Mini-review: Wild laughs: Ontogenesis and phylogenesis of humour
Maria Elide Vanutelli1, Moritz M Daum2, Mirella Manfredi2
1Department of Psychology, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy; Department of Philosophy "Piero Martinetti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Abstract:
This mini-review discusses the existing evidence on various forms of humour and humour-like behaviour in non-human animals, combining ontogenetic and phylogenetic perspectives. The first section describes humour-like behaviours, from the simplest to the most complex form (from laughing, tickling, joking, and chasing to ToM humour). In the second section, we propose the SPeCies (Social, Physiological, and Cognitive) Perspective, which frames the various types of humour based on Social motivation, Physiological state, and Cognitive skills. Finally, in the third section, we discuss future directions for further development.
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