Age Specifics of Perceptions of Funny and Scary Things in Animated Films

The paper addresses the phenomenon of a child's laughter and its role in the life of the child. Laughter is considered as a special type of cathartic experiences at the core of which lies the breaking of various well acquired cultural norms. At the same time, deviating from the common norms and stereotypes becomes the source of anxiety and fear. A hypothesis is set forth that the correlation between laughter and fear depends on the type and extent of the deviation as well as on the specifics of the child's perception of this deviation, which is closely connected with his/her age and the very situation of laughter-caused deviation.

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