PSYC189K PO - Psychology of Humor

When Offered: Fall 2021.
Instructor(s): O. Amir
Credit: 1

The course will explore the bizarre human phenomenon of humor and laughter. What makes something funny, and is there a formula? Are differences in personality and culture affect what people find funny? Is laughter the best (or even at all an effective) medicine? Is there an evolutionary advantage to a sense of humor? Are comedians’ brains different? What would it take to write a computer program that can generate jokes? Along with exploring the above topics, the course will also feature Skype interviews with comedians and humor scientists. Letter grade only. Prerequisites: PSYC 051 PO.

Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
Area 2