This study aims to investigate the aspect and type of humor expressed by 5-year-old children in their free play time and to analyze the type of humor according to sex and play area. In order to achieve these goals, the following research questions wer...
This study aims to investigate the aspect and type of humor expressed by 5-year-old children in their free play time and to analyze the type of humor according to sex and play area. In order to achieve these goals, the following research questions were developed.
1. How is humor expressed by 5-year-old children in their free play time?
2. What type of humor do the 5-year-old children express in their free play time?
2-1. What are the type of humor in terms of sex?
2-2. What are the type of humor in terms of play area?
The subjects of this study were 30 children at the age of 5 attending public child care center in Seoul. In an attempt to analyze humor expressed by 5-year-old children in their free play time, I categorized several types of humor based on the research of 손세모돌(1999), 윤민아(2007), Bergen(2006), Berger(1976), Franzini(2002/2003), and Loizou(2005). Also, I checked the number of episodes based on event sampling whenever they happened and recorded the expression and reaction of verbal and nonverbal humor produced by children. For the data analysis, frequency and percentage, mean and standard deviation, minimum and maximum value were yielded and the examples of classified humor were provided as well.
The results of this study are as follows.
First, it was found that the total frequency of humor episodes expressed by 5-year-old children was 168 and total number of humor in one episode was 199. The average frequency of episode in one time observation(90min) of indoor free play time was 7.64 and average of the number of humor in one episode was 1.18. The average number of children interacting in one episode was 2.67.
Second, the 5-year-old children expressed humor in the order of humor with comedy, humor with expectancy violation, humor with feature of objects, and humor with a play on words. In terms of subcategories, the subjects mostly expressed hilarious words and behavior in humor with comedy. In the category of humor with feature of objects, mimicking and explaining were mostly expressed, and trying a new play was also mostly expressed in humor with expectancy violation. On the other hand, using ambiguity in humor with a play on words, self-depreciation in humor with comedy, using miscommunications in humor with expectancy violation were the least expressed.
In the aspect of sex, boys more expressed humor than girls in general. Whereas boys expressed all types of humor equally, girls expressed 8 types of humor out of 11. Looking at the difference between the sexes in the types of humor, there was the biggest difference between the sexes in humor with expectancy violation based on the fact that girls more used trying a new play than boys. However, using phonetic similarity in humor with a play on words showed the least difference between the sexes.
In the aspect of play area, humor was expressed in all 9 play areas and was mostly found in block play, followed by role play and snack. However humor was at least shown in the area of computer, and the area of music and science was ranked after. The type of humor was differently shown depending on play areas. In the area of block play, role play, snack and language, using hilarious words and behavior in humor with comedy was most frequently happened. In the area of arts and science, explaining in humor with feature of objects was most frequently happened and in the area of math and puzzles, trying a new play in humor with expectancy violation was most frequently shown. Looking at the type of humor, mimicking and explaining in humor with feature of objects and using hilarious words and behavior in humor with comedy were evenly happened in all play areas, but trying a new play in humor with expectancy violation was expressed only 4 play areas of block play, language, math and puzzles, and role play. However, parody in with expectancy violation was mainly produced in the area of snack and role play.