A Study on Elementary Students’ Humor ComprehensionDuring the Humorous Comics Reading

• Main Authors: Shu-hui Ku, 古淑惠
• Other Authors: Hwa-wei Ko
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/96174280395396992982

碩士 === 國立中央大學 === 學習與教學研究所 === 100 === A Study on Elementary Students’ Humor Comprehension During the Humorous Comics Reading Abstract Researches had shown that humor helps to enhance mental and physical health, improve emotional adjustment and increase personal-relationship and many other benefits (Nezlek&Derks, 2001; Morreall, 1987; O’ Connell, 196). A humorous comic refers to easy and humor techniques in describing the subject in pictorial format. It can couple with (or without) the text to form a joke and it often covers more than one inappropriate or incongruent picture. Considering the significant benefits of the humor and the lack of concern on the concurrent comprehension process on both the humorous text and picture in the past researches, the purpose of this study aims to explore the reading process of the primary school child in four-formats humorous comics. Thirty two students participated in the study and half of them are boys. Students were asked to circle the laughing points in ten four-formats humorous comics and go through a half-structural-type of interview. In order to understand the effects of age (second and sixth grades) and gender on humorous comics, scores on humor appreciation, laughing points (circling the comics) and humor comprehension (interpretation of humor and funny reasons) were recorded and analyzed. The results of the study indicate that: First, the humor appreciation between the two age or gender groups was not significantly different from each other but the divergence of scores between text and pictorial appreciation is greater in the younger students. Second, circling humorous (humor appreciative) points between two ages was significantly different, but not on gender. Third, there were no significant relationship between humor appreciation and laughing point. Fourth, interview data supports the quantitative data that laughing points are fundamentally different among two age groups. For example, the funny reasons of the 2nd graders were mainly from the pictures of facial expression or exaggerated the action figures in comics, which leaded the students to circle more on the non-critical frame. In contrast, six graders detected the graphic and text laughing points differently. This study discusses the interpretation in reading comic, the source of humor and funny reason types, comprehension process of how children at different ages understand the humor as well as provides recommendations for future research.