Humoral Effects Research Articles

Niezgodność i jej rozwiązanie

INCONGRUITY AND ITS RESOLUTION – ON HUMOROUS (PUNCH)LINES FROM A LINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE The aim of the article is to discuss linguistic research on the types of incongruities and ways of resolving them in humorous texts. The author of the article tries to answer the following questions:– Is incongruity necessary to achieve a humorous effect?– Is incongruity a sufficient condition for humour?– Do humorous incongruities exist?– Is incongruity in humorous texts resolvable and to what extent?– What mechanisms underlie the resolution of humorous incongruities?For this purpose, the author refers to, among others, the assumptions of IDM, SSTH, GTVH and FR. Then, she verifies the theoretical assumptions using examples of sixteenth-century Polish jokes (based on Łukasz Górnicki’s Dworzanin polski). Most of the cited assumptions are confirmed; others (such as the possibility of distinguishing one general mechanism for resolving incongruities) are rejected.

Compensation as a Means of Proper Names Adaptation to Preserve a Humorous Effect Using the Example of Russian and English Translations of Comics about the Adventures of Asterix

Introduction. The article considers the adaptation of proper names in English and Russian translations of French comics about Asterix. The series of comics is entertaining and relies mainly on non-verbal humor and verbal humor, come out in the symbolism of names. The relevance of the study is associated with the growing number of content in which proper names and the meaning invested in them by the authors are symbolic. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how compensation helps to preserve or, if preservation is impossible, having a different meaning, to convey the effect in a proper name so that the translation fits harmoniously into the text. Methodology and sources. The main research methods are semantic analysis by means of which the semantic content of the name in the original langauage is detrmined, and the comparative method, with the help of which the common properties and differences of proper names in the original and translations are identified, and how compensation helps to compensate for the loss of meaning, if it occurs. The empirical basis of the study was five issues of comics about the adventures of Asterix and their translations into Russian and English. Results and discussion. The most significant examples of proper names are examined in details, which includes: firstly, the linguistic techniques used by the authors of the original texts, and secondly, the decisions made by the translators, which depends both on the nature of the target language (English and Russian) and on the relationships between the image and text. The overwhelming majority of proper names have undergone semantic transformation, due to the impossibility of conveying the semantic content of the name using TL. Transformations were made either with an emphasis on the visual component or the personal qualities of the character. Conclusion. In the comics about Asterix, proper names play a important role, emphasizing the uniqueness of the works and their humorous tone. Considering the large number of comics, the analysis of these categories of language cannot be called comprehensive, but we can highlight the general principle according to which the adaptation took place. Thanks to compensation, the translators managed to maintain this tone, using it when transferring names.

The order effects of humor and risk messaging strategies in public service advertisements: the moderating role of trust in science and mediating role of psychological reactance

Humor and risk elements are often used together in public service advertisements (PSAs), but limited research has been conducted on how the order in which they are presented contributes to PSA effectiveness. To address this question, this study examined the impact of two health messaging strategies (humor and risk) and their order effects in PSAs promoting COVID-19 and flu vaccination on persuasion outcomes, with psychological reactance and perceived PSA effectiveness as serial mediators, and trust in science as a moderator. The findings from the COVID-19 vaccination context showed that a humor-then-risk (risk-then-humor) structure predicted a decrease in reactance for participants with lower (higher) trust in science. For low-trust participants, a humor-then-risk order resulted in greater intentions to vaccinate through reduced reactance and increased perceived PSA effectiveness. In the flu vaccination context, only among individuals with high trust in science, the order effect—risk-then-humor—was effective in reducing reactance and promoting vaccination intention through increased perceived PSA effectiveness.

Meaning And Humor Comprehension of Chinese-English Pseudo Words Among Chinese EFL Speakers: A Conceptual Blending Perspective

Assuming that Chinese–English pseudo words (CEPWs) are humorous and have multiple meanings, this study, based on the conceptual blending theory (CBT), investigates the comprehension of meaning and humor in CEPWs for Chinese speakers learning English as a foreign language (EFL). Specifically, it aimed to answer the following questions: 1) What is the humorous effect of CEPWs as perceived by Chinese EFL speakers? 2) What is the comprehensive understanding of CEPWs among Chinese EFL speakers according to CBT? and 3) How are Chinese EFL speakers’ understanding of CEPWs and their perception of the humorous effect related? This study adopted a mixed method of quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (semi-structured interview) approaches. It surveyed 114 native Chinese EFL speakers and interviewed 12 of them. Quantitative data were collected via a questionnaire disseminated on the online questionnaire platform wenjuan.com, gathering 114 valid responses. After collection, the quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics 20 software. The findings revealed that CEPWs are more humorous than their Chinese originals. A conceptual blending model of Chinese EFL speakers’ comprehension of CEPWs was proposed, which allows these speakers to generate numerous interpretations of CEPWs. The humor in CEPWs comes from homophony, bilingual speech, and conceptual blending, facilitated by the meaning correspondence of English words in the CEPW and context. This suggests that the incongruity between input spaces and the emergent structure of conceptual blending is involved in creating humor. CEPWs meet the criteria for puns, providing a new perspective on this phenomenon. The findings provided empirical data, based on which a model of Chinese EFL speakers’ comprehension process of CEPWs was devised, providing insights into the cognitive process behind the use of Internet language.

