Cognitive Interpretation In Understanding The Language Of Humor

This dissertation attempts a qualitative linguistic exploration-especially the cognitive theory: Conceptual Integration-into verbal humor in a dynamic communicative process, with reference to the psychological Incongruity Theory.Linguistists merely find out the incongruity in humor, however they make no explanation on the cognitive process of creation, that is, the process of understanding. This is the focus problem to be solved in the thesis.Chapter 1: an introductory chapter, following a review of the major psychological theories of humor, then points out the basic frame of thesis.Chapter 2: expounds on the laughter-eliciting mechanism of humor: Incongruity Theory. Owing to the complicated nature of humor, we have to begin to study it from a certain angle, therefore the most before all others, the research scope in this thesis is prescribed a limit to according to Incongruity Theory, that is, we give a definition on humor in this thesis.particularly emphatically 2 points: the humor:(l) humor in communication;(2) highly interpretable and enjoyable incongruities in humor, then goes deep into to inquire into the Incongruity Theory and takes this as the starting point to make a classification according to the cause and effect of the creation of incongruity. Finally, we discuss the defects of theory: linguistists merely find out the incongruity in humor, however they make no explanation on the cognitive process of creation. This is the focus problem to be solved in the thesis.Chapter3: elucidates on incongruity in humor from the angle of cognitive linguistics. First, Proceed with the Cooperative Principle of Grice, and affirm that its contribution to the interpretation of humor, however, some linguistists, on the representative of Sperber & Wilson, which put forward their theory:Relevance Theory, carry on a sharp criticism on the Grice's theory. On one hand, we, from the angle of cognitive context, verify its validity to explain the incongruity in humor, on the other hand, we also find, in the course of analyzing, its weaker operationality due to the defects, especially cognitive context defined too subjectively, and the process of interpretation on the incongruity in humor is too vague. However, Fauconnier'Conceptual Integration not only owns a powerful interpretative power, but also mainly solves the defects in Relevance Theory.We combine its own characteristics of theory to go on case study to the language ofhumor. Finally, we discover that Conceptual Integration is also not iron-plated that is, itis not all-round. It only carries on a perfect explanation in the humor withcounterfactuals. for the reason, it shows us the direction to make a further research infuture.Chapter 4: the main body of the dissertation, follows the theory-to-analysisorganization.Conclusion: summarizes the key ideas of the dissertation, pinpoints its possiblecontributions to the linguistic research of humor and its limitations, and also embraces abroader discussion of the social and practical significance of humor studies, especiallyin China.