About this Research Topic
Positive psychology is devoted to identifying positive characteristics that benefit our psychological and physical health. Cross-cultural studies, however, suggest that not all positive characteristics are evaluated and desired equally across cultures. One of these is humor, which is commonly seen as an ideal or attractive personality trait. An increasing body of research indicates that people with different cultural backgrounds tend to perceive and use humor differently. This raises a series of questions: How does culture shape humor perception and affect humor usage? What are the underlying mechanisms of humor impacting health and well-being cross-culturally? What theories can be developed to explain such cultural difference parsimoniously? In addition, under the shadow of culture, how do other critical demographic factors, such as socioeconomics status, incomes, and education jointly affect humor perception?
For the past decade, cross-cultural literature has shown cultural differences in humor evaluation, humor coping, humor production, the rating of self-humor, and so forth. These findings lend credence to the notion that people with different cultural backgrounds perceive and use humor differently. However, research gaps in cultural effects on humor perception still exist, resulting in the lack of systematic and comprehensive understanding of this issue.
To fulfill the research gap, this Research Topic aims to provide a forum for researchers interested in culture and humor perception/usage, to collect cutting-edge perspectives, theories, and methodologies on this issue, to dig out innovative ideas from psychology or adjacent disciplines for advancing our understanding.
Contributions may include, but are not limited to studies concerning:
• Antecedences and consequences of humor perception and usage
• Cross-cultural comparisons on humor understanding
• Humor as a predictor of illness symptoms, life satisfaction, health, and well-being
• Mechanisms or influential paths between humor and well-being, identifying potential cultural specific moderators and mediators
• Language analysis on humor perception and appreciation
• Physiological foundations (genetic, molecular, brain) of humor perception
• Development and validation of related theories for explaining cross-cultural differences in humor perception
For the past decade, cross-cultural literature has shown cultural differences in humor evaluation, humor coping, humor production, the rating of self-humor, and so forth. These findings lend credence to the notion that people with different cultural backgrounds perceive and use humor differently. However, research gaps in cultural effects on humor perception still exist, resulting in the lack of systematic and comprehensive understanding of this issue.
To fulfill the research gap, this Research Topic aims to provide a forum for researchers interested in culture and humor perception/usage, to collect cutting-edge perspectives, theories, and methodologies on this issue, to dig out innovative ideas from psychology or adjacent disciplines for advancing our understanding.
Contributions may include, but are not limited to studies concerning:
• Antecedences and consequences of humor perception and usage
• Cross-cultural comparisons on humor understanding
• Humor as a predictor of illness symptoms, life satisfaction, health, and well-being
• Mechanisms or influential paths between humor and well-being, identifying potential cultural specific moderators and mediators
• Language analysis on humor perception and appreciation
• Physiological foundations (genetic, molecular, brain) of humor perception
• Development and validation of related theories for explaining cross-cultural differences in humor perception
Keywords: humor, laughter, culture, psychological well-being, assessment
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
