"Emotional numbing" is a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) characterized by a loss of interest in usually enjoyable activities, feeling detached from others, and an inability to express a full range of emotions. Emotional numbing is usually assessed through self-report, and is particularly difficult to ascertain among young children. We conducted a pilot study to explore the use ...

In her article "Chekhov as a Founder of the Comedy of a New Type" Vera Zubarev discusses Chekhov's innovations within the framework of general systems thinking and the predispositioning theory. To this end, the notion of the positional style is used as a subject of systems analysis. Zubarev postulates that Chekhov's innovative style signified a new era of thinking now known as systems thinking....

In his “Essay on Comedy” in 1877, George Meredith noted, “the test of true Comedy is that it shall awaken thoughtful laughter.” [1] This does not necessarily mean that a comedy must be funny. Laughter can also be provoked by matters serious or sad. Most psychologists agree that the predominant characteristics connected with the phenomenon of laughter are incongruity or contrast in the object cr...

In January 2011, the scheduling plans of Britain’s biggest TV station, BBC1, were leaked to the press. After the recent success of BBC comedies such as Outnumbered (2007-) and My Family (2000-11), BBC1 Controller Danny Cohen apparently told his team of producers that BBC Comedy was becoming ‘too middle class’, and failing in its responsibility to appeal to working class viewers (Gammell, 2011; ...

Some humor is offensive, but does this convey a moral constraint on what comedians can include in their jokes? Using stand up bits and reflections on comedy from George Carlin, Louis C.K., and Doug Stanhope, various philosophies of humor, and the linguistic philosophy of H.P. Grice, I explore the given question and attempt to settle the disputes about when it is prudent to be offended, in what ...