Incongruity Theory of Humor
The Incongruity Theory of Humor suggests that humor arises from the perception of a significant incongruity, contradiction, or discrepancy between two or more elements. This theory contends that humor stems from unexpected, surprising, or illogical connections or situations.
Key Concepts
The Incongruity Theory of Humor emphasizes several key concepts:
- Incongruity: Incongruity refers to the lack of harmony, agreement, or correspondence between different elements or ideas. It involves a deviation from what is expected or normal.
- Surprise: Surprise is an essential component of humor according to this theory. A humorous situation or joke often involves surprising the audience by presenting an unexpected connection or event.
- Resolution: The resolution of incongruity is crucial for humor to be perceived. Once the unexpected or contradictory elements are reconciled or understood, laughter or amusement is triggered.
- Superiority: The Incongruity Theory suggests that laughter arises when individuals perceive themselves as intellectually or emotionally superior to the incongruous situation or concept.
Example:
A classic example of incongruity-based humor is the use of puns. Puns create humor by exploiting the double meanings or similar sounds of words, thereby generating an unexpected connection. The incongruity between the expected and actual meaning of the words leads to surprise and laughter.
For example: “Why don’t scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything!”
In this joke, the incongruity lies in the unexpected connection between the literal meaning of “making up everything” and the figurative meaning of “trust.” The resolution of this incongruity triggers laughter.