This is a tongue-in-cheek rendering of an imaginary linguist's attempt to prove that a grammatical rule is not in fact optional, but conditioned. Through manipulation of the data, use of computers, etc., he succeeds in "proving" this. He also "proves" that this conditioning is contextual; that the rule which exhibits it is…

The performance and recognition of the act of putting people on involves an awareness and use not only of aspects of the communicative process that hold for all face-to-face interaction, but also of culturally acquired aspects of communication. Teasing and punning are varieties of communicative acts that involve the use of the put-on to accomplish…

The purpose of this selective bibliography is to provide the student of Southern literature with a list of the principal scholarship on a number of the South's writers and on some of the more prominent themes and areas of investigation in Southern literature. The first part of the book presents bibliographies on 23 general topics ranging from…

Creative products submitted in response to a contest were examined to discover whether creativity was related to the sex and socioeconomic status of the respondent and whether characteristics of the objects could be specified which would predict their level of rated creativity. No sex difference was found, but socioeconomic status was…

Considers four questions related to humorous activity: What events evoke laughtor and smiling in classrooms and do these events change as children grow older? Are there differences in frequency and type of events produced and appreciated? How do teachers and peers react to humorous events? and What are the other behavior patterns of children who…

The article discusses the development of an "alternative school" in an urban school system for students having trouble in the regular secondary setting. The program was based upon "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs" and is described in detail. The initial assessment of the program produced very positive results.

A longitudinal study investigated developmental change in theory of mind among 57 children (ages 4-14) with autism. Theory of mind tests were administered on an initial visit and one year later. Data indicated significant developmental improvement in theory of mind ability, which was primarily related to the children's language ability. (Contains…

Anxiety can impede language learning. By using the Community Language Learning method, a teacher helped young Spanish-language learners in Puerto Rico break through almost impenetrable social and psycholinguistic barriers that threatened their capability of learning a new language. This method focuses on strategies that reduce anxiety as the…

Studied the role of humor, gender, and sexist attitudes toward women in the interpretation of sexist incidents. Among 30 male and 30 female Canadian college students, perceiving sexist incidents as humorous was associated with seeing the incidents as less sexist and more acceptable. Gender did not affect the interpretation. (JB)

Describes humorous presentations to heighten adults' awareness of their dependence on printed materials in contrast to children's high level of comfort with electronic media, and the changes in information delivery that are already in place. (KRN)

Describes a video used to teach library research to freshman English students. It combines special filming techniques and music to dramatize the library research experiences of two students. Produced in four segments, the video presentations are augmented by librarian-led discussions during breaks in the viewing. Borrowing and purchasing…

Mathematical humor and insight are creative and pleasurable experiences. Both help students develop a positive attitude toward mathematics and facilitate higher-order thinking. The authors' classroom experience suggests that many middle school students have come to view mathematics as being a superficial and an uncreative activity where they…

This article presents a qualitative study of six families of children with disabilities and their perspectives on humor. The findings revealed that the families had an understanding of humor that went beyond the generalized humor construct. They embraced both the concept of humor and "other types of fun." Furthermore, the families' attempts at…

This paper analyzes "confused history" on the part of students and where that confusion might originate. The study is based on a modified form of content analysis of articles by R. Lederer. The articles offer a compilation of student errors in history and geography. Two major categories of errors are recognized: (1) Type I, represented by errors…

This study examined relations between children's humor, behavioral characteristics, acceptance by peers in kindergarten and primary school, and self-perceptions. Subjects were 35 kindergarten, 88 fourth grade, and 95 eighth grade Norwegian children. For all students, assessments included sociometric ratings of classmates, teacher assessments of…