The science of humor: Incongruity theory

Brian Galloway for redOrbit.com – @brigallo17

Humor is a huge topic and there are many questions to tackle. Last week we looked at why jerks laugh at things they see as inadequate. The kindhearted writers at redOrbit would never make poke fun at anyone or anything, and we certainly wouldn’t make it into a series.

[STORY: This week in obvious science]

Well, maybe we would.

This week: incongruity theory

Incongruity theory relies on mixing expectations and ideas to create humor. Something usually revered might be brought into contact with something thought trivial or unimportant. The world around us sets certain rules and expectations for life, and it can be funny when the rules are broken.

Jokes depend on the degree of contrast between the things being compared, and the level of fusion the joker achieves. Two very different ideas brought together creates a lot of humor.

This theory is purely cerebral and doesn’t take emotion into account. It relies on a well-informed and rational listener who already understands the natural order of reality. People who can’t make connections between concepts can’t understand when an incongruity pops up.

Where can we see this?

A man walks into a bar. He sits down next to a priest who is outwardly inebriated. The man says “Father, what are you doing here? This is far from a holy place.” The priest replies, “I’m Catholic, have you ever been to a Catholic wedding? Drinking isn’t reserved for sinners.”

Before I continue, just know I grew up Catholic and I’ve been to many Catholic weddings. I’m not insinuating that every Catholic drinks, it was just a bit surprising when my grandmother drunkenly slipped on the dance floor at my uncle’s wedding.

When the man walks up to the priest at the bar, we have an expectation of priests being reserved, reverent, and moral. We don’t often associate priests with drinking, so it’s incongruous when he admits to drinking just like everyone else.

Comedians use incongruity theory all the time. Check out this Jim Gaffigan clip about weddings:

Society views weddings as an important way to begin a marriage. Jim brings in the idea that they’re over-extravagant and a waste of money. We’re not used to that thought, so it’s funny.

Punderful news

Puns are another example of incongruity theory. We have an expectation for the use of words and this can sometimes be funny when these expectations are changed. Here’s a clip from 5secondfilms on YouTube. Pay attention, it’s quick.

Puns are a fairly mild form of incongruity theory. We have an expectation for the “rules of language” and it’s amusing when the rules are bent or broken. However, wordplay is pretty common so it’s not that funny—be honest, have you ever actually laughed at a pun? Didn’t think so.

Dads have an uncanny mastery of groan-inducing wordplay. You say, “Hey dad, I like how your beard looks”, to which he replies “Thanks son, it’s growing on me, too.”

Groan. Tell him you’re hungry and he quips back “Hi hungry, I’m dad.”

In case you missed it, check out part I of our humor series: The Superiority Theory.

—–

Follow redOrbit on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest.

redOrbit.com
offers Science, Space, Technology, Health news, videos, images and
reference information. For the latest science news, space news,
technology news, health news visit redOrbit.com frequently. Learn
something new every day.”

Source: http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1113338795/the-science-of-humor-incongruity-theory-030315/