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Humour and the Young Child RESEARCH 4 19/2006/E Catherine Lyon Humour and the young child A review of the research literature What exactly is a sense of humour? Finally, does having a sense of hu- vision of a socially acceptable means On the basis of relevant research mour matter? Do children with a of expressing hostility and softening results on children and adults, ma- sense of humour have more friends, of an assertive/dominating style of ny favourable aspects of humour do better in school, or enjoy better interaction (McGhee, 1988). He states are presented. We learn that hu- emotional and physical health or not? rather unequivocally, “It is concluded mour is a skill that can be trained, Is a sense of humour inborn or some- that development of heightened early and this is where the use of media thing we can encourage? If we can humor helps to optimize children’s in the development of children’s teach a sense of humour, how do we social development.” humour comes into play. do that? Humour is frequently used to dispel Unlike other psychological constructs anxiety; by secondary reinforcement, (e. g., intelligence or extraversion) humour becomes a learned motive to there is no standard conception of experience mastery in the face of 1. What the research tells us sense of humour upon which re- anxiety – the “whistling in the dark” searchers generally agree (Martin, phenomenon. In studies investigating about humour and its 1998). With the caveat that this field stress and a sense of humour, e. g. development is currently made up of multiple ap- Martin and Lefcourt (1983 – cit. by proaches, conceptions, measurements Martin, 1998), researchers found a he most challenging aspect to and often conflicting findings, the fol- significant interaction between tests humour research is in defining lowing is a summary of relevant study of sense of humour (i. e. The Coping Texactly what it means to “have results. Humor Scale (CHS) and The Situa- a sense of humour”. Does it mean an tional Humor Response Question- ability to create or respond to jokes Humour promotes a healthy and naire (SHRQ)) and a measure of and other overtly funny events or optimistic outlook on life stressful life events in predicting le- stories? Or is it something larger and Humour has been investigated as a vels of mood disturbance, such as de- less specific – perhaps an ability to “social lubricant” (Morreall, 1991) pression anxiety, and tension. An ana- tolerate difficulties with good grace that reduces anxiety, enhances the lysis of the data showed that as stress- and strength (Vejleskov, 2001)? Is a effectiveness of psychotherapy (Mac- ful life events increased, individuals “sense of humour” a single trait or Hovec, 1991 – cit. by Manke, 1998), with higher scores on the humour one with several aspects such as the softens hostility (McGhee, 1988), and measures showed less of an increase ability to tell a joke, to appreciate a strengthens coping skills (Lefcourt in disturbed moods. Martin (1988) joke, or to use humour to mock or to and Martin, 1986). Relatively little, further cites reviews by Vaillant and tease in a hostile manner? however, is known about children’s Vaillant (1992) that indicate mature Once defined, how do we measure a use of humour in ongoing social defenses, including sense of humour, “sense of humour”? How funny must relationships, or about the origins of were found to be predictive of greater anyone find something in order to have individual differences in interpersonal levels of mental and physical health, a sense of humour? And do people of humour (Manke, 1998). life satisfaction, job success, and ma- different ages or genders or socio-eco- Paul McGhee suggests that humour rital stability. nomic status or cultural backgrounds be viewed as a component of social laugh at different things? What about competence, and maintains that it Humour is a social phenomenon blind people or deaf people or people plays a strong role in the facilitation Several writers identify three main as- with mental or emotional handicaps? of social interaction, the development pects to the sense of humour: respon- Are any jokes funny to everybody? of friendships and popularity, pro- sive (laughter, smiling, and the mirth RESEARCH 19/2006/E 5 response); productive (initiating hu- in the group than alone. It is important cognitive function – requiring a bit mour, telling jokes, physical clown- to note, too, that in a study by Chap- more abstract thought or memory. ing); and mixed humour. Some add man (1973) with adults, although Children at this stage will be wildly hostile humour. Although several fac- canned laughter generated more mirth amused to call a dog a “kitty” or a tors can contribute to an expression (smiling and