Exploring the Cognitive Dimensions of Laughter
The Interplay Between Humor and Metacognition
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13675506 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Alberto Dionigi (0000-0003-2361-8850, Noesis Clinical Center, Cattolica, Italy, corresponding author), Laura Vagnoli (0000-0002-0798-479X, Pediatric Psychology, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy), Mirko Duradoni (0000-0001-8272-9484, Mercatorum University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 332941251370607-332941251370607 |
| Publication date | 2025-08-22 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Psychological Reports (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0033-2941 • E-ISSN: 1558-691X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00332941251370607 |
| PMID | 40843656 |
| OpenAlex | W4413431832 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 50 |
Humor and metacognition are complex, interrelated components of human cognition. Humor involves cognitive flexibility and social expression, while metacognition refers to awareness and regulation of one's thought processes. Understanding their interaction offers a novel perspective on mental functioning. This study assessed how specific psychological categories of humor are expressed and perceived, namely the comic styles (fun, benevolent humor, nonsense, wit, irony, satire, sarcasm, and cynicism) relate to five metacognitive domains: positive and negative beliefs about worry, cognitive confidence, need for control, and cognitive self-consciousness. A sample of 502 adults (191 males, 38%, and 311 females, 62%; M = 41.65, SD = 13.2; range: 18-74) completed the Comic Style Markers and the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30. Satire emerged as the strongest predictor of positive beliefs about worry and was also linked to stronger beliefs about the need to control thoughts. Irony was positively, and fun negatively, associated with negative beliefs about worry. Wit was related to lower cognitive confidence and greater cognitive self-consciousness. Benevolent humor showed a protective effect against beliefs about the need to control thoughts. These results suggest that the way humor is expressed and interpreted could be meaningfully related to metacognitive functioning
Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Laughter · Metacognition · Psychiatry · Communication in Education and Healthcare · Humor Studies and Applications · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition · Psychology · Social Psychology
Handbook of Humor Research
The Linguistics of Humor
Mediating effects of rumination and worry on the links between neuroticism, anxiety and depression
Broadening Humor
A short form of the metacognitions questionnaire
A Two-Stage Model for the Appreciation of Jokes and Cartoons
G*Power 3
Statistical power analyses using G*Power 3.1
Snowball Sampling
Executive Functions
Humor and personality
Cognitive flexibility and depression
Humor, laughter, and physical health
Effects of worry on physiological and subjective reactivity to emotional stimuli in generalized anxiety disorder and nonanxious control participants
Humor, coping with stress, self-concept, and psychological well-being
Satire and definition
Satire
Humor, stress, and coping strategies
The semantic foundations of cognitive theories of humor
Individual differences in uses of humor and their relation to psychological well-being
Metacognition and cognitive monitoring
Humor as a Double-Edged Sword
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |