The IYRC
  • Home
  • 2023 Conference
    • Submission & Presentation Guidelines
    • Paper Submission
    • FAQ
  • 2023 Summer Program
    • About
    • Application
    • Pre-orientation Program
  • Past Conferences
    • IYRC Fall 2022
    • IYRC Fall 2021 >
      • Authors
      • IYRC Fall 2021 Proceedings
      • Schedule
      • Keynote Speakers
    • IYRC Spring 2021 >
      • Authors
      • Scholarship
      • Schedule
      • Keynote Speakers
    • IYRC 2020 >
      • IYRC 2020 Proceedings
      • Guest Speakers
      • Events >
        • HCJI Panel
        • Guest Speaker - Molly Edwards
        • Guest Speaker - Paul Lewis
    • IYRC 2019 Proceedings
    • IYRC 2018 Proceedings
  • Past Summer Programs
    • IYRC Summer 2022
    • IYRC Summer 2021
  • About
    • Programs
    • Partnerships
    • Who we are
    • Gallery
    • Testimonials
  • Contact Us

"Peek-a-boo!": Determining the Latency to Laughter in the Case of Three Different Jokes Within Infants Aged Six to Eighteen Months

by Sophie Stumacher
Category: Humanities and Social Sciences
Abstract – Laughter is universally experienced by humans, and infants usually begin exhibiting this behavior at three months. By understanding laughter, we can strengthen the important relationship between a parent and their child. Because of this importance, scientists have investigated infant humor perception based on parental affect, social referencing, etc. Thus far, infant response time to a joke, or the latency period, has not been explored. Strengthening our understanding of the latency period allows us to predict what factors may lead to laughter the quickest. This study is one of the first of its kind to investigate whether the latency period varies depending on age and joke type. Parental perception of their child’s laughter responses was also investigated. The current work focused on three joke types: absurd (Not-A-Hat), conceptual (Peek-a-boo), and uncategorized (Tearing Paper). Participants were aged 6-18 months. It was found that the conceptual joke (Peek a-boo) had a significantly shorter latency time than the other joke types (x̄ = 1.46s, p<0.001). In addition, infants aged 12-18 months obtained a longer latency time than those aged 6-12 months (x̄ = 1.91s, p>0.05), although the difference was not significant. This study can help scientists predict patterns about what infants are more likely to laugh at, and help parents determine the quickest way to elicit laughter at different developmental stages. As laughter is one of the first forms of vocal communication, this study is vital for parents, so they can better nurture a secure attachment to their child.
  • PAPER
  • PRESENTATION VIDEO
<
>
Download PDF
Contact us: ​info@the-iyrc.org
  • Home
  • 2023 Conference
    • Submission & Presentation Guidelines
    • Paper Submission
    • FAQ
  • 2023 Summer Program
    • About
    • Application
    • Pre-orientation Program
  • Past Conferences
    • IYRC Fall 2022
    • IYRC Fall 2021 >
      • Authors
      • IYRC Fall 2021 Proceedings
      • Schedule
      • Keynote Speakers
    • IYRC Spring 2021 >
      • Authors
      • Scholarship
      • Schedule
      • Keynote Speakers
    • IYRC 2020 >
      • IYRC 2020 Proceedings
      • Guest Speakers
      • Events >
        • HCJI Panel
        • Guest Speaker - Molly Edwards
        • Guest Speaker - Paul Lewis
    • IYRC 2019 Proceedings
    • IYRC 2018 Proceedings
  • Past Summer Programs
    • IYRC Summer 2022
    • IYRC Summer 2021
  • About
    • Programs
    • Partnerships
    • Who we are
    • Gallery
    • Testimonials
  • Contact Us