DIALECTIC TRANSFORMATION IN THE HUMOR OF CHILDREN

Abstract

Tatiana V. Artemyeva

Purpose of the study: Humor is a complex phenomenon that includes many psychological functions including cognitive processes, emotions, and communication which manifest themselves in various social and cultural contexts. The purpose of this research was to study dialectic mental actions, non-verbal intelligence and actions involved in understanding the humor of children of a preschool age and to reveal the correlations between them.
Methodology: The methods that were used included the author’s method of “Funny Plots”, the method of “Dialectical Stories”, and “Raven's Color Progressive Matrices”. The study involved 40 children 5-7 years of age.
Results: The researchers could reveal correlations between the action of transformation according to the humor methodology and the following dialectic actions: closure (r = .48**); change of alternatives (r = .38*), mediation (32*). However, no correlation was found between the indicator according to the “Raven Progressive Matrices” method and the actions involved in creating humor. The study suggests that good development of actions of dialectic thinking in preschoolers allows them to understand the contradictions and inconsistencies that are essential for understanding and creating humor.
Applications of this study: By offering children different versions of contradictory tasks or texts and skillfully combining them with the main types of activities, we can develop children's curiosity and the desire to solve tasks that require the reflection of complex hidden connections and relations between objects. We can also to teach them how to find creative, non-standard ways of completing the tasks. The above factors determine the importance of the study.
Novelty/Originality of this study: The scientific novelty of this research is that the actions involved in children's understanding of humor are identified. Children’s understanding of humor depends not only on the level of intellectual development of a child, but also on the dialectical mental actions aimed at establishing mutually exclusive properties and relations and transforming contradictory situations.