Humor in video Bible stories : a study of humor and child development.

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of the use of humor in religious stories on a child’s ability to remember, understand, and paraphrase content, as well as the overall enjoyment. This study also seeks to determine how age and program type affect the variables listed above. Participants watched one of two videos teaching the story of Saul's encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus found in Acts 9:1-22. Results indicated that there was no significance on the inclusion of humor with a child’s enjoyment, nor the remembering, understanding, or paraphrasing scores. However, age was a significant covariate on remembering, understanding, and paraphrasing. Also, program type had a significant impact on remembering and paraphrasing. Previous exposure to the story increased overall scores, which suggests that repetition is key to a successful learning experience.