VIA ZOOM
Before they walk, talk, or sleep through the night, infants do something else that has often been overlooked for its developmental significance: they laugh. Soon after, they intentionally amuse others and, before long, invent ways to tease and trick the familiar people in their lives. Drawing on empirical research, Dr. Gina Mireault's presentation will explore what laughter, humor, and teasing reveal about infants' understanding of the world and the social relationships that shape their earliest development.
Gina Mireault, PhD, is a Developmental Psychologist and Professor of Psychology at Vermont State University (USA). Her research focuses on humor development in the first year of life. She investigates how infants detect humorous events with implications for understanding critical developmental milestones like “theory of mind”, attachment security, and cognitive development. Dr. Mireault’s research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and Vermont Biomedical Research Network. Her work has appeared in numerous peer-reviewed journals including Developmental Science, Human Development, Current Biology, and Infancy as well as in popular media outlets like The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, Science Daily, CNN.com, WebMD, American Baby, Parenting, and Salon. Her work has also appeared on NPR’s The Takeaway, PBS’ NOVA ScienceNow, NBC Nightly News, and CBC’s The Nature of Things.
Add event to calendar using your preferred icon below