laughter) to the same mommy “daddy”. Unlike stage 1 of one or more humourous aspects, material, it did not significantly affect in which the object of humour Groch (1974) has found that the spe- humour ratings or “intellectual appre- must be present, the child no cific nature of the ongoing activities ciation” ratings. This disparity no longer needs physical props in contributed significantly to the pat- doubt has to do with the “social lu- order to make jokes. tern of humour exhibited. bricant” function of humour, as noted At stage 3 (3 to 5 years), the child Most smiling and laughing occurs in above. Laughing when others laugh requires a bit more distortion for a response to stimuli when others are is expected and welcomed; refraining humourous effect because of the present (Bainum et al., 1984) and from laughing when others are laugh- child’s increased knowledge of the children’s sensitivity to humour in- ing causes discomfort and is generally world. It isn’t enough now to creases according to (a) presence of at odds with the social norm. simply call a dog a kitty, it may be others, (b) frequency of laughter by necessary for that doggy called stooges, (c) overcoming the psycho- Humour is a personality kitty to meow, for example. Or, logical borders of boundary space, phenomenon and age- and because a stage-3 child is often and (d) other social factors (Chap- gender-related amused by an absurd visual, man, 1979). This corresponds to Ber- The seeds of a person’s sense of hu- adding a long tail and small, gen’s findings: “Because humor, like mour are sown in a baby’s earliest pointed upright ears to the picture play, flourishes best in ‘safe’ settings, smiling and laughter – the develop- of a dog would enhance the hu- variables such as the formality or mental changes in which reflect just mour to an age-appropriate level. informality of the environment and how important these emotional re- Not, however, because it is illogi- the child’s familiarity with the people sponses become in the interactions cal, but because it looks funny. The in that environment are likely to have between the infant and his/her first incongruity that causes humour at an influence on the amount of humor experience with the social environ- this stage is visual, not logical. that is expressed and on the nature of ment (Levine, 1972). This last point is very important in that humor” (Bergen, 1998). In a According to one of the most influen- the creation of humourous media for study of children between 1 and 6 tial developmental psychologist in the children. If the picture looks different years Bergen (1989 – cit. by Bergen, field of humour, Dr. Paul McGhee, from what the child expects or that 1998) found that the most often re- humour is a function of the child’s with which she/he is familiar, there corded humour types were: perfor- level of cognitive development – spe- is humour. However, preschool chil- mance of incongruous or fantasy ac- cifically their ability to deal with sym- dren, aged 2 to 5, do not understand tions; discovery and expression of hu- bols. McGhee proposed four stages humour based upon logical or con- mourous reactions to incongruous or of humour development, based upon ceptual incongruity yet. fantasy actions, objects, and events; Piagetian theory of development. Ac- It will not be until the child is 6 or 7 and expression of joy in mastery or cording to McGhee’s theory, humour years of age that the sense of humour movement play. Humour was most begins in the child when the capacity will resemble the humour of adults. often expressed in the evening and for fantasy and make-believe devel- According to McGhee, this stage 4 in the home’s kitchen – followed ops, sometime late in the second year. is characterised by the child’s ability closely in percentage by the living In stage 1 (approx. 18 to 24 to understand the double meanings room. Humour was least often ex- months) children substitute one that words and sentences can have pressed in the afternoon and in the object for another. If, for example, sometimes. Most 7-year-olds can com- family car. in dressing a child, you were to put prehend two meanings of a single One study suggests that this effect of a sock on his or her nose or hand, word or phrase simultaneously, which the social context upon the mirth and this might cause some laughter – is why the following joke works at humour response is developmental. if the child were familiar enough this stage, but generally not at the In a study by Kosslyn and Henker with a sock to know that it general- stage 3: “Why did the lady send three (1970), when 4- and 6-year-olds were ly is worn on the foot. socks to her son at college? Because shown comic videotapes, the 4-year- Stage 2 (approx.
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