Unraveling the Impact of Surprise in Humor-Enhanced Learning

Humor enhances learning in infants, but it is still unclear whether this effect is driven by surprise or by other processes entailed in humor, such as laughter, positive emotions, or affiliation. To investigate this question, we conducted two experiments with a total of 159 infants. In both experiments, infants were required to use a rake to retrieve an out-of-reach toy after observing a demonstrator performing the task either in a neutral or a humorous way (Experiments 1 and 2), or in a surprising way (Experiment 2).

We analyzed both behavioral and physiological data, collected using an electronic wristband, to assess infants’ performance and emotional responses. In this talk, I will first discuss the most appropriate ways to identify surprise in infants based on our multidimensional approach. I will then compare infants’ performance across the three types of demonstrations and highlight the role of surprise as a key factor contributing to the beneficial effect of humor on learning in infancy.