Joke

High school (ages 12+)
Thinking & Learning

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/joke

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the linguistic mechanism?Often relies on incongruity, puns, irony, and subversion of expectations
2. What is the neurological correlates?Engages prefrontal cortex for cognitive processing and limbic system for emotional response
3. Why do jokes make us laugh?They surprise us by changing what we expect, which releases tension and makes us feel good.
4. How do people tell jokes?By setting up a predictable idea and then giving a punchline that is unexpected, using puns, irony, or exaggeration.

Benign Violation Theory: Humor arises when a situation is perceived as a violation but is simultaneously harmless or benign.
Polysemy: The capacity for a word or phrase to have multiple related meanings.
Social Commentary: The act of using humor or satire to critique societal norms, institutions, or behaviors.