PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Study gauges humor by age

Does your sense of humor change as you age?

2014-10-02
(Press-News.org) Television sitcoms in which characters make jokes at someone else's expense are no laughing matter for older adults, according to a University of Akron researcher.

Jennifer Tehan Stanley, an assistant professor of psychology, studied how young, middle-aged and older adults reacted to so-called "aggressive humor"—the kind that is a staple on shows like The Office.

By showing clips from The Office and other sitcoms (Golden Girls, Mr. Bean, Curb Your Enthusiasm) to adults of varying ages, she and colleagues at two other universities found that young and middle-aged adults considered aggressive humor to be funny while older adults did not. The older adults preferred "affiliative humor," in which a number of characters share and navigate an awkward situation.

Stanley and her co-authors, Monika Lohani of Brandeis University and Derek M. Isaacowitz of Northeastern University, published their findings in the journal Psychology and Aging .

The study raises some intriguing questions about our concept of what is funny. Is that concept based on factors peculiar to generations, or does it evolve over time as we age and, perhaps, mellow? Those possibilities will need to be explored in a future episode of humor research. Stay tuned.

INFORMATION:



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Strong working memory puts brakes on problematic drug use

Strong working memory puts brakes on problematic drug use
2014-10-02
AUDIO: Atika Khurana, assistant professor in the University of Oregon's Department of Counseling Psychology and Human Services, provides a short summary and the implications of a study that looked at the... Click here for more information. EUGENE, Ore. -- Oct. 2, 2014 -- Adolescents with strong working memory are better equipped to escape early drug experimentation without progressing into substance abuse issues, says a University of Oregon researcher. Most important in the picture ...

Sense of invalidation uniquely risky for troubled teens

2014-10-02
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Among the negative feelings that can plague a teen's psyche is a perception of "invalidation," or a lack of acceptance. A new study by Brown University and Butler Hospital researchers suggests that independent of other known risk factors, measuring teens' sense of invalidation by family members or peers can help predict whether they will try to harm themselves or even attempt suicide. In some cases, as with peers, that sense of invalidation could come from being bullied, but it could also be more subtle. In the case of family, for ...

Socioeconomic factors, fashion trends linked to increase in melanoma

2014-10-02
NEW YORK, NY - A century's worth of cultural and historical forces have contributed to the rise in the incidence of melanoma, including changes in fashion and clothing design, according to an intriguing, retrospective research study conducted by investigators in the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology at NYU Langone Medical Center. Their findings are the subject of a report, "More Skin, More Sun, More Tan, More Melanoma," in the October 6, 2014 issue of the American Journal of Public Health. The authors surmised that early diagnosis and improved reporting ...

Herbivores play important role in protecting habitats from invasive species

2014-10-02
Champaign Ill. Herbivores (species that eat plants; e.g. caterpillars) consume more non-native (introduced from other places) oak leaf material in areas with diverse native plant communities than in less diverse communities. Why diverse plant communities tend to resist invasion by non-native plants, remains uncertain. Researchers from the Illinois Natural History Survey and the Morton Arboretum have been examining the potential role of herbivores on the invasion of non-native plant species in diverse plant communities. The researchers examined herbivore damage on leaves ...

New report urges caution in handling eyewitness identifications

2014-10-02
WASHINGTON -- A new report from the National Research Council recommends best practices that law enforcement agencies and courts should follow to improve the likelihood that eyewitness identifications used in criminal cases will be accurate. Science has provided an increasingly clear picture of the inherent limits in human visual perception and memory that can lead to errors, as well as the ways unintentional cues during law enforcement processes can compromise eyewitness identifications, the report says. "Human visual perception and memory are changeable, the ability ...

To life! Practicing Judaism could protect against suicide

2014-10-02
In 1897, Emile Durkheim, the father of sociology, speculated that religion could protect against against suicidal impulses. In the century that followed, numerous studies attempted to either prop up or debunk this theory, focusing primarily on Christianity, which condemns suicide as the worst of sins. For the first time, a study published in European Psychiatry approaches Durkheim's premise through the lens of Judaism. According to the research, conducted by Dr. Gal Shoval and Dr. Ben Amit of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine and Clalit Health Service's ...

