Comics help to shape, reflect, reinforce, and revise the beliefs and assumptions people have about themselves and others. This document addresses three issues related to the comics: (1) images of women in the comics by both male and female 20th century cartoonists; (2) conflicting and fragmented images of women in the comics; and (3) differences…

Humor, a communicative tactic used to engender support, is often used, but rarely understood. The literature in the field of humor has attempted to define situations where humor could be beneficial, although few definitive answers exist relating humor to effective leadership communicative behavior. This paper presents current research findings…

The difference between phrogfessors and teachers is that phrogfessors train tadpoles in the way of the swamp (i.e., create likenesses of themselves) while teachers produce people and thereby help to drain the swamp. Phrogfessors take responsibility for what their students learn. They believe that if a student does badly, it is the phrogfessor's…

Presents a collection of humorous statements made by elementary school youngsters on reports and tests pertaining to the aerospace sciences. (MLH)

Studied the enjoyment and comprehension of riddles and nonriddles by first, third, and fifth grade normal children. Also investigated the relationship of sex to the enjoyment of humor. (SDH)

Humor in adolescent literature is the focus of the articles in this themed journal issue. The articles and their authors are as follows: (1) "Of Fiction and Madness" (Paul Zindel); (2) "Before the Immaculate Cuticles" (Jerry Spinelli); (3) "I Want To Make Them Laugh" (Ellen Conford); (4) "The Terrible Hilarity of Adolescence in 'Dinky Hocker…

No living American satirist has pushed the limits of satire--perhaps the most extreme form of expression that society has tolerated--further than Garry Trudeau, who draws the comic strip "Doonesbury." Newspaper editors regularly pull the strip, alter it, or accompany it with a disclaimer when they think it is unfair or libelous. And the…

A study was conducted to determine the effects of mildly self-disparaging humor on audiences' perceptions when it is used by speakers perceived to be of differing credibility (ethos) levels. Responses by 27 students who were potential subjects of the experiment were used to construct a credibility scale. The most credible speaker, a university…

American stereographs of the late 19th and early 20th centuries are discussed in the context of the Victorian stylized stereotype of women which they so graphically capture. Stereograph cards and early motion pictures from the Library of Congress were the major sources studied. Stereograph cards were as ubiquitous in their time as television is…

Although humor and laughter are most often based in fundamental social interactions, this element of communication has received little attention. To examine the socially facilitating effects of communication and social acceptance by analyzing children's intrapersonal perceptions of communication apprehension, or shyness, 169 children, aged 8 to 13…

Satire appears to be one of the least attractive forms of humorous literature because many readers feel it encompasses negative and ill-mannered comic devices. By virtue of the fact that satire is not considered polite literature, it rarely makes its way into the planned literary curricula until students enter high school English courses. In this…

This booklet is one of a series developed by the Northern Colorado Educational Board of Cooperative Services to make available to teachers ideas designed and tested by other teachers. Many of the ideas are from educational journals as well as from the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). The booklet is divided into eight sections:…