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Results for “Wit and Humor as Topic”

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PubMed1998

The great debate.

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Advertising↗
PubMed2002

Afterword to Krazy: George Herriman's Krazy Kat cartoon and its appeal to E. E. Cummings.

George Herriman's "Krazy Kat," a linguistically innovative and trenchant comic strip that appeared in newspapers from 1916-1944, attracted the attention of our major American poet, e. e. cummings, who wrote a foreword to a collection of the strips and admired it for its transcendent celebration of love over egoism in a triadic relationship, its scorn of politics, and its brick-throwing irreverence. Similarities between Cummings's and Herriman's work include language play, humorous voices, examinations of dimensions of empathy and theory of mind, musicality, and humanistic religiosity.

Empathy↗
PubMed1978

Pupillary size as an indicator of preference in humor.

The effects of simple cartoons on pupil size were examined. Each of the 11 subjects was presented three cartoons for 10-sec. with a 5-sec. control period between the presentations. All subjects received the same task condition. When the presentation was complete, each subject ranked the three cartoons to show their preference on the dimension of humor. The data produced significant correlation between the rank order and the pupillary dilatation. Means of pupils size for the cartoons were also significantly different from control means.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Effectiveness of the use of humor in the rehabilitation of people with SCI: a pilot study.

Despite the empirically established beneficial effects of laughter on psychological health, humor remains a much neglected area of research. This study examined the psychological impact of humor on people with SCI, the hypothesis being that it would significantly reduce the deleterious psychological effects of the injury. Mood state, frequency of intrusive thoughts and avoidance behavior of eight male inpatients at the National Spinal Injuries Centre were monitored before and after exposure to a series of five humorous video presentations. Although differences in these parameters were in the predicted direction, statistical analysis revealed no significant effect. Nevertheless, this pilot study highlighted pertinent issues and suggested modifications for further exploration.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Response to cartoons and attitudes toward aging.

Although it has commonly been asserted that cartoon images of aging convey deep psychological significance, the relationship between attitudes and cartoon appreciation has received little systematic attention. The present study examined the relationship between responses to cartoons and attitudes toward aging among college students. Subjects rated the funniness of 60 cartoons and completed the Attitudes Toward Aging Inventory, Tuckman-Lorge, and Semantic Differential. Factor analysis revealed four categories of cartoons on aging: Disparagement, Ineffectuality, Obsolescence, and Isolation. No significant relationships were found between attitudes and humor appreciation, although age and education were inversely related to several cartoon themes.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Sexuality in Samoan art forms.

This article explores the manifestations of sexuality in Samona as they are revealed through songs, poetry, dance, gestures, verbal expressions, stories, and games. For each of these art forms, texts, and translations of original material are presented, as an aid to discerning the uses and functions of sexuality as they are applied by Samoans for Samoans; to this end, formulalized joking of various types is seen as the medium through which the humorous element of sexuality is expressed. Elsewhere, sexuality functions to achieve and sustain individual attention. The explicitly sexuality functions to achieve and sustain individual attention. The explicitly sexual references in duneral and marriage songs, on the other hand, constitute affirmations of social values, incorporated in long-established rites. In what is tantamount to artistic license, performance of song, poetry, and dance containing sexual elements or references that would be prohibited in other contexts is constituted as acceptable behavior. In marked contrast to nineteenth-century writings, and the opinions of the popular press, sexuality in Samoa is far from free in its modes of expression, but rather adheres to traditional formalized patterns which determine its occasions, participants, and verbal and kinetic limits. Although not indispensable as a means of personal expression, it generally provides additional opportunities for the creative and aggressive individual to demonstarate his artistic talents and therby contribute to his own social elevation. As an element of verbalized group sentiment, it is a positive assertion of Samoan values, astatement of social solidarity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Do humorous preoperative teaching strategies work?

Incorporating humor into preoperative teaching may improve patients' ability to recall pertinent instruction. This article describes a study in which an experimental, two-group, pretest/posttest design was used to determine whether there was a significant difference in the amount of knowledge patients recalled after receiving a teaching booklet either with (i.e., experimental) or without (i.e., control) humor. The sample included 50 patients undergoing open-heart surgery. Results indicate that there was no significant difference (F1, 48 = .07, P > .05) between the groups in the amount of knowledge gained related to postoperative pulmonary exercises. Both groups, however, had a statistically significant increase in the amount of knowledge gained from pretest to posttest (F1, 48 = 39.16, P < .05). Before humorous teaching strategies can be recommended for use in preoperative teaching, further research about the relationship between preoperative instruction, humor, and knowledge retention is necessary.

Adult↗
PubMed1965

TOUCHING ALL BASES.

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Gastroenterology↗
PubMed2002

Science in mid-Victorian Punch.

This article examines the scientific content of the most famous comic journal of the Victorian period: Punch. Concentrating on the first three decades of the periodical (1841-1871), I show that Punch usually engaged with science that was highly topical, of consequence to the lives of its bourgeois readers, and suitable for comic interpretation. But Punch's satire of scientific topics was highly complex. It often contained allusions to non-scientific topics, and its engagement with science ranged from the utterly comic to the sharply critical. Punch prompted readers to think as well as laugh about science, and probably shaped their scientific education more than we think.

History, 19th Century↗
PubMed2003

Time's arrow.

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Attitude of Health Personnel↗