<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nostalgia#As_a_comfort" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Nostalgia for fond memories commonly produces positive emotion</a> (for further review, see <a href="http://www.wildschut.me/Tim_Wildschut/home_files/emo-2012-05385-001.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Zhou, Wildschut, Sedikides, Chen, &amp; Vingerhoets, 2012</a>). As for the increase in your appreciation of these particular puns, I've mentioned in <a href="https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/a/5626/4086">a very recent answer of mine to another very recent question about humor</a> that positive emotion alone may encourage the sense that something is funny. Depending on the nature of the particular puns, they might also appeal to a certain sense of humor you've had to develop with age and experience. </p>

<p><sub>This last point is just conditional speculation though; I also admit that the article I've cited doesn't pertain to humor directly, and I can't provide more direct evidence of the sort your question requests offhand. I hope someone else can!</sub></p>

<p><strong>Reference</strong></p>

<p>Zhou, X., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Chen, X., &amp; Vingerhoets, A. J. (2012). Heartwarming memories: Nostalgia maintains physiological comfort. <em>Emotion, 12</em>(4), 678–685. Available online, URL: <a href="http://www.wildschut.me/Tim_Wildschut/home_files/emo-2012-05385-001.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.wildschut.me/Tim_Wildschut/home_files/emo-2012-05385-001.pdf</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-05T02:08:17.933Z
2014-02-05T02:08:17.933Z
2017-04-13T12:56:16.417Z
Nick Stauner
<p>My own experience was that my father and grandfather retold many puns as I was in my childhood and teens; at the time, I thought it was abysmal. </p>

<p>Now I think they're the funniest things ever. </p>

<p><strong>Is there any evidence to suggest that telling puns to children makes them enjoy those puns when they are older?</strong> I.e., are puns 'conditioned'?</p>

<developmental-psychology><conditioning><humour>
Is there any evidence to suggest telling puns to a child makes them enjoy it when they are older?
hawkeye
# Is there any evidence to suggest telling puns to a child makes them enjoy it when they are older?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-02-04)

My own experience was that my father and grandfather retold many puns as I was in my childhood and teens; at the time, I thought it was abysmal.

Now I think they're the funniest things ever.

**Is there any evidence to suggest that telling puns to children makes them enjoy those puns when they are older?** I.e., are puns 'conditioned'?

**Tags:** developmental-psychology, conditioning, humour


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-02-05. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

[Nostalgia for fond memories commonly produces positive emotion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nostalgia#As_a_comfort) (for further review, see [Zhou, Wildschut, Sedikides, Chen, & Vingerhoets, 2012](http://www.wildschut.me/Tim_Wildschut/home_files/emo-2012-05385-001.pdf)). As for the increase in your appreciation of these particular puns, I've mentioned in [a very recent answer of mine to another very recent question about humor](https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/a/5626/4086) that positive emotion alone may encourage the sense that something is funny. Depending on the nature of the particular puns, they might also appeal to a certain sense of humor you've had to develop with age and experience.

This last point is just conditional speculation though; I also admit that the article I've cited doesn't pertain to humor directly, and I can't provide more direct evidence of the sort your question requests offhand. I hope someone else can!

**Reference**

Zhou, X., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Chen, X., & Vingerhoets, A. J. (2012). Heartwarming memories: Nostalgia maintains physiological comfort. *Emotion, 12*(4), 678–685. Available online, URL: <http://www.wildschut.me/Tim_Wildschut/home_files/emo-2012-05385-001.pdf>.


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