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The complexity of jokes is limited by cognitive constraints on mentalizing

Abstract:

Although laughter is probably of deep evolutionary origin, the telling of jokes, being language-based, is likely to be of more recent origin within the human lineage. In language-based communication, speaker and listener are engaged in a process of mutually understanding each other’s intentions (mindstates), with a conversation minimally requiring three orders of intentionality. Mentalizing is cognitively more demanding than non-mentalizing cognition, and there is a well-attested limit at fiv...

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Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1007/s12110-015-9251-6

Authors


More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MSD
Department:
Experimental Psychology
Role:
Author
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
Medical Sciences Division
Department:
Experimental Psychology
Oxford college:
St Anne's College
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-4266-6834
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
Social Sciences Division
Department:
SAME
Oxford college:
St Hugh's College
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-9870-4633
Publisher:
Springer Publisher's website
Journal:
Human Nature Journal website
Volume:
27
Issue:
2
Pages:
130-140
Publication date:
2015-11-23
Acceptance date:
2015-08-21
DOI:
EISSN:
1936-4776
ISSN:
1045-6767
Pmid:
26597196
Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
pubs:574664
UUID:
uuid:360fc258-52aa-4729-8867-172a7b9ccaad
Local pid:
pubs:574664
Source identifiers:
574664
Deposit date:
2019-08-02

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