title: Cognitive and emotional demands of black humour processing: the role of intelligence, aggressiveness and mood.
abstract: Humour processing is a complex information-processing task that is dependent on cognitive and emotional aspects which presumably influence frame-shifting and conceptual blending, mental operations that underlie humour processing. The aim of the current study was to find distinctive groups of subjects with respect to black humour processing, intellectual capacities, mood disturbance and aggressiveness. A total of 156 adults rated black humour cartoons and conducted measurements of verbal and nonverbal intelligence, mood disturbance and aggressiveness. Cluster analysis yields three groups comprising following properties: (1) moderate black humour preference and moderate comprehension; average nonverbal and verbal intelligence; low mood disturbance and moderate aggressiveness; (2) low black humour preference and moderate comprehension; average nonverbal and verbal intelligence, high mood disturbance and high aggressiveness; and (3) high black humour preference and high comprehension; high nonverbal and verbal intelligence; no mood disturbance and low aggressiveness. Age and gender do not differ significantly, differences in education level can be found. Black humour preference and comprehension are positively associated with higher verbal and nonverbal intelligence as well as higher levels of education. Emotional instability and higher aggressiveness apparently lead to decreased levels of pleasure when dealing with black humour. These results support the hypothesis that humour processing involves cognitive as well as affective components and suggest that these variables influence the execution of frame-shifting and conceptual blending in the course of humour processing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria. ulrike.willinger@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Willinger
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hergovich
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmoeger
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deckert
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stoettner
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bunda
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Witting
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seidler
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Reinhilde
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kacena
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jaeckle
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Loader
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Eduard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Auff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014925:Wit and Humor as Topic; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aggression; Black humour processing; Blending; Frame-shifting; Mood disturbance; Verbal intelligence and nonverbal intelligence