Is the Concept of Incongruity Still a Useful Construct for the Advancement of Humor Research?
The perception of incongruity is considered to be a necessary, though not sufficient, component of the humor experience. Incongruity has been investigated in the philosophical tradition for centuries, and it goes back as far as Aristotle's definition of the comic as based on a particular form of απάτη (surprise and deception). In modern times, many theoretical models, as well as empirical works, are based on this concept. The question is here raised whether the concept of incongruity has already been examined and exploited to its full potential, and nothing new, of theoretical or experimental usefulness, may be drawn from it. It is proposed to conceptualize incongruity as follows: a stimulus is perceived as incongruous when it diverts from the cognitive model of reference. In this perspective, a number of observations are advanced which point to a heuristic property of incongruity still open to interesting developments, both for theory and for applications.
References
Attardo, Salvatore. Linguistic Theories of Humor. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1994.Search in Google Scholar
Attardo, Salvatore. "The semantic foundations of cognitive theories of humor." Humor. International Journal of Humor Research 10-4 (1997): 395-420.10.1515/humr.1997.10.4.395Search in Google Scholar
Attardo, Salvatore. Humorous Texts: A Semantic and Pragmatic Analysis. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 2001.10.1515/9783110887969Search in Google Scholar
Attardo, Salvatore. and Victor Raskin. "Script theory revis(it)ed: Joke similarity and joke representation model." Humor. International Journal of Humor Research 4: 3-4 (1991): 293-347.10.1515/humr.1991.4.3-4.293Search in Google Scholar
Attardo, Salvatore., Christian F. Hempelmann and Sara Di Maio. "Script opposition and logical mechanisms: Modeling incongruities and their resolutions." Humor. International Journal of Humor Research 15-1 (2002): 3-46, doi:10.1515/humr.2002.004.10.1515/humr.2002.004Search in Google Scholar
Bariaud, Françoise. La Genèse de l'humour chez l'enfant. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1983.10.3917/puf.baria.1983.01Search in Google Scholar
Bartolo, Angela, Francesca Benuzzi, Luca Nocetti, Patrizia Baraldi and Paolo Nichelli. "Humor comprehension and appreciation: An fMRI study." Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 18 (2006): 1789-1798, doi:10.1162/jocn.2006.18.11.1789.10.1162/jocn.2006.18.11.1789Search in Google Scholar
Bateson, Gregory. "The position of humor in human communication." In Cybernetics: Circular Causal and Feedback Mechanisms in Biological and Social Sciences, Transactions of the Ninth Conference, edited by Heinz von Foerster, 1-47. New York: Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, 1952.Search in Google Scholar
Bergson, Henri. Le Rire. Essai sur la Signification du Comique. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1966 (ed. or. 1900).Search in Google Scholar
Byrne, Donn. "Drive level, response to humor, and the cartoons sequence effect." Psychological Reports 4 (1958): 439-442.10.2466/pr0.1958.4.h.439Search in Google Scholar
Carter, Cameron, Todd Braver, Deanna Barch, Matthew Botvinick, Douglas Noll and Jonathan Cohen. "Anterior cingulate cortex, error detection, and the online monitoring of performance." Science 280 (1998): 747-749, doi:10.1126/science.280.5364.747.10.1126/science.280.5364.747Search in Google Scholar
Coulson, Seana and Marta Kutas. "Getting it: Human event-related brain response to jokes in good and poor comprehenders." Neuroscience Letters 316 (2001): 71-74, doi: 10.1016/S0304-3940(01)02387-4.10.1016/S0304-3940(01)02387-4Search in Google Scholar
Coulson, Seana and Ying Choon Wu. "Right hemisphere activation of joke-related information: An event-related brain potential study." Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 17 (2005): 494-506, doi: 10.1162/0898929053279568.10.1162/0898929053279568Search in Google Scholar
Coulson, Seana and Els Severens. "Hemispheric asymmetry and pun comprehension: When cowboys have sore calves." Brain and Language 100-2 (2007): 172-187, doi: 10.1016/j.bandl.2005.08.009.10.1016/j.bandl.2005.08.009Search in Google Scholar
Cundall Jr, Michael K. "Humor and the limits of incongruity." Creativity Research Journal 19-2/3 (2007): 203-211.10.1080/10400410701397263Search in Google Scholar
