Abstract
This paper proposes that cognitive humor can be modeled using the mathematical framework of quantum theory. We begin with brief overviews of both research on humor, and the generalized quantum framework. We show how the bisociation of incongruous frames or word meanings in jokes can be modeled as a linear superposition of a set of basis states, or possible interpretations, in a complex Hilbert space. The choice of possible interpretations depends on the context provided by the set-up vs. the punchline of a joke. We apply the approach to a verbal pun, and consider how it might be extended to frame blending. An initial study of that made use of the Law of Total Probability, involving 85 participant responses to 35 jokes (as well as variants), suggests that the Quantum Theory of Humor (QTH) proposed here provides a viable new approach to modeling humor.
Highlights
Humor has been called the “killer app” of language [1]; it showcases the speed, playfulness, and flexibility of human cognition, and can instantaneously put people in a positive mood
There are many alternative ways in which a Law of Total Probability (LTP) could be constructed for puns, and more sophisticated models need to be investigated before we can be confident that our results conclusively demonstrate that humor must be modeled using a quantum inspired approach
This paper has provided a first step toward a quantum theory humor (QTH)
Summary
Humor has been called the “killer app” of language [1]; it showcases the speed, playfulness, and flexibility of human cognition, and can instantaneously put people in a positive mood. Many psychological phenomena have been studied using quantum models, including the combination of words and concepts [5,6,7,8,9,10], similarity and memory [11, 12], information retrieval [13, 14], decision making and probability judgment errors [15,16,17,18,19], vision [20, 21], sensation–perception [22], social science [23, 24], cultural evolution [25, 26], and creativity [27, 28] These quantum inspired approaches make no assumption that phenomena at the quantum level affect the brain, but rather, draw solely on abstract formal structures that, as it happens, found their first application in quantum mechanics. This results in phenomena such as interference, superposition and entanglement, and ambiguity with respect to the outcome is resolved with a quantum measurement and a collapse to a definite state
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