This volume explores in depth how infants-perhaps as young as three months-develop the capacity
to appreciate participate in and create humor. Engagingly written it synthesizes theories of
humor its subtle complexities and why it exists despite seeming to have little survival
value. Chapters trace the developing skills in the child's interactions with parents and others
the roles of verbal and nonverbal behaviors in humor and related phenomena including absurdity
funniness laughter teasing and play. These diverse perspectives offer rich insights into how
the human mind learns from its environment why humor is funny and what humor can tell us
about being human. This singular text: Reviews theories and findings on humor and its critical
role in social behavior. Analyzes the challenges of researching humor in infants and young
children. Differentiates among concepts and contexts of humor and playfulness. Situates humor
as a social-emotional as well as cognitive experience. Details current research on humor in
atypically developing children. Examines the role of culture in humor. Humor in Infants is an
essential resource for researchers clinicians and graduate students in developmental
psychology infant mental health social psychology cognitive science and pediatrics.
