Browsing by Subject "Humor in children"
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Item Comprehension of humor in children with non-verbal learning disabilites(2003) Glass, Kimberly Lynne; Semrud-Clikeman, MargaretThe normal development of humor in children has been well documented and is understood as having a predictable developmental course, which is tied to social, cognitive and linguistic development in children. This dissertation study explored humor comprehension in children with nonverbal learning disabilities (NVLD). Children with NVLD were compared with children with reading disabilities and a control group of children with no learning disabilities to assess their comprehension of humor. The Humor Test was developed for the purposes of this study and was composed of a joke and cartoon section. No group differences in humor comprehension were found when the NVLD group was defined as having visual spatial and visual reasoning deficits. However, when the NVLD group was divided into children with and without social perceptual difficulties as defined by the Child and Adolescent Test of Social Perception (CASP), significant group differences were found in the levels of humor comprehension. These results support the association of humor comprehension with social perception and lend support to the hypothesis that children with NVLD may not be a homogenous group. Future study directions include further exploration into the nature of the association between humor comprehension and social perception as well as closer examination of the heterogeneity of NVLD.Item Humor and social competence in middle childhood(Texas Tech University, 1988-08) Young, Marilyn MThe purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between humor initiation and overall social competence in middle childhood. In addition, the relationships between humor initiation, social cognitive variables, and personality variables were investigated. Ninety-two first grade children were rated by teachers on overall social competence and three aspects of humor (verbal, behavioral, laughter). Teachers also rated the children on the personality scales of assertiveness and need for approval. Children were individually assessed on two social cognitive measures (perspective-taking and social problem-solving) and a sociometric measure in which children ranked their likeabillty and humor. Results indicated sex differences in the relationships between these variables. Boys' humor initiation ratings were not correlated with social competence ratings by teachers or peers, but girls' humor ratings were significantly and positively correlated with both teacher and peer ratings of social competence. Girls' humor ratings also were positively correlated with the social cognitive skills, while boys' humor ratings were not. Assertiveness and hyperactivity were positively related to humor and social competence for both boys and girls. Need for approval was negatively correlated with social competence for boys and girls, but positively correlated with humor only for boys. For both sexes, social competence ratings were positively correlated with the social cognitive skills and assertiveness. The findings suggest that humor is being initiated and perceived in different ways for boys and girls of this age. The links between social competence, including social cognitive skills, and humor for girls, but not boys, may be the result of differences in sex role socialization and developmental factors. Both may impact female/male differences in the social goals related to humor use and in the type of humor expressed and appreciated by boys versus girls during middle childhood.