Speaking of Psychology Why babies laugh, with Gina Mireault, PhD
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Apr 1, 2026 Gina Mireault, PhD, developmental psychologist who runs the Infant Laughter Lab, studies how babies react to surprises and early humor. She describes what triggers baby laughter, how infants detect incongruity, when they begin trying to make others laugh, and how social and cultural context shape early giggles.
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Infants Detect Absurdity Independently
- Six-month-olds can detect incongruity and find absurd events funny without parental cues, decoding silliness independently.
- Mireault's 'baby comedy club' showed infants laughed more when parents remained neutral during a clown-nose oddity.
Babies Start Trying To Be Funny By Six Months
- Babies begin intentionally making others laugh around five to six months by imitating actions like raspberries and violating constructions.
- Mireault describes examples: babies imitating raspberries and knocking over towers or popping bubbles on purpose.
Smiling Depends On Social Context
- Infants smile far more in social contexts than alone; social presence elicits smiling even when minimal.
- Mireault notes three-month-olds often mirror caregiver smiles but by six months fewer do, showing a cognitive shift.