Davies, Christie. Ethnic Humor around the World: A Comparative Analysis. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1990.Search in Google Scholar
Deckers, Lambert. "On the validity of a weight-judging paradigm for the study of humor." Humor. International Journal of Humor Research 6-1 (1993): 43-56.10.1515/humr.1993.6.1.43Search in Google Scholar
Derks, Peter, Lyn Gillikin, Debbie Bartolome-Rull and Edward Bogart. "Laughter and electroencephalographic activity." Humor. International Journal of Humor Research 10-3 (1997): 285-300.10.1515/humr.1997.10.3.285Search in Google Scholar
Dynel, Marta. Humorous Garden-Paths: A Pragmatic-Cognitive Study (forthcoming).Search in Google Scholar
Eichinger Ferro-Luzzi, Gabriella. "Tamil jokes and the polythetic-prototype approach to humor." Humor. International Journal of Humor Research 3-2 (1990): 147-158.10.1515/humr.1990.3.2.147Search in Google Scholar
Escarpit, Robert. L'humour. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1960.Search in Google Scholar
Festinger, Leon. A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Evanston, IL: Row Peterson, 1957.10.1515/9781503620766Search in Google Scholar
Forabosco, Giovannantonio. "Cognitive aspects of the humor process: The concept of incongruity." Humor. International Journal of Humor Research 5-1/2 (1992): 45-68.10.1515/humr.1992.5.1-2.45Search in Google Scholar
Forabosco, Giovannantonio. "‘Seriality’ and appreciation of jokes." Humor. International Journal of Humor Research 7-4 (1994): 351-375.10.1515/humr.1994.7.4.351Search in Google Scholar
Forabosco, Giovannantonio. "The ill side of humor: Pathological conditions and sense of humor." In The Sense of Humor, edited by Willibald Ruch, 271-292. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1998.Search in Google Scholar
Forabosco, Giovannantonio. and Willibald Ruch. "Sensation seeking, social attitudes and humor appreciation in Italy." Personality and Individual Differences 16-4 (1994): 515-528, doi: 10.1016/0191-8869(94)90179-1.10.1016/0191-8869(94)90179-1Search in Google Scholar
Goel, Vinod and Raymond J. Dolan. "Social regulation of affective experience of humor." Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 19 (2007): 1574-1580, doi: 10.1162/jocn.2007.19.9.1574.10.1162/jocn.2007.19.9.1574Search in Google Scholar
Goldstein, Jeffrey H. "Repetition, motive arousal, and humor appreciation." Journal of Experimental Research in Personality 4 (1970): 90-94.Search in Google Scholar
Goldstein, Jeffrey H. and Paul E. McGhee, eds. The Psychology of Humor: Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Issues. New York: Academic Press, 1972.Search in Google Scholar
Goldstein, Jeffrey H. "Advances toward an understanding of humor: Implications for the future." In The Psychology of Humor: Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Issues, edited by Jeffrey H. Goldstein and Paul E. McGhee, 243-259. New York: Academic Press, 1972.Search in Google Scholar
Grimes, Wilma H. "A theory of humor for public address: the mirth experience." Speech Monographs 22 (1955): 217-226.10.1080/03637755509375145Search in Google Scholar
Hempelmann, Christian F. and Willibald Ruch. "3WD meets GTVH: Breaking the ground for interdisciplinary research." Humor. International Journal of Humor Research 18-4 (2005): 353-387, doi: 10.1515/humr.2005.18.4.353.10.1515/humr.2005.18.4.353Search in Google Scholar
Hillson, Tim R. and Rod A. Martin. "What's so funny about that?: The domainsinteraction approach as a model of incongruity and resolution in humor." Motivation and Emotion 18-1 (1994): 1-29.10.1007/BF02252473Search in Google Scholar
Kagan, Jerome. "On the need for relativism." American Psychologist 22 (1967): 131-147, doi: 10.1037/h0024311.10.1037/h0024311Search in Google Scholar
Keith-Spiegel, Patricia. "Early conceptions of humor: Varieties and issues." In The Psychology of Humor: Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Issues, edited by Jeffrey H. Goldstein and Paul E. McGhee, 3-39. New York: Academic Press, 1972.Search in Google Scholar
Kutas, Marta and Kara D. Federmeier. "Electrophysiology reveals semantic memory use in language comprehension." Trends in Cognitive Sciences 4 (2000): 463-470, doi: 10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01560-6.10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01560-6Search in Google Scholar
Latta, Robert L. The Basic Humor Process: A Cognitive Shift Theory and a Case against Incongruity. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1999.10.1515/9783110806137Search in Google Scholar
