Abstract
Humor is crucial for social development. Despite this, very few studies have examined the neurodevelopment of humor in very young children, and none to date have used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to study this important cognitive construct. The main aim of the current study was to characterize the neural basis of humor processing in young children between the ages of 6–8 years. Thirty-five healthy children (6–8 years old) watched funny and neutral video clips while undergoing fNIRS imaging. We observed activation increases in left temporo-occipito-parietal junction (TOPJ), inferior-parietal lobe (IPL), dorsolateral-prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and superior parietal lobe (SPL) regions. Activation in left TOPJ was positively correlated with age. In addition, we found that coherence increased in humor viewing compared to neutral content, mainly between remote regions. This effect was different for boys and girls, as boys showed a more pronounced increase in coherence for funny compared to neutral videos, more so in frontoparietal networks. These results expand our understanding of the neurodevelopment of humor by highlighting the effect of age on the neural basis of humor appreciation as well as emphasizing different developmental trajectories of boys and girls.
Highlights
Humor is a universal human feature which refers to activities that are considered funny and make people laugh as well as to the processes that go into creating and perceiving these activities and the amusing feeling that arises [1]
We significantly extend research knowledge of humor processing in children by utilizing functional near infrared spectroscopy, a methodology that allows for more portable, mobile and flexible neuroimaging than what is possible using functional magnetic resonance imaging
While this is a limitation of the current study, we choose to focus on the cognitive component of humor, which is better represented in cortical activations
Summary
Humor is a universal human feature which refers to activities that are considered funny and make people laugh as well as to the processes that go into creating and perceiving these activities and the amusing feeling that arises [1]. One of the most prominent theories of humor is the incongruity detection and resolution theory which suggests that humor requires first the introduction of incongruity, which produces an unexpected violation of expectations, and results in cognitive arousal; and incongruity resolution associated with amusement [2,3,4]. Wyer and Collins [5] expanded on this concept to suggest the comprehension elaboration theory which posits that humor processing relies on two phases: comprehension and elaboration [2]. According to this theory, comprehension refers to the stage of incongruity detection and resolution, whereas elaboration refers to the subsequent enjoyment that follows
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