ABSTRACT
Educators have often been told that using humor in lectures is likely to improve classroom climate and promote learning. Although some writers appear to hold unrealistically high expectations for the educational benefits of humor (Gilliland & Mauritsen, 1971; Welker, 1977), humor is a common device in many classrooms. The humor-learning relationship has been asserted in diverse disciplines, including advertising (Sternthal & Craig, 1973; Weinberger & Gulas, 1992), biology (Wandersee, 1982), communication studies (Gruner, 1970), English (Donelson, 1973), geology, (Backlawski, 1980), literature (Mitchell, 1981), management (Duncan, Smeltzer, & Leap, 1990), mathematics, (Rosenthal, 1981), statistics (Berk & Nanda,
1998), and physics (Adams, 1972). Although some investigators point to limitations and inconsistencies in the basic relationship, most view humor as a valuable asset for promoting learning.
