Conclusion
The analysis of the data provided evidence that humor detection and humor appreciation do indeed use separate neural pathways within the brain. Humor detection was linked with increased activity in the left inferior frontal cortex and the posterior temporal cortex. Humor appreciation, however, showed increased brain activity in separate areas, including the bilateral regions of the insular cortex as well as the amygdala, well-known for its role in emotional processing and responding. Thus, in order for humans to appreciate humor, and derive the emotional benefits from a funny situation, they must first cognitive process the situation in a way that makes sense of the humor, or rather detects the humorous situation.
The areas related to humor detection have previously been linked to language tasks that involve retrieval and appraisal of semantic knowledge, which is relevant to the situation. Thus it makes sense that they are involved in the understanding and resolving of incongruities between what an individual expects to happen based on the storyline, and what actually happens (to create the funny situation). Humor appreciation, on the other hand, requires an "after-the-fact" emotional response to the understanding of the situation. The inability to "get a joke" is socially construed as the lack of an emotional response to a funny situation, and is usually the result of not understanding what is funny in a certain situation. This can now be considered a failure in humor detection, thereby not allowing for the involvement of the limbic system in the generation of an emotional response -- or the appreciation of humor.
Relevance
The findings of this study are relevant on a few different levels. For one,...
Furthermore, based on the brain structures involved in each of these processes, the results shed light on the evolutionary purposes of humor. The authors suggest that it is likely a function of our ability to relate to others using language, as well as our ability to respond to others emotionally, both of which are useful for successful communication and relationship maintenance. The authors note that many other animals share our ability to experience mirth, but what they lack is the ability to resolve the incongruities that lead to the appreciation of humor. This highlights the importance of humor detection for the existence of humor appreciation. Finally, the results of this study can be relevant to examining individuals who are unable to appreciate humor. Many developmental and social impairments are linked to a reduced understanding of humor, including Apserger's and Autism. Knowing how the brain usually interprets and understands a humorous situation can help researchers apply this information in studying the brains of individuals with social disabilities to determine where exactly the link is 'broken.' For example, does an individual with Asperger's who fails to "get" a joke have trouble in the humor detection stage, and somehow not understand the incongruities, or do they understand the detection of humor, but fail to have the same emotional response? This would be an interesting further examination of this line of research.
References
Moran, J.M., Wig, G.S., Adams, R.B., Janata, P., & Kelley, W.M. (2004). NeuroImage, 21,…
