A study involving 59 undergraduate speech communication students investigated relationships between intelligence, understanding of editorial satire, and appreciation of satire. The students were asked to read three satirical essays and then to pick one of five statements that best described the thesis as intended by the author. Then each satire…

While it is fashionable to use the semantic pun in advertising (for example, the meaning extension in "dollars and sense"), a lot of this humor slips past the American reader; not only unintentional bloopers that get past the proofreader but also intentional puns that escape the audience. Advertising humor has other pitfalls as well--the…

The roles of humor and anxiety in test performance were investigated. Measures of trait anxiety, state anxiety and achievement were obtained on a sample of undergraduate students; the A-Trait and A-State scales of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were used. Half of the students received additional humorous items in the achievement test. The…

Based on the premise that educators are vitally interested in literary moments that engage the reader instantly, this paper discusses books that provide enjoyment for children. After suggesting that the most important "basics" are those that promote an exploration of language through literature, the paper notes the importance of good literature…

Prompted by current concern with the dearth of empirical research on the role of humor in communication, the author prepared this bibliography to aid future researchers in the field. Although the entries span the years from 1939 through December 1972, the predominant number of publications represent the years 1966-1972. The fifty-four entries…

In this exploratory study of humor, it was hypothesized that responses to humorous material are related to each person's needs. Form B of the IPAT Humor Test of Personality and the Stern Activities Index were administered to 276 volunteer college students as measures of humor preference and needs, respectively. The results of the study suggest…

Classifies humor as hostile, nonhostile, sexual hostile, and sexual nonhostile. During one week of prime time television, males were portrayed as victims of hostile humor more often than were females. The frequency analysis of humorous disparagement does not reveal discrimination against either sex. Hostile humor was found to be more common than…

Shows how humorous material can be scattered throughout the high school newspaper through the use of humorous featurettes; presents examples of humorous material taken from professional and high school newspapers. (GW)

Discusses a method for assessing attitudes using cartoons as projective devices and suggests that graphical humor might be used successfully in constructing alternative methods for measuring attitudinal ambivalence. (MH)

This research measured the relationship between humor appreciation responses and facilitative abilities of graduate counselor trainees. In this study counselor trainees who were more intelligent, anti-establishment, anxious, flirtatious and introverted were able to communicate at a more facilitative level. Implications and further research are…

Examines single-frame cartoons appearing in three well-known periodicals beginning in 1952 and analyzes the sex role humor in an attempt to produce social indicators. Compares sex role content in the humor media with sex role content within other media such as short stories and television. (MH)

Notes that although the slave narratives were usually intended to serve in the cause of abolition, not all of them were bitter, unrelieved tirades against the institution of slavery, but rather there were frequently moments of relieving laughter. (Author)

This paper explores child humor from the early years to adolescence. The immature child's humor is crude, rude, and hostile and gradually evolves into sophisticated, socially acceptable adult humor in the same way that the immature child in general evolves into the sophisticated adult, becoming decreasingly creative along the way. (JDD)

In this humorous dialogue that can be read and acted out as a play in high school economics classes, Karl Marx, a spokesman for communism, and Adam Smith, the father of capitalism, debate (1) whether an economy should produce designer jeans and (2) who should own McDonald's restaurant. (RM)

Recounts an experience with a "stage prop" bomb made by the art department for a high school production of John Patrick's play, "Anybody Out There?" (EL)