James A. Thorson

Dr. James A. Thorson is a retired Distinguished Professor of Gerontology, formerly with the Department of Gerontology, University of Nebraska at Omaha; he chaired that department for 27 years. In addition to his texts on social gerontology, geriatric respiratory care, and spirituality, Thorson is known for his Multidimensional Sense of Humor Scale. He was interested in researching how older people cope, and he found that there was no adequate way to assess sense of humor. His MSHS has been translated into 18 different languages and is an instrument available to graduate students and researchers without charge. Dr. Thorson always gives young researchers permission to use the scale, typically writing them: "Don't want money. Got money. Want fame." He can be contacted at thorson.james@gmail.com