Systematic Replications and Innovations in the Neuroscience of Humor

In the past decade, there have been efforts to understand the brain basis of humor processing with noninvasive imaging. Starting with Goel and Dolan (2001), about 20 papers have been published looking at the neuroimaging of humor. These studies primarily focused on describing the neural areas elicited with a certain type of stimulus or a certain type of personality variable. The motivation for this thesis is that the literature is finally at the stage to integrate past findings and move to the point where informed neural hypotheses can be made. In the present work, a series of studies were done that carefully review previous results and will edify the description of mechanisms involved in processing humor. The first step was a two-method meta-analysis of previous humor neuroscience research to define the consistent regions of interest (ROIs). Following that, the first proposed experiment attempts to replicate the humor processing areas of the meta-analysis using stimuli that do not contain certain low-level confounds that have been present in previous studies. Next, these reliable regions were monitored while participants watch an ecologically valid, dynamic stimulus (a Modern Family episode). Using an innovative method of analysis, it can be discerned which qualities of the complex stimulus a certain brain area is involved in processing using only the brain data. The goals of these studies are to provide the field with key brain areas across replications and introduce innovations to help with the modeling of a brain based theory of humor. The results show an assortment of unique yet consistent processing types for each reliable region of interest. New mechanisms and schemas are proposed following each set of results with the end product including different types of incongruity detection; considerations to when humor processing fails; different feelings that could be felt concurrently with mirth; and even the `space' where all of situation content meets with the various humor mechanisms. By the completion of this thesis, there will be a drawn out conclusion for the processing of each consistent ROI which can be used as a priori hypotheses for the new generation of neuroscience of humor studies.