Martin, Lilien J. "Psychology of aesthetics: Experimental prospecting in the field of the comic." American Journal of Psychology 16-1 (1905): 35-118.10.2307/1412228Search in Google Scholar
Martin, Rod A. The Psychology of Humor. An Integrative Approach. Burlington, MA: Elsevier, 2007.10.1016/B978-012372564-6/50023-XSearch in Google Scholar
McGhee, Paul E. "The role of operational thinking in children's comprehension of humor." Child Development 42-3 (1971): 733-744.10.2307/1127444Search in Google Scholar
McGhee, Paul E. "The role of arousal and hemispheric lateralization in humor." In Handbook of Humor Research (I), edited by Paul E. McGhee and Jeffrey H. Goldstein, 13-37. New York: Springer, 1983.10.1007/978-1-4612-5572-7_2Search in Google Scholar
Morin, Violette. "L'histoire Drôle." Communications 8 (1966): 102-119.10.3406/comm.1966.1118Search in Google Scholar
Oring, Elliott. Review of The Basic Humor Process: A Cognitive Shift Theory and a Case against Incongruity. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1999, by Robert L. Latta. Humor. International Journal of Humor Research 12-4 (1999): 457-464.Search in Google Scholar
Paolillo, John C. "Gary Larson's Far Side: Nonsense? Nonsense!" Humor. International Journal of Humor Research 11-3 (1998): 261-290.10.1515/humr.1998.11.3.261Search in Google Scholar
Pien, Diana and Mary K. Rothbart. "Incongruity and resolution in children's humor: A reexamination". Child Development 47-4 (1976): 966-971.10.2307/1128432Search in Google Scholar
Raskin, Victor. Semantic Mechanisms of Humor. New York: Reidel/Kluwer, 1985.10.1007/978-94-009-6472-3Search in Google Scholar
Ruch, Willibald. "Assessment of appreciation of humor: Studies with the 3WD humor test." In Advances in Personality Assessment vol. 9, edited by Charles D. Spielberger and James N. Butcher, 27-75. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, 1992.Search in Google Scholar
Ruch, Willibald. and Franz-Joseph Hehl. "A two-mode model of humor appreciation: Its relation to aesthetic appreciation and simplicity-complexity of personality." In The Sense of Humor, edited by Willibald Ruch, 109-142. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1998.Search in Google Scholar
Santarcangeli, Paolo. Homo Ridens. Firenze: Olschki, 1989.Search in Google Scholar
Shultz, Thomas R. "The role of incongruity and resolution in children's appreciation of cartoon humor." Journal of Experimental Child Psychology 13 (1972): 456-477, doi: 10.1016/0022-0965(72)90074-4.10.1016/0022-0965(72)90074-4Search in Google Scholar
Suls, Jerry M. "A two-stage model for the appreciation of jokes and cartoons." In The Psychology of Humor: Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Issues, edited by Jeffrey H. Goldstein and Paul E. McGhee, 81-100. New York: Academic Press, 1972.Search in Google Scholar
Suls, Jerry M. "Cognitive processes in humor appreciation". In Handbook of Humor Research (I), edited by Paul E. McGhee and Jeffrey H. Goldstein, 39-57. New York: Springer, 1983.10.1007/978-1-4612-5572-7_3Search in Google Scholar
Uerkermann, Jennifer, Irene Daum and Shelley Channon. "Toward a cognitive and social neuroscience of humor processing." Social Cognition 25-4 (2007): 553-572, doi: 10.1521/soco.2007.25.4.553.10.1521/soco.2007.25.4.553Search in Google Scholar
Veale, Tony. "Incongruity in humor: Root cause or epiphenomenon?" Humor. International Journal of Humor Research 17-4 (2004): 419-428.10.1515/humr.2004.17.4.419Search in Google Scholar
Wild, Barbara, Frank A. Rodden, Wolfgang Grodd and Willibald Ruch. "Neural correlates of laughter and humour." Brain 126 (2003): 2121-2138, doi: 10.1093/brain/awg226.10.1093/brain/awg226Search in Google Scholar
Zajonc, Robert B. "Attitudinal effect on mere exposure." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 6-2 (1968): 1-27, doi: 10.1037/h0025848.10.1037/h0025848Search in Google Scholar
Freud, Sigmund. Der Witz und seine Beziehung zum Unbewussten. Leipzig and Vienna: Deuticke, 1905 (Tr.: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious. New York: Norton, 1960).Search in Google Scholar
Fry, William F. Sweet Madness: A Study of Humor. Palo Alto, CA: Pacific Books, 1963.10.1037/11790-000Search in Google Scholar
Fry, William F. "Humor and the brain: A selective review." Humor. International Journal of Humor Research 15-3 (2002): 305-333, doi: 10.1515/humr.2002.017.10.1515/humr.2002.017Search in Google Scholar
This content is open access.
