Provides examples of several ways that humor may be used in the physics classroom. Included are the use of cartoons, puns, visual puns, unusual units of measurement, scientific errors which have amusing consequences, posters, and amusing problem sets. (CS)

Examines the history of word games, their various forms, and analyzes their comic nature as a breakdown of normal communication processes. (AM)

A British woman recounts her difficulties in developing the ability to understand humorous French while living in France. (AM)

Discusses a study designed to demonstrate a relationship between sex-role attitudes and reactions to specific types of sexual humor. (MH)

This research attempted to reconcile previous results in the area of humor and aggression. It was hypothesized that humor serves two functions, arousal and attentional shift, with regard to its influence on the relation of prior anger arousal and aggression. (Editor/RK)

States that helping young adult readers to reach maturity, and learn to speak, think, and act for themselves, has been Paul Zindel's major concern throughout his literary career. Discusses his "Pigman" trilogy, published between 1968 and 1991, and how these books resonate with young people. Lists classic elements in "Pigman";…

Advocates incorporating humor in the classroom (as a means of assessing students' learning and understanding) by deliberately establishing a classroom environment conducive to original expression and risk-taking, and by the juxtaposition of curriculum material. (SR)

Compares characteristics of young adult literature and television situation comedies. Highlights include writing for television versus writing novels; the use of humor, irony, and serious topics; character growth; plot construction; and responsibility for solving characters' problems. (LRW)

A French television program using puppets for political satire is discussed and its instructional applications are examined. (MSE)

Reviews issues relevant to the use of humor in children's therapy. Discusses applications in the following contexts: (1) psychodynamic psychotherapy; (2) behavioral treatments of phobias; (3) family therapy; and (4) purposeful use of games and stories. (FMW)

Evaluates reactions of students exposed to a video presentation with or without a laugh track. Finds those in the laugh track group exhibited significantly more mirth behavior, but did not evaluate the stimulus as significantly funnier. (MS)

This study observed naturalistic humor in six young children with autism and six matched children with Down's syndrome, as they interacted with their mothers. Autistic children produced and appreciated humor to a limited extent, but they produced less humor overall and less humor involving nonverbal incongruity compared to matched controls.…

Presents a humorous approach to the question of how to recycle catalog cards necessitated by the results of library automation and online catalogs. A sidebar summarizes an article that appeared in the "New Yorker" magazine regarding the discard of card catalogs. (LRW)

Examines college students' responses to the program "Cops" to better understand how viewers construct meaning and pleasure from the televisual texts of reality-based programming. Finds that humor guides the viewers' interpretations of the text and is a major source of pleasure, but the audience's search for the comic both deviates from…