Humor Mindset

What Is the Humor Mindset?

The humor mindset refers to a distinct way of interpreting messages or events. Humorous messages are accompanied by cues (e.g., identification of message as a joke) that signal to recipients that a message or event is not to be subjected to the usual conversational rule of literality, logical thinking, and critical scrutiny. Rather, humor invites us to subject a message or event to a conversational rule of levity or play wherein we treat it as non-literal, not subject to expectations of common sense, and outside the realm of logical and moral scrutiny. In short, humor invites us to abandon the usual (serious) ways of thinking.

Humor theorists have described the usual serious mindset as “reality assimilation” and the humor mindset as “fantasy assimilation.” Reality assimilation refers to the adjustment of cognitive schemas to account for unexpected events. Reality assimilation is the default process that occurs when encountering discrepancies between our cognitive schemas and actual events. In contrast, when in the fantasy assimilation mode, people do not require a realistic resolution of incongruous events. Therefore, they do not attempt to adjust their cognitive schemas to fit unexpected events. They simply disregard the requirement of literal congruity that characterizes reality assimilation. Accordingly, if an expectancy violation is processed in the reality assimilation mode, then the normal rules of logic apply and the individual struggles to fit the incongruity into their notions of how the world works. If the expectancy violation is processed in the fantasy assimilation mode, then the incongruity does not present a puzzle to be solved but rather a game to be played.

Humor Mindset and Amusement

Cognitive models of humor appreciation suggest that amusement results from the resolution of expectancy violations. Furthermore, the resolution of incongruity should be amusing insofar as it is accompanied by humor cues suggesting that it is to be interpreted in a nonserious humor mindset. The humor cues provide a frame with which to view a message or event. The usual rules of logic and acceptable behavior are suspended. In the case of disparagement and aggression, humor cues essentially communicate that the perceived incongruity is nonthreatening, thus making a playful interpretation seem appropriate. As Dolf Zillmann and Joanne R. Cantor suggested, the “club over the head” is funny [Page 362]when the protagonists are the Three Stooges but not when they are police officers responding to a riot.

The unique conversational structure of a joke seems to cue the activation of the humor mindset, notifying one to process the narrative in the fantasy assimilation mode. Jokes typically consist of two parts: the setup and the punch line. The setup, itself, can indicate that a narrative is a joke and thus activate the humor mindset along with an initial schema or set of logical expectations about the rest of the narrative. It also presents a violation to logical expectations. The punch line activates a second contradictory schema that “plays off” the first and provides a resolution to expectancy violation in a non-literal or surprising way. When in the humor mindset, people loosen the rules of logic and expectations of common sense. Consequently, when presented with a joke, people do not apply the information processing strategies typically required by serious communication. Thus, the humor mindset— the treatment of the joke as play—makes the incongruity and illogical resolution comical rather than confusing or threatening.

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