Babies learn humor from parents

Developmental psychology: Toddlers look for humor from their parents

07/09/2012

According to a recent study presented at the British Psychological Society (BPS) conference in Glasgow, Scotland, babies are looking for a sense of humor from their parents. Funny is just what mom and dad laugh about. At the age of six months, children are already watching their parents' reactions very closely and learning how to react on their own. Only later will toddlers have enough life experience to form their own opinion.

With twelve months, children can form their own opinion
Gina Mireault of Johnson State College, Vermont, USA, and John Sparrow of the University of New Hampshire wanted to investigate whether six-month-old infants are viewing emotional responses from their parents, as did eight-month-old infants „social referencing“ is known. The researchers found that the babies closely monitored the reactions of their mothers and fathers when they laughed at something funny. Now they suspect that the children develop their own sense of humor in this way.

For their study, the scientists observed 30 children initially at the age of six months and later at one year. To test the children's reaction to an absurd, weird situation, the scientists first leafed through a book and held a red foam ball in their hands. Then one researcher gently slapped the book on the other's head, making strange noises. Another scientist put the foamball on his nose, making strange noises as well. The parents of the babies should either laugh loudly about the event or look at it without emotion.

Babies observe the parents' reaction - especially when they are laughing
As it turned out, the children were watching their parents' reaction especially when they were laughing. „Humor may seem like a less important issue, but it's critical to understanding child development, "Mireault explained as the BPS reported. „Our findings suggest that six-month-old babies begin to see their parents as the source of emotional information, and this should be an important step on the path to catching parents' emotional advice when needed, as in eight Months old children is the case. Already with twelve months the children have enough life experience to form their own opinion - at least about whether something is funny. "(Ag)

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Picture credits: Lucie Kärcher