In a recent pilot study, research indicates that many individuals regard humor as a valuable parenting technique, showing that the use of humor by a parent or caregiver positively influences their bond with their children. Those who experienced humor in their upbringing tended to have a favorable view of their relationship with their parents.
Laughter might be the best remedy for many, but it can also be an effective method in parenting, as revealed by new research from Penn State.
The research team discovered in their pilot study that a significant number of respondents considered humor to be a productive parenting strategy, which greatly impacts the quality of relationships between parents and their children. Most individuals raised by humorous parents viewed their upbringing positively. The findings were published in the journal PLOS One.
According to Benjamin Levi, a pediatrics and humanities professor at Penn State College of Medicine and the study’s senior author, “Humor fosters cognitive flexibility, alleviates stress, and enhances creative problem-solving and resilience.” He shared his personal experience, stating, “My father employed humor effectively. I integrate humor into my clinical practice and my parenting. This led to the inquiry on how humor can be used constructively.”
Despite many studies exploring humor and play in various contexts and child development, the role of humor in parenting has not been thoroughly researched, as noted by the team.
Lucy Emery, the lead author and a former medical student at Penn State College of Medicine now a pediatrics resident at Boston Children’s Hospital, pointed out, “There exists an intriguing similarity between business and parenting, as both can have hierarchical structures. Humor in business is known to minimize these hierarchies, foster collaboration, spark creativity, and ease tension.” She added, “Although parent-child relationships tend to be more affectionate than those in business, parenting also involves stressful moments. Humor can play a key role in alleviating tension and creating a more positive atmosphere during these challenging times.”
This initial research serves as a stepping stone to investigate how individuals relate humor to their experiences of being parented and their own parenting practices. The findings aim to create a foundation for understanding the constructive use of humor and identifying situations where its application might be more challenging.
The team surveyed 312 participants aged between 18 and 45. Over half acknowledged being raised by humorous individuals, and 71.8% believed humor could be a significant parenting asset. A majority indicated they would incorporate humor into their parenting approach, viewing its benefits as greater than its drawbacks.
The research further revealed a link between the humor employed by parents and the way their adult children perceived their relationships with their parents. Among those reporting humorous parenting, 50.5% affirmed having a strong bond with their parents, while 44.2% felt their parents effectively parented them. Conversely, just 2.9% of individuals with non-humorous parents reported feeling positively about their parental relationship, and only 3.6% believed their parents were effective in their parenting role.
Levi expressed surprise at the significant contrast between the two groups, noting it wasn’t unexpected for children to use humor if raised by similarly inclined caregivers.
The research team aims to broaden this initial study by surveying a larger and more varied group of parents, along with gathering qualitative research to understand parents’ experiences with humor.
Levi hopes that his work will help individuals learn to employ humor effectively in parenting to ease tension and foster resilience, cognitive flexibility, and emotional adaptability in both themselves and their children.
Erik Lehman, a biostatistician at Penn State, and Anne Libera, director of comedy studies at Chicago’s The Second City, were also key contributors to this paper.
This research was supported by the humanities department at Penn State College of Medicine.
