Some inconsistencies in the effect of motivation arousal on humor preferences.

2 doctoral dissertations Byrne (1957) and Strickland (1958) concerned with the effect of attitudes upon perception resulted in diametrically opposed findings. Byrne found that experimentally aroused attitudes (sexual, aggressive) did not affect perception of cartoons (of a sexual and aggressive nature); Strickland found they did. The present paper is an attempt to account for the different results. In general, the discrepant findings seem to be attributable to divergent methodology. From Psyc Abstracts 36:01:3HJ58B. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effect of motivation arousal on humor preferences.

"The present experiment was designed to test the hypothesis that the arousal of different types of motivations would produce differences in humor preferences. It was predicted that in a hostility-arousing situation subjects would prefer humorous material of a hostile and aggressive nature, while subjects placed in a sexually arousing situation would prefer humor material with a sexual theme. This prediction was confirmed… [and] an explanation of the results was offered in terms of suppression." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

《五号屠宰场》写作技巧分析

《五号屠宰场》是库特冯尼格的代表作之一,这部以二战为题材的小说之所以能取得成功,除 了于它的创作背景有关之外,更取决于作者独特的叙事结构,新奇的思维模式以及无状的黑色幽默。本文 就作者的写作手法为出发点,试图揭示出小说的写作意图与成功之处。     

论中国漫画"意"与"艺"的思考

"意"乃作品成败的关键、漫画在重"意"的同时必须重"艺"、"意"与"艺"并存并重,相辅相成、在"意"与"艺"处理好的同时,中国漫画要始终保持自己的民族性四方面着重阐述的。漫画自成一家时,固然从原来浑然一体的绘画中继承了某些传统。但此后的路怎么走,并没有事先设计的蓝图。近现代漫画在生活的激流中诞生,并且不能不在激流中去塑造自身,它必须顺应现实生活和人民大众的需求,去发展自己。而漫画应该注重"意"与"艺"的关系,才能跟上时代的潮流,走出自己的另一片天空！     

幽默语言中的衔接与连贯

衔接和连贯一直是语篇研究的核心问题,衔接是语篇的有形网络,体现在语篇的表层结构上,连贯是语篇的无形网络,体现在语篇的深层结构上。连贯的语篇必须衔接,衔接则促进语篇的连贯。因此衔接与连贯在幽默语言中的作用并不是分裂的,而是综合进行的。     

黑色幽默:一种解构的策略——海勒和余华叙事方式比较

后现代语境下的海勒和余华在小说叙事方式上有某种相似的风格。若把两者置于平行研究的平台上,则会发现两者同构中的差异以及异趣中的同质性。与一般作家相比,海勒和余华的可贵之处在于他们不仅表现了不能承受之"重"的人生,而且还把"黑色幽默"作为卸载存在之"重"的药方——海勒用"黑色幽默"缓解恐惧的压力;余华用"黑色幽默"稀释人生的苦难。在"黑色幽默""含泪的笑"里,"存在之重"被消解。     

Potential of Aqueous Humor as a Liquid Biopsy for Uveal Melanoma

Tumor biopsy can identify prognostic biomarkers for metastatic uveal melanoma (UM), however aqueous humor (AH) liquid biopsy may serve as an adjunct. This study investigated whether the AH of UM eyes has sufficient circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to perform genetic analysis. This is a case series of 37 AH samples, taken before or after radiation, and one tumor wash sample, from 12 choroidal and 8 ciliary body (CB) melanoma eyes. AH was analyzed for nucleic acid concentrations. AH DNA and one tumor wash sample underwent shallow whole-genome sequencing followed by Illumina sequencing to detect somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs). Four post-radiation AH underwent targeted sequencing of BAP1 and GNAQ genes. Post-radiation AH had significantly higher DNA and miRNA concentrations than paired pre-radiation samples. Highly recurrent UM SCNAs were identified in 0/11 post-radiation choroidal and 6/8 post-radiation CB AH. SCNAs were highly concordant in a CB post-radiation AH with its matched tumor (r = 0.978). BAP1 or GNAQ variants were detected in 3/4 post-radiation AH samples. AH is a source of ctDNA in UM eyes, particularly in post-radiation CB eyes. For the first time, UM SCNAs and mutations were identified in AH-derived ctDNA. Suggesting that AH can serve as a liquid biopsy for UM.     

Humor and the Holocaust: Turning Comedians Into Victims to End the Millennium.

As the 2nd millennium drew to a close, Hollywood released 3 films, each starring an established comedian against a backdrop of Holocaust pathos. The films were Life Is Beautiful, Jakob the Liar, and Train of Life. The humor in each was derived from an absurd reversal of power from perpetrators to victims. It is suggested that these films exposed many to the horrors of the Holocaust for the 1st time and, for those already struggling with its legacy, addressed the unanswered questions and unfinished emotional residue of this defining event of the 20th century. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Finding comfort in a joke: Consolatory effects of humor through cognitive distraction.

This study aimed to demonstrate that the cognitive demands involved in humor processing can attenuate negative emotions. A primary aspect of humor is that it poses cognitive demands needed for incongruency resolution. On the basis of findings that cognitive distraction prevents mood-congruent processing, the authors hypothesized that humorous stimuli attenuate negative emotions to a greater extent than do equally positive nonhumorous stimuli. To test this idea, the authors used a modified version of the picture-viewing paradigm of L. F. Van Dillen and S. L. Koole (2007). Participants viewed neutral, mildly negative, and strongly negative pictures, followed by either a humorous or an equally positive nonhumorous stimulus, and then rated their feelings. Participants reported less negative feelings in both mildly and strongly negative trials with humorous positive stimuli than with nonhumorous positive stimuli. Humor did not differentially affect emotions in the neutral trials. Stimuli that posed greater cognitive demands were more effective in regulating negative emotions than less demanding stimuli. These findings fully support Van Dillen and Koole’s working memory model of distraction from negative mood and suggest that humor may attenuate negative emotions as a result of cognitive distraction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Humor and psyche: Psychoanalytic perspectives.

Review of book: James W. Barron. Humor and psyche: Psychoanalytic perspectives. Hillsdale, NJ: Analytic Press, 1999, xi + 232 pp.. Reviewed by Jeffrey Berman. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)