Humor: Developmental Trend in Joke Appreciation

Three children, one in each age cohort (i.e., 4 - 5 years, 7 - 8 years, 12 - 13 years) were asked to participate in the present study. All three children were read a selection of three jokes from a listing provided by the instruction; the three jokes were designed to appeal to the three age cohorts. Recording of participants' reactions was undertaken to determine verbal and nonverbal responses to each joke. A scale was used to assess responses. A score of 1 indicated that the subject found the joke funny or laughed, while a score of 2 indicated a neutral reaction and a score of 3 indicated that the subject thought the joke was "dumb." The following table presents results of the study, using the foregoing scale.

When these data are examined, several trends appear. First, all three subjects responded positively to the job that was exp

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Category: Psychology - H