Inspection of the data obtained by Deckers and Kizer (1974) in exploring the incongruity hypothesis of humor brings to attention what appears to be discrepancies with the incongruity hypothesis of humor. Shifts in weight of equal physical proportion produced differential degrees of expressed humor. The incongruity hypothesis would predict humor to be a function of the size of the incongruity rather than the direction. In the present study, it was hypothesized that these differences in expressed humor were the result of incongruous shifts of unequal psychological distance. A total of 120 subjects were assigned to one of three ranges of expectation with half shifting tc a heavy weight and the others to a light weight. As predicted, shifts of equal psychological distance produced equal degrees of humor expression and shifts of unequal psychological distance produced differing degrees of humor expression. An interaction (p<.002) between the weight of the Standard and the weight of the Critical Comparison affected humor expression. The incongruity hypothesis was upheld.

There is no abstract available for this dissertation.

The purpose of this study was to determine what are the basic factors that influence one's attitudes toward death. Questions central to the proposed investigation are these:1. What factors can be identified which seem to predispose certain individuals to different types of attitudes toward death?2. What are the general societal participation styles of individuals of the various integration types? Can distinct styles be identified? For example, do those of one type have distinct occupations, marital status, similar residence size, and so forth as compared to those of another type?3. Are there specific differences among the integration types in terms of scores on tests measuring anomie? In other words, do some types have significantly greater amounts of anomie than other types?4. What specific factors are useful in determining an individual's measure of fear of death? Are some distinctions more useful than others in determining attitudes toward death?These questions are basically all interrelated. Tentative hypotheses may be suggested in regard to each of these questions:1. Fear of death varies inversely with the degree of integration of the individual in the social groups of which the individual forms a part.2. Fear of death varies inversely with the degree of internal orientation of the individual.3. Fear of death varies directly with the degree of anomie of the individual.A survey sample of 635 from various occupations, marital statuses, ages, and so forth was used for the study. A Fear of Death Scale was developed and administered along with Srole's Anomia Scale and Neal and Seeman's Internal-External Scale.The data generated indicate that basically fear of death is inversely correlated with the degree of integration of the individual in his or tier social groups. Those with higher rates of anomie did exhibit greater fears toward death. Those people who were more externally oriented also exhibited greater fears toward death. Both findings were predicted.A revision of Emile Durkheim's typology for suicides also yielded some results. The fatalistic type of attitude toward death which sees death as the price for a chosen life-style was tested by including police officers, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents, and State Policemen in the sample. All were very low on the fear of death scale as predicted. The anomie type, as already suggested, exhibited greater fears of death as expected. The altruistic type was more difficult to measure. Since the over-fifty category had significantly lower fears of death, it would seem to at least not detract from the theory. Those who saw religion as preparing them for death were also low on the fear of death scale which is also consistent. The egoistic type seemed most prevalent among those persons who had little meaning or purpose in life. Those persons also had higher fear of death scores as expected.The lower level hypotheses were generally also supported with some exceptions. Projected differences in fear of death between males and females were not there. Also, the older the respondent, the lower the fear of death. Had children been included in the sample, this might not nave been the case. A trend also existed in that the larger the size of residence, the higher the fear of death as was also predicted. The predicted differences in occupational categories were not as great as projected, but they were in the direction that was predicted.The best indicators of fear of death, other than the comparative scales used, were the age of the respondent and his or her marital status. Widowed persons were less fearful of death followed by married, divorced, and lastly, by single people as predicted.

Because of the recent upsurge in the investigation of physiological measures as indicators of emotional states, this project was performed on the basis of Eckhard Hess' and Michel Janisse's differing ideas concerning pupil diameter as an emotional indicator. Auditory humor, 3 pre-rated levels of jokes, was recorded and presented to 10 male and 10 female subjects while respiration, skin conductance and pupil diameter were recorded. The data were subjected to various analyses of variance. Only the main effect of time samples was found to be significant. Although this effect does not support either Hess' or Janisse's hypotheses, it does show that there was some reaction and possibly could mean that the auditory stimuli utilized were not diverse enough to produce a significant pupil reaction. The investigation did show that although physiological arousal does not reveal itself, the subjects still subjectively judged the jokes to be significantly different.

Access to abstract permanently restricted to Ball State community only. / Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

No description available.

This research explores the concept of stress as it is perceived by children and builds a paradigm of this perception. The thesis argues that a cognitive paradigm is useful in understanding the stress process but seems incomplete without an acknowledgement of the role of unconscious cognition and phenomenology. This research extends this model to include these elements. A review of the literature includes an exploration of the definitions of the concept of stress and an examination and evaluation of the usefulness of the models of stress from which these definitions arise. From an initial literature review, a starting point in terms of an examination of "stressors" was identified and lead to a survey in this area. This led, in turn, to five subsequent investigations being undertaken for this thesis, each driven by questions and issues which emerged from the previous one. The methodology used in each study was different and driven by the questions that were under exploration. However, all had a qualitative philosophical base. The samples are described study by study and encompassed children from the age of eleven to adults. Results from this research confirm that triggers of and responses to stress are many and various. The individuals' perception of the stress appears to rest upon factors which include learned responses, social support and personality. Coping strategies are also many and various and likewise appear to rest upon the same mediating factors, as well as the individuals perceived control over the stressors. Suggestions are also offered for interventions that could be used in schools to help children to cope more successfully with stress. These suggestions look at the psychological environment of schools as well as the individual adolescents and events which may be stressful.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.