Dai Ru H, Chen Hsueh-Chih, Chan Yu C, Wu Ching-Lin, Li Ping, Cho Shu L, Hu Jon-Fan
National Taiwan Normal UniversityTaipei, Taiwan.
National Tsing Hua UniversityHsin Chu, Taiwan.
Front Psychol. 2017 Apr 24;8:498. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00498. eCollection 2017.
It is well accepted that the humor comprehension processing involves incongruity detection and resolution and then induces a feeling of amusement. However, this three-stage model of humor processing does not apply to absurd humor (so-called nonsense humor). Absurd humor contains an unresolvable incongruity but can still induce a feeling of mirth. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify the neural mechanisms of absurd humor. Specifically, we aimed to investigate the neural substrates associated with the complete resolution of incongruity resolution humor and partial resolution of absurd humor. Based on the fMRI data, we propose a dual-path model of incongruity resolution and absurd verbal humor. According to this model, the detection and resolution for the incongruity of incongruity resolution humor activate brain regions involved in the temporo-parietal lobe (TPJ) implicated in the integration of multiple information and precuneus, likely to be involved in the ability of perspective taking. The appreciation of incongruity resolution humor activates regions the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), implicated in autobiographic or event memory retrieval, and parahippocampal gyrus (PHG), implying the funny feeling. By contrast, the partial resolution of absurd humor elicits greater activation in the fusiform gyrus which have been implicated in word processing, inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) for the process of incongruity resolution and superior temporal gyrus (STG) for the pragmatic awareness.
人们普遍认为，幽默理解过程涉及不一致性检测与解决，进而引发愉悦感。然而，这种幽默处理的三阶段模型并不适用于荒诞幽默（即所谓的无厘头幽默）。荒诞幽默包含无法解决的不一致性，但仍能引发欢笑。在本研究中，我们使用功能磁共振成像（fMRI）来识别荒诞幽默的神经机制。具体而言，我们旨在研究与不一致性解决幽默的完全解决以及荒诞幽默的部分解决相关的神经基础。基于fMRI数据，我们提出了一个不一致性解决和荒诞言语幽默的双路径模型。根据该模型，不一致性解决幽默的不一致性检测与解决会激活涉及颞顶叶（TPJ）的脑区，该脑区与多种信息整合有关，以及楔前叶，可能与换位思考能力有关。对不一致性解决幽默的欣赏会激活后扣带回皮质（PCC）区域，该区域与自传体或事件记忆检索有关，以及海马旁回（PHG），暗示有有趣的感觉。相比之下，荒诞幽默的部分解决在梭状回中引发更大的激活，梭状回与文字处理有关，额下回（IFG）用于不一致性解决过程，颞上回（STG）用于语用意识。
