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Two experiments concerning humor in teaching and learning in higher education are presented. The first study used relevant humor in a one-semester statistics course in an experimental group and no humor in a control group. One hundred sixty-one students participated, and the results showed significant differences between the two groups in favor of the group learning with humor. No significant sex differences nor interactions were found. The second experiment was a replication of the first one, using 132 students in a one-semester introductory psychology course. The students (all females) were divided randomly into two groups. Humor was used in one, and the same teacher taught the second group without using humor. Again, significant differences were found: The group studying with humor had higher scores on the final exam. Explanations for the ways in which humor in teaching can influence student learning are given. HUMOR IN EDUCATION, as a research topic, is relatively new. Although more than 50 papers have been written praising the value of humor in teaching ( Powell & Andersen, 1985), very few research projects have tried to verify empirically this widely accepted idea. Unfortunately, when such research has been carried out, results showed that the introduction of humor into the teaching process did not improve learning. In one article, Gruner ( 1976 ) reviewed nine research projects investigating humor in teaching. All except one reached the conclusion that humor had no influence on learning. These studies, as well as many others, were conducted in artificial experimental settings rarely resembling real educational situations. Nonetheless, these disappointing results have discouraged researchers in the field and, although many continue to write about the importance of humor in teaching and learning, empirical studies have waned. Recently, there has been some renewed interest in research on the influence of humor in the educational processes in the United States and Europe. Two main research directions are most prominent. The first focuses on students' evaluations of teachers using humor in their classes, measuring affec-