Developmental trajectory of humor and laughter in children

Developmental trajectories can be population-based, longitudinal, and person-specific paths, progression, or lines of movement, either upward or downward, beginning with the origins of behavior over a period, age, and time. In the present bibliographic review, an attempt is made to outline the phylogeny-cum-ontogenetic progression of humor and laughter beginning in primates, infants, and across different stages of childhood. Secondary sources of evidence-based published work on the theme of humor development covering 91 out of 785 publications compiled by the author and spanning across years beginning from the 1930s to date are presented as a longitudinal narrative. While the activities that trigger children to laugh at each stage of humor are indicated, their key characteristics are exemplified. Towards the end, the perils of negative use of humor are highlighted before providing tips for promoting healthy humor in children.