Quiz: Theories of Humour

1 The following three conditions satisfy which theory?
- something threatens one’s sense of how the world “ought to be,”
- the threatening situation seems benign, and
- a person sees both interpretations at the same time.

Benign Violation Theory.
Superiority Theory.
Misattribution theory.

2 The Incongruity-resolution theory states that

Humor is derived from the incongruity of what is said with what is meant.
Humor is the reaction to incongruous states of self-awareness.
Humor is perceived at the moment of realization of incongruity between a concept involved in a certain situation and the real objects thought to be in some relation to the concept.

3 The belief that laughter is achieved through the misfortunes of others can be traced back to Plato and Aristotle (among others). This is called the

Benign Violation Theory (BVT)
Superiority theory
Incongruity-resolution theory

4 Computer Theory of Humor corresponds to the incongruity-resolution theory, but with what new element?

Timing
Context
Age

5 The Punchline Theory of Humor states

The rise and fall of a joke can be measured topologically
The punchline is the most important component of a joke
The punchline integrates conflicting emotions and thoughts