological Distress: A Prospective Analysis." Journal of Personal and Social Psychology 54.3 (1988): 520-525.

Nilsen, Alleen Pace, and Don L. F. Nilsen. Encyclopedia of Humor and Comedy. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1999.

Ochberg, Frank M. "Posttraumatic Therapy." International Handbook of Traumatic Stress Syndromes. Eds. John Preston Wilson, and Beverly Raphael. New York, NY: Plenum Press, 1993, 773-893.

Olinger, L. Joan, and Kathryn A. Dance. "Humor, Coping with Stress, Self Concept, and Psychological Well-being." HUMOR: International Journal of Humor Research 6.1 (1993): 89-104.

Overholser, James C. "Sense of Humor When Coping with Life Stress." Personality and Individual Differences 13.7 (1992): 799-804.

Pasquali, Elaine Anne. "Learning to Laugh: Humor as Therapy." Journal of Psychosocial Nursing 28.3 (March, 1990): 31-35.

Porterfield, Albert L. "Does Sense of Humor Moderate the Impact of Life Stress on Psychological and Physiological Well-Being?" Journal of Research in Personality 21 (1987): 306-317.

Prerost, Frank J. "Exposure to Humorous Stimuli As An Adjunct to Muscle Relaxation Training." Psychology: A Quarterly Journal of Human Behavior 24.4 (1987): 70-74.

Prerost, Frank J. "Presentation of Humor and Facilitation of a Relaxation Response among Internal and External Scores on Rotter's Scale." Psychological Reports 72 (1993): 1248-1250.

Prerost, Frank J. "Use of Humor and Guided Imagery in Therapy to Alleviate Stress." Journal of Mental Health Counseling 10.1 (1988): 16-22.

Rosenberg, Lisa. "A Qualitative Investigation of the Use of Humor by Emergency Personnel as a Strategy for Coping with Stress." Journal of Emergency Nursing 17 (1991): 197-203.

Safrenek, Roma, and Thomas Schill. "Coping with Stress: Does Humor Help?" Psychological Reports 51 (1982): 222.

Scheff, Thomas J., and Sabina White. Laughter and Stress. Santa Barbara: Univ of California Press, 1984.

Scheff, Thomas J., and SStephan C. C. Scheele. "Humor and Tension: The Effects of Comedy." Catharsis in Healing, Ritual, and Drama. Ed. Thomas Scheff. Berkeley, CA: Univ of California Press, 1979, 183-203.

Schill, T., and S. O'Laughlin. "Humor Preference and Coping with Stress." Psychological Reports 55 (1984): 309-310.

Smith, Ronald E., James C. Ascough, Ronald F. Ettinger, and Don A. Nelson. "Humor, Anxiety and Task Performance." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 19 (1971): 243-246.

Stevenson, Robert G. "We Laugh to Keep from Crying: Coping through Humor." Loss, Grief, and Care 7.1-2 (1993): 173-179.

Stone, Judith. "Laugh and Your Whole Cardiovascular System Laughs with You--Not to Mention Your Stress Hormones." In Health. January, 1991: 52ff.

Sultanoff, S. (2002). Integrating Humor into Psychotherapy.  Play Therapy with Adults. Ed. Charles Schaefer, New York, NY: Wiley and Sons.

Sultanoff, S. (Fall, 1999). Where Has All My Humor Gone; Long Time Passing...Humor from Children to Adults, The "President's Column" in Therapeutic Humor, Publication of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor, Vol. XIII, 4, p. 2.

Sultanoff, S. (Summer, 1999). Examining the Research on Humor: Being Cautious About Our Conclusions the "President's Column" in Therapeutic HumorPublication of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor, Vol. XIII, (3), P. 3.

Sultanoff, S.
(Winter, 1999). Tickling Our Funny Bone; Humor Matters in Health , AhHa! Furthering the Understanding of Holistic Health, The Newsletter of the American Holistic Health Association, Vol. 5, No. 1, p.  4.

Sultanoff, S. (Fall, 1998). Humor and Wellness--Melding the Present and the Future: Humor and Heart Disease. Therapeutic Humor, Publication of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor, 12 (5), 1-2.

Sultanoff, S.(Summer, 1995). Using Humor In Crisis Situations. Therapeutic Humor, Publication of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor, 9 (3), 1-2.

Sultanoff, S. (Fall, 1997). Survival of the Witty-est; Creating Resilience through Humor. Therapeutic Humor, Publication of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor, 11 (5), 1-2.

Sultanoff, S. (Winter, 1994). Choosing to Be Amusing; Assessing an Individual's Receptivity to Therapeutic Humor. Journal of Nursing Jocularity, 4 (4), 34-35.

Sultanoff, S. (July/August, 1994). Exploring the Land of Mirth and Funny; A Voyage Through the Interrelationships of Wit, Mirth, and Laughter. Laugh It Up, Publication of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor, 3.

Sultanoff, S. (1992). Larry, Moe, and Curley—Jest For Perspective? The Voice, Newsletter for AIDS Services Foundation of Orange County, 3.

Svebak, Sven. "The Development of the Tension and Effort Stress Inventory (TESI): NOTE Section on 'Sense of Humor.'" Advances in Reversal Theory Eds. J. H. Kerr, S. Murgatroyd, and M. J. Apter. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier, 1993, 189-204.

Svebak, Sven. "Humor og Helse: Et Perspektiv på Mestring av Stress (Humor and Health: A Perspective on Coping with Stress." Tidsskrift for Norsk Psykologforening/Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association 24 (1987): 355-361.

Thompson, Bruce. "Appropriate and Inappropriate Use of Humor in Psychotherapy as Perceived by Certified Reality Therapists: A Delphi Study." Journal of Reality Therapy 10.1 (Fall, 1990): 59-65.

Thorson, James A., and F. C. Powell. "Depression and Sense of Humor." Psychological Reports 75 (1994): 1473-1474.

Thorson, James A., and F. C. Powell. "Relationships of Death Anxiety and Sense of Humor." Psychological Reports. 72.3 (1993): 1364-1366.

Tovetich, Nancy A., J. Alexander Dale, and Mary A. Hudak. "Benefits of Humor in Reduction of Threat-Induced Anxiety." Psychological Reports 66 (1990): 51-58.

Weaver, James, and Dolf Zillmlan. "Effect of Humor and Tragedy on Discomfort Tolerance." Perceptual and Motor Skills 78.2 (1994): 632-634.

Weisenberg, M., I. Tepper, and J. Schwarzwald. "Humor as a Cognitive Technique for Increasing Pain Tolerance." Pain 63.2 (1995): 207-212.

White, Sabina, and P. Camarena. "Laughter as a Stress Reducer in Small Groups." HUMOR: International Journal of Humor Research 2.1 (1989): 73-79.

White, Sabina, and Andrew Winzelberg. "Laughter and Stress." HUMOR: International Journal of Humor Research. 5.4 (1992): 343-355.

Wise, B. "Comparison of Immune Response to Mirth and to Distress in Women at Risk for Recurrent Breast Cancer." Dissertation Abstracts International 49.7 (1989): 2918.

Wooten, Patty. "Humor: An Antidote for Stress." Holistic Nursing Practice. 10.2 (1996): 49-56.

Yovetich, Nancy A., Alexander Dale, and Mary A. Hudak. "Benefits of Humor in Reduction of Threat-Induced Anxiety." Psychological Reports 66.1 (1990): 51-58.


Humor Matters™

Steven M. Sultanoff, Ph.D.
Mirthologist and Clinical Psychologist
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