Diet affects mix of intestinal bacteria and the risk of inflammatory bone disease

2014-10-02
(MEMPHIS, Tenn. – October 2, 2014) Diet-induced changes in the gut's bacterial ecosystem can alter susceptibility to an autoinflammatory bone disease by modifying the immune response, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists reported. The findings appeared September 28 as an advanced online publication of the scientific journal Nature. The research provides insight into how the thousands of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in the intestines affect health. The microbes make up the intestinal microbiome, a diverse evolving ecosystem that aids digestion ...

In a bad mood? Head to Facebook and find someone worse off

In a bad mood? Head to Facebook and find someone worse off
2014-10-02
COLUMBUS, Ohio – When people are in a bad mood, they are more likely to actively search social networking sites like Facebook to find friends who are doing even worse than they are, a new study suggests. Researchers found that, in general, people use social media to connect with people who are posting positive and success-oriented updates. "But when people are in a negative mood, they start to show more interest in the less attractive, less successful people on their social media sites," said Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, co-author of the study and professor of communication ...

To help solve slums, innovators build jobs, food security into affordable housing blueprints

2014-10-02
Building on the poverty relief success achieved through self-sustaining high-tech "smart villages," Malaysian innovators have created blueprints for an urban counterpart that combines affordable homes, food security and sustainable jobs, aiming to solve the growing global problem of squalid city slums. Like the 50-acre smart village sites, the 5-acre urban version provides affordable accommodation with educational and community facilities and incorporates innovative employment opportunities and food security through aquaculture and state-of-the-art water-efficient greenhouse-based ...

On the scent of a wine's bouquet

On the scent of a wines bouquet
2014-10-02
The majority of wines are produced from around 20 different types of grape, all of which have their own typical aroma. This is due to the terpenes, a diverse category of chemical substances including cholesterol and estrogen. Scientists from Technische Universität München (TUM), the Hochschule Geisenheim and the Universität Bonn have now identified two enzymes that determine the terpene content – and thus the aroma intensity – of grapes. The findings could play an important role in the future development of grape varieties. From Chardonnay to Sauvignon, Dornfelder to ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Fire provides long-lasting benefits to bird populations in Sierra Nevada National Parks

Menstrual cycle affects women’s reaction time but not as much as being active

Housing associations more effective than government in supporting unemployed in deprived areas

Biochar helps composting go greener by cutting greenhouse gas emissions

Ulrich named president-elect of the AACI

Multitasking makes you more likely to fall for phishing emails

Researchers solve model that can improve sustainable design, groundwater management, nuclear waste storage, and more

Parched soils can spark hot drought a nation away

Uncovering new physics in metals manufacturing

Sped-up evolution may help bacteria take hold in gut microbiome, UCLA-led research team finds

The dose-dependent effects of dissolved biochar on C. elegans: Insights into the physiological and transcriptomic responses

New research reveals genetic link to most common pediatric bone cancer

Research conducted during 2024 eclipse reveals importance of light on bird behavior

Why does female fertility decline so fast? The key is the ovary

Total solar eclipse triggers dawn behavior in birds

Europe’s largest bats hunt and eat migrating birds on the wing, high in the sky

China’s emerging AI regulation could foster an open and safe future for AI

The secret to naked mole-rat’s longevity: Enhanced DNA repair

Acidic tumor environment promotes survival and growth of cancer cells

New biosensor tracks plants’ immune hormone in real time

New study finds gaps in REDD+ forest carbon offsets with most overstating climate impacts

Mystery solved: How Europe’s largest bat catches and eats passerines mid-air

Pan-disease atlas maps molecular fingerprints of health, disease and aging

New clinical trial to target cancer’s elusive growth switch

Ochsner Health launches Genetic Wellness Assessment to identify cancer risks early

Researchers find potential link between chronic pain, immune condition

A study by UPF reveals discrimination on grounds of ethnic background in Spain’s leading online second-hand marketplace, especially when buying

Research examines the good, bad and ugly of true crime media

Research shows National Living Wage has reduced labor mobility across firms, but at what cost?

New technique detects genetic mutations in brain tumors during surgery within just 25 minutes

[Press-News.org] Study gauges humor by age
Does your sense of humor change as you age?