That's Punny! A Study of the Impact of Processing Fluency on Humour

Abstract

Processing fluency is how easy or difficulty it is to do a mental task. In general, the more fluently processed information is the more positively an individual rates the information. The traditional fluency literature predicts that increasing the processing fluency of a joke should enhance its humour level. However, if information processing is too easy the positive experience that fluency brings can be unenjoyable. This research tested how manipulating fluency affected the humour level of puns. We used a 2 (fluency presentation: high or low) x 2 (pun group: Group A or B) mixed factorial design, in which fluency was manipulated within-subjects and pun group was manipulated between-subjects. Half of the puns participants received were in a high fluency (HF) format with an image and clear wording and half were presented in a low fluency (LF) format with no image and less clear font. Result: Puns in the LF format were rated as funnier than those presented in the HF format. Ultimately, to find something humorous people enjoy a moderate level of complexity. The HF condition reduced the mental challenge of the puns to a level in which participants did not find them as funny.