View in EDS

Children Find Others' Misfortune Funnier than Adults

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Children Find Others' Misfortune Funnier than Adults
Language: English
Authors: Ebru Ger (ORCID 0000-0002-6140-1807), Mirella Manfredi (ORCID 0000-0002-6549-1993), Moritz M. Daum (ORCID 0000-0002-4032-4574)
Source: Social Development. 2025 34(3).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 9
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Humor, Psychological Patterns, Nonverbal Communication, Psychology, Undergraduate Students, Preschool Children, Comparative Analysis, Pictorial Stimuli, Victims, Decision Making, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: Europe
DOI: 10.1111/sode.12805
ISSN: 0961-205X
1467-9507
Abstract: This study investigated the perceived funniness of misfortune in children and adults, examining the role of the misfortune victims' facial expressions. Participants included 100 psychology undergraduates and 97 4- to 5-year-olds from a middle-European country. Participants were presented with pictures in which misfortune victims exhibited either angry or painful expressions (affective), funny expressions (comic), or no visible facial expression (no-face). Children and adults rated comic pictures as the funniest, followed by no-face pictures, and affective pictures as the least funny. This suggests that children and adults perceive humor in misfortune similarly, in alignment with facial expressions. However, children rated all categories of pictures as funnier than adults, indicating generally heightened amusement. While children seem to consider the victims' facial expressions when judging humor (i.e., understanding of victim distress vs. bewilderment), their responses may be more strongly influenced by the unexpected nature of the misfortune compared to adults. As children develop, their ability to integrate facial expressions with the unexpected nature of misfortune may become more pronounced, leading to a more nuanced understanding of humor.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://osf.io/6yaqp/files/osfstorage?view_only=279ebdc373474b44853bc3a895431699
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1478672
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1478672
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Children Find Others' Misfortune Funnier than Adults
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ebru+Ger%22">Ebru Ger</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6140-1807">0000-0002-6140-1807</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mirella+Manfredi%22">Mirella Manfredi</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6549-1993">0000-0002-6549-1993</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Moritz+M%2E+Daum%22">Moritz M. Daum</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4032-4574">0000-0002-4032-4574</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Social+Development%22"><i>Social Development</i></searchLink>. 2025 34(3).
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 9
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Humor%22">Humor</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+Patterns%22">Psychological Patterns</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nonverbal+Communication%22">Nonverbal Communication</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychology%22">Psychology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Undergraduate+Students%22">Undergraduate Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preschool+Children%22">Preschool Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comparative+Analysis%22">Comparative Analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pictorial+Stimuli%22">Pictorial Stimuli</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Victims%22">Victims</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decision+Making%22">Decision Making</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Europe%22">Europe</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1111/sode.12805
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0961-205X<br />1467-9507
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This study investigated the perceived funniness of misfortune in children and adults, examining the role of the misfortune victims' facial expressions. Participants included 100 psychology undergraduates and 97 4- to 5-year-olds from a middle-European country. Participants were presented with pictures in which misfortune victims exhibited either angry or painful expressions (affective), funny expressions (comic), or no visible facial expression (no-face). Children and adults rated comic pictures as the funniest, followed by no-face pictures, and affective pictures as the least funny. This suggests that children and adults perceive humor in misfortune similarly, in alignment with facial expressions. However, children rated all categories of pictures as funnier than adults, indicating generally heightened amusement. While children seem to consider the victims' facial expressions when judging humor (i.e., understanding of victim distress vs. bewilderment), their responses may be more strongly influenced by the unexpected nature of the misfortune compared to adults. As children develop, their ability to integrate facial expressions with the unexpected nature of misfortune may become more pronounced, leading to a more nuanced understanding of humor.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: Note
  Label: Notes
  Group: Note
  Data: https://osf.io/6yaqp/files/osfstorage?view_only=279ebdc373474b44853bc3a895431699
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1478672
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1478672
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1111/sode.12805
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 9
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Humor
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychological Patterns
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Nonverbal Communication
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Undergraduate Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Preschool Children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Comparative Analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pictorial Stimuli
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Victims
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Decision Making
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Europe
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Children Find Others' Misfortune Funnier than Adults
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Ebru Ger
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Mirella Manfredi
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Moritz M. Daum
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 08
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0961-205X
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1467-9507
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 34
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Social Development
              Type: main
ResultId 1