Search

Summary This study was designed to identify behavioral characteristics conducive to increased development of preschool children's sense of humor. The Ss were 60 38- to 75-month-old children from a university child development center. The frequency of laughter and both behavioral and verbal attempts to initiate humor were observed during spontaneous free play sessions. Additional behavior categories were chosen for observation on the basis of previous evidence regarding behavioral antecedents of humor development. A stepwise multiple regression of the latter behaviors upon sense of humor scores indicated that the amount of time spent in social play accounted for the greatest amount of variance in the amount of laughter and humor initiation shown. This finding supports other evidence documenting the importance of social factors for humor. Limited support was obtained for the view that humor provides a means of rechanneling aggressive behavior tendencies into more socially acceptable forms of behavior.

Summary Two separate studies, using a low-income black (N = 30) and a middle-income white (N = 30) sample, examined the amount of pretend play shown by 21/2- to 5-year-old boys as a function of the realistic structure level of toys. Children were presented one structure level at a time and were allowed to play with the toys for as long as they wished. Comparable findings were obtained for the two samples. More frequent pretend behavior was shown with unstructured toys, but children played longer with high structure toys. Unstructured toys were associated with high playing time only when they were presented before high or moderate structure toys.

Heart rate and skin conductance were monitored continuously while subjects heard and responded to seven riddles and seven problems which were structurally similar. Hypotheses based on cognitive problem-solving models of humor were tested by comparing changes occurring during problem solving with those that occurred during "riddle solving". While heart rate tended to accelerate once a riddle or problem was presented and decelerate once the answer or punch line was given, there were significant differences in skin conductance between riddle- and problem-solving responses, suggesting that a purely problem-solving model of humor may be untenable. A test of Berlyne's hypothesis of arousal change and humor appreciation was also made. As predicted, humor appreciation was greatest for those who showed a moderate amount of change.