Researchers at the University of Bristol have pinpointed when humor first emerges in infants and traced its evolution through early childhood. Their findings are detailed in the journal Behavior Research Methods.
Humor is a universal human trait that helps us manage stress, build relationships, spark creativity, and even attract partners. Yet, surprisingly little is known about its origins and early development.
To address this gap, experts from Bristol's School of Education surveyed parents of 671 children aged 0 to 47 months across the UK, US, Australia, and Canada using 20 targeted questions.
The study revealed that some children showed enjoyment of humor as early as one month old. By two months, about half appreciated it, and 50% were producing humor by 11 months. Parents reported that when kids start joking, it's often recent—half did so in the three hours before the survey.
The researchers identified age-specific humor types. Under one year, infants loved physical, visual, and auditory fun like peek-a-boo, tickling, funny faces, silly voices, or misuse of objects (e.g., a mug on the head).
After age one, humor shifted to social interactions, such as teasing, startling others, or imitating animals for reactions.
At two years, humor mirrored language growth, featuring labeling mix-ups (e.g., dogs quacking), nonsense words, mischief like mocking others, or mild aggression like pushing.
By three, children toyed with social norms (e.g., using rude words for laughs) and grasped puns.
“Our results highlight that humor is a complex developmental process during the first four years of life,” says lead researcher Elena Hoicka. “Given its universality and role in cognition and social skills, developing tools to track its emergence is crucial for understanding child development.”
While larger studies are needed, this research holds promise as an early diagnostic tool for parents and educators.
