Chapter 5: The Contribution of Humor to Children's Social Development

Summary Humor's ability to contribute to children's social development is examined in this chapter. It is suggested that humor be viewed as a component of social competence. General social functions of humor are discussed, including the facilitation of social interaction, development of friendships and popularity, provision of a socially acceptable means of expressing hostility, and softening of an assertive/dominating style of interaction with others. Humor's usefulness in helping the humor initiator search for or communicate information (such as like or dislike for another) or to save face is also discussed. It is concluded that the development of heightened early humor helps to optimize children's social development.