Dr Gil Greengross

BS in Behavioral Sciences (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel) MS Statistics (University of New Mexico) MS Evolutionary Anthropology (University of New Mexico) PhD Evolutionary Anthropology (University of New Mexico).

I am originally from Israel, where I received my undergraduate degree in psychology, anthropology and sociology. I earned my Master's degree in statistics and a PhD in evolutionary anthropology from the University of New Mexico.

I am an evolutionary psychologist, studying the evolutionary roots of everyday behaviours and emotions. My main area of research focuses on the evolution of humour and laughter, what makes people laugh, and how humour is used in mating and mate choice. My work is largely interdisciplinary and is drawn from psychology, anthropology, biology and consumer behaviour. I also have a strong interest in studying people with extreme creative abilities, such as stand-up comedians, magicians, and other artists. I look forward to engaging students in teaching and research on these subjects.

Module Coordinator

• PS21620 - Psychology of Humour
• PS21020 - Evolutionary Psychology

Coordinator

• PS21020 - Evolutionary Psychology
• PS21620 - Psychology of Humour

Tutor

• PS11520 - Applications of Psychology
• PS21620 - Psychology of Humour
• PS21020 - Evolutionary Psychology

Lecturer

• PS21020 - Evolutionary Psychology
• PS21620 - Psychology of Humour
• PS21310 - Quantitative Research Methods

Moderator

• PS21720 - Issues in Clinical Psychology
• PS22100 - Foundations of Counselling II: Further Skills and Theory
• SC11300 - Cyflwyniad i ddulliau ymchwil mewn seicoleg
• PS11320 - Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology
• PS11420 - Introduction to core topics in Social and Individual Behaviour
• PSS0100 - Placement Year
• SC33140 - Prosiect ymchwil Seicoleg ar gyfer anrhydedd sengl
• PS11300 - Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology
• PS11710 - Personal Development and Organisational Behaviour
• PS11820 - Conceptual and Historical Issues in Psychology
• PS12120 - Foundations of Counselling: Skills & Theory 1
• PS22120 - Foundations of Counselling II: Further Skills and Theory
• PS33200 - Counselling Research Project
• SC33100 - Prosiect ymchwil Seicoleg ar gyfer anrhydedd sengl
• BR37020 - Applied Sport & Exercise Psychology
• PS20720 - Health Psychology
• PS21410 - Qualitative Research Methods
• PS21620 - Psychology of Humour
• PS31520 - Psychology Critical Review
• PS31820 - Child Language: Development and Assessment
• PS33240 - Counselling Research Project
• PSS0300 - Work Placement
• PS20220 - Social Psychology
• PS30820 - Drugs and Behaviour
• PS31920 - The Psychology of Counselling, Coaching and Mentoring
• PS33100 - Psychology Research Project for Single Honours
• PS34120 - Psychology Research Project for Joint Honours
• SC11320 - Cyflwyniad i ddulliau ymchwil mewn seicoleg
• SC34100 - Prosiect ymchwil Seicoleg ar gyfer cyd-anrhydedd
• SC34120 - Prosiect ymchwil Seicoleg ar gyfer cyd-anrhydedd
• PS32120 - Behavioural Neuroscience
• PSS0200 - Work Placement
• PS21310 - Quantitative Research Methods
• PS34100 - Psychology Research Project for Joint Honours
• PSS0260 - Work Placement
• PSS0360 - Work Placement
• PS11220 - Brain, Behaviour and Cognition
• PS11610 - Designing Psychological Research Projects
• PS21020 - Evolutionary Psychology
• PS21220 - Forensic Psychology
• PS21820 - Cognitive Psychology
• PS31720 - 21st Century Self: Critical and Constructionist Approaches to Contemporary Personhood
• PS33140 - Psychology Research Project for Single Honours
• PS34220 - Cognitive Psychology
• PS34320 - Developmental Psychology
• PSS0000 - Placement Year

My main areas of research are evolutionary psychology and psychology of humour and laughter. I take an interdisciplinary approach to understand humour and other everyday behaviours using established theories within the evolutionary paradigm, such as sexual selection and life history.

In my humour research, I study why people use and enjoy humour, individual and sex difference in humour production and appreciation, and specifically the importance of humour to mating and mate choice. I also study people with extreme humour abilities, such as stand-up comedians and improv artists, further aiming to understand the roots of sense of humour and the creative mind.

Other research interests include creativity and intelligence, positive psychology, behavioural genetics, marketing and consumer behaviour, quantitative methods and statistics, and philosophy of science. I am currently studying the psychology of magic and magicians, and a twin study on the heritability of humour.