Provides a humorous lexicon of terms relating to characteristic conditions and persons in a university setting to point up the inertia of universities that is "a condition of their existence." (GT)

A spoof about how English might be taught a decade from now in a worst-of-all-possible worlds. (DD)

An ex-teacher discusses her inability to handle sex-related issues in her eighth-grade classroom and explains her method of dealing with the situation by ignoring it. (MB)

Examines the attitudinal components of humor in terms of Heider's cognitive balance model and suggests that self-directed humor is an apparent exception to such an interpretation. (MH)

Investigates positive and negative perspectives of self-disparaging humor. (MH)

Describes the ways in which a professor of statistics uses humor in the classroom. Ronald A. Berk uses humor as systematic teaching tool even though some other faculty and administrators consider his approach frivolous. (SLD)

Five- through 9-year olds and adults heard ironic and literal criticisms and literal compliments. Found that comprehension of irony emerged between 5 and 6 years; and ratings of humor in irony increased with age but ratings of meanness in irony did not. (BC)

Includes fascinating stories about mathematicians and their interesting lives. Shows that mathematicians are human beings with peculiar foibles and personality quirks just like the rest of us. (KHR)

Argues that humor serves a critical ethos function in online communities created by mailing lists. Connects what humor theorists already recognize as a social dimension in joking to the contemporary interpretation of ethos as a constitutive force. Applies the model to the rhetoric of a university writing center mailing list. (SG)

Hermeneutic interpretation of discussions with female nursing students in their 30s revealed a constitutive pattern of teacher as partner or as despot. The humor used to forge connections between teachers and students was reflected in three themes: we're all adults, I'm only trying to learn, and looking forward to nursing practice. (Contains 35…

Assesses and compares hope levels and laughter and humor experiences of 24 elderly residents and 21 staff at an assisted living facility. Residents and staff reported numerous benefits from humor and laughing, but differences arose between the two groups about the source and frequency of humor and laughter. Implications for mental health…

Investigated effectiveness of paradoxical and nonparadoxical interventions with clients (N=53) possessing a high or low sense of humor. Found low sense of humor subjects improved significantly more with a paradoxical intervention than did high sense of humor subjects. (Author/ABL)

Presents humorous multiple-choice questions focusing on things parents should consider about colleges, such as what to look for on-campus visits (number of empty beer cans instead of number of books in the library) and how many days college will guarantee the student will stay at the school instead of percentage of students who pursue advanced…

Explains how Louis D. Rubin's theory of the "Great American Joke" (the gap between our cultural ideal and the everyday facts of American life and society) can be used to help students understand humor in an American literature unit. (SR)

Discusses the way in which poetry offers experiences with the unexpected through the element of surprise. Discusses ways in which poetry addresses concepts in social studies and sciences. (RJC)