PhD @AarhusUni. Research on humor.
Denmark
Joined May 2009
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On the surface, fear and humor seem like polar opposite states of mind, yet throughout our lives they continually interact.
In a new (open access!) paper out in Evolutionary Psychology, @MathiasClasen, B. Boutwell, @JensKC, and I offer an explanation 🧵⬇️ doi.org/10.1177/147470492412…
Marc Hye-Knudsen retweeted
Dolls are incredibly widespread but not universal cross-culturally. In addition to functioning as toys, dolls are commonly used for supernatural purposes to punish enemies, heal or protect, increase fertility, or embody spirits. New paper in EHB with @NachitaRosun.
Marc Hye-Knudsen retweeted
Humour <huh!> what is it good for!?
Well research by @marchk identifies four common comic themes across hunter-gatherer communities, suggesting it represents a response to benign violation of norms, evolved to signal and reinforce mutual trust:
buff.ly/MpxPfUb
What exactly is the point of humor?
I mean: Why do we have it, as a species? What is its evolutionary purpose?
In a new (open access!) paper out now in Human Nature, I propose a theory and offer evidence from hunter-gatherers in support of my account.
Lots of fun tidbits like this ↓ + you’ll learn why almost all humor everywhere seems to come down to four basic themes: pain and misfortune, sex and obscenity, the foreign, and the sacred. xitter.cf/robsica/status/2098435…
😸"Multiple observers report being bashfully taken aback when finding themselves on the receiving end of raunchy overtures from natives couched in humor" link.springer.com/article/10…
Full paper publicly available here: doi.org/10.1007/s12110-026-0…
Marc Hye-Knudsen retweeted
Obsession is making audiences scream in terror and howl with laughter.
How come?
And why do so many of the currently most interesting horror film directors have a background in comedy?
New blog post by @marchk: cc.au.dk/en/recreational-fea…
Marc Hye-Knudsen retweeted
Today’s popular fictions can be extremely far from reality: The Lord of the Rings, Avatar, The Legend of Zelda, Avengers: Endgame. But has this always been the case?
Marc Hye-Knudsen retweeted
🚨 Kids LOVE fear?!🚨 Our new study led by Mihaela Taranu from the Recreational Fear Lab uncovers something surprising: Children across all ages actively seek out scary experiences - for fun! 📄link.springer.com/article/10…
Marc Hye-Knudsen retweeted
We often have to judge who is knowledgeable—precisely when we are not. Can humans really do that? Our new paper in Psychological Science shows that, surprisingly, we can. drive.google.com/file/d/1b15…
In 2023, I wrote about the psychology of dad jokes for @psychmag (and made it onto the cover of the magazine!) Two years on, they’ve asked me to reflect back. I write about the experience of having my piece go semi-viral and my favourite relevant research that has come out since.
Marc Hye-Knudsen retweeted
A skeptical look at the health benefits of humour and laughter, my article in the @psychmag bps.org.uk/psychologist/crac…
@SteveStuWill @SkeptInquirer @chriscfrench @sophiescott @michaelshermer @TheSkepticMag @robkhenderson @AberUni
Marc Hye-Knudsen retweeted
Feeling lucky and grateful for me and my students to have welcomed researchers whose work on fiction I deeply admire and find so inspiring (@MathiasClasen @ml_fisher @marchk). Thanks to them and to my students for an incredibly insightful semester!
Marc Hye-Knudsen retweeted
Philosophy & folk-theories of science started on physics & controlled exp. What would happened if we had built it on historical & explicitly fragmentary sciences? In this paper we explore how theories are built & improved in the study of the evolution of cognition & communication
✨ New paper ✨
@mariekewoe, @fusaroli, Rich, P. et al. Lessons for Theory from Scientific Domains Where Evidence is Sparse or Indirect. @CompBrainBeh (2024). doi.org/10.1007/s42113-024-0…
This fun piece I did for @psychmag on the psychology of dad jokes continues to be the most popular thing I’ve written
'Dad jokes? That's the way eye roll…', by @marchk, continues to get about 3000 reads a month on our website!
bps.org.uk/psychologist/dad-…
