Preprint / Version 1

Humor as a Cognitive Construct: Predictors of Production, Styles, and Comprehension

##article.authors##

  • Macy Brill Polygence

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.2978

Keywords:

Humor styles, Humor production, Humor comprehension, Cognitive mechanisms, Humor generation, General intelligence

Abstract

Humor is a cognitively and emotionally complex behavior that integrates core psychological processes. This review synthesizes findings across three domains, humor production, humor style, and humor comprehension, to examine how creativity, general intelligence, executive functioning, working memory, and emotional intelligence contribute to humor ability. While creativity and verbal fluency are consistently implicated across all domains, other mechanisms show domain-specific roles. For example, executive functioning and emotional intelligence are particularly relevant to humor styles, while working memory and general intelligence support comprehension and production. Gaps remain in understanding executive processes in comprehension and emotional intelligence in production. By comparing mechanisms across domains, this review advances an integrated model of humor and identifies key areas for future research and application.

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2025-08-24

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