Predicting humor effectiveness of robots for human line cutting.

It is extremely challenging for security guard robots to independently stop human line-cutting behavior. We propose addressing this issue by using humorous phrases. First, we created a dataset and built a humor effectiveness predictor. Using a simulator, we replicated 13,000 situations of line-cutting behavior and collected 500 humorous phrases through crowdsourcing. Combining these simulators and phrases, we evaluated each phrase's effectiveness in different situations through crowdsourcing. Using machine learning with this dataset, we constructed a humor effectiveness predictor. In the process of preparing this machine learning, we discovered that considering the situation and the discomfort caused by the phrase is crucial for predicting the effectiveness of humor. Next, we constructed a system to select the best humorous phrase for the line-cutting behavior using this predictor. We then conducted a video experiment in which we compared the humorous phrases selected using this proposed system with typical non-humorous phrases. The results revealed that humorous phrases selected by the proposed system were more effective in discouraging line-cutting behavior than typical non-humorous phrases.

Substandard phonetic realisations and their functions in Stanisław Bareja’s comedies

The paper examines the substandard pronunciation of certain words in the comedies by a popular Polish filmmaker, Stanisław Bareja. The empirical material was obtained using the auditive method. The author claims that non-literary phonetic realisations that appear in the fi lm dialogues imitate: 1) colloquial mispronunciations; 2) dialectal pronunciation (especially typical of the urban dialect of Warsaw); 3) hypercorrect pronunciation; 4) speech defects and unfamiliarity with foreign words. Subsequently, he lists several important functions of the phonetic peculiarities. The filmmaker used them primarily to achieve humorous effects. However, the analysis has also revealed that they indicated: 1) the place of action; 2) the social affiliation of the characters; 3) the intellectual level of the characters; 4) the ethnicity of the characters; 5) the level of formality of the communicative situation.

Literary allusions serving as tools for comic effect in the works of Tertullian

AbstractThe overwhelming majority of early Christian authors considered humour and laughter inappropriate. A significant exception to this is Tertullian, who ‒ as a trained orator ‒ was well aware of the importance of verbal humour, particularly as manifested in his apologetic works. In his disputes with heretics and pagans Tertullian practically destroyed his opponents with the weapons of irony, sarcasm, and mockery. However, in this article, we only examine the role of literary allusions in Tertullian's humour. Both Cicero and Quintilian approved of the use of quotations from classical authors for the sake of humorous effect. To our greatest surprise, Tertullian went so far even as to quote from the low-down comedy writers (mimographoi) to achieve this effect. He did all this despite the fact that ‒ as a Christian moralist ‒ he deeply despised and condemned these lowly theatre plays.

From Lockdown to Laugh-town: Analyzing Saudi’s Humorous Memes during the COVID-19 Crisis.

This study delves into the realm of humor found in memes that proliferated across various digital platforms in Saudi Arabia in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These memes emerged as instrumental means of communication, coping, and adaptation throughout the crisis. The research is driven by the objective of categorizing and comprehending the humor in these memes through a qualitative content analysis. The study adopts the incongruity-resolution (IR) framework to scrutinize 150 Saudi memes. The analysis is centered on incongruity-resolution strategies, the interaction between text and image, and contextual elements that contribute to comprehension. The results reveal that Saudi COVID-19 memes predominantly employ seven incongruity-resolution strategies, both with and without image integration. Notably, a substantial portion of the memes (30.5%) defies categorization within any specific IR class and is hence classified as ‘textless memes.’ These memes effectively convey compelling messages without any textual content, relying on shared experiences. The analysis has yielded valuable insights into the diverse methods employed in constructing humor, resolving incongruities, and the significance of contextual information in generating humorous effects. These findings carry implications for cross-cultural communication, digital media, public health communication, and the exploration of humor within crisis situations. Understanding the role of humor in navigating global crises and its evolutionary dynamics is pivotal for achieving effective communication and adaptation within the rapidly transforming digital landscape.

A RELEVANCE-THEORETIC ASSESSMENT OF ARABIC TRANSLATION QUALITY OF SELECTED SHAKESPEAR'S HAMLET'S RIDDLES

Translating riddles may be regarded as a problem that encounters a translator, especially in a literary text; then, the quality of the translation may hinder the reader’s comprehension of the target text. The problem arises when the target text lacks a humorous effect on readers, hence it is less relevant to the target language. Therefore, this descriptive qualitative study aimed to assess the translation quality of riddles from English into Arabic from a relevance-theoretic perspective. According to relevance theory, translation quality is determined by searching for and achieving the optimal relevance between the target and the source text. Thus, the translation of riddles is considered a process for reaching optimal relevance of humour in the riddles between the source text and the target audience. To this end, five sample riddles were selected from Shakespeare's Hamlet and two versions of Arabic translations of this play, Jabra Ibrahim Jabra and Khalil Mutran. The findings showed Jabra’s translation achieves a more powerful communicative effect with less cognitive effort than Mutran's, meaning that it is more effective in maintaining explicit and implicit content. Mutran’s translation, though creative, is less effective in understanding the meaning of the target text as the reader exerts more cognitive effort with less communicative effect. This means that trying to fit one's target language conventions to the source language conventions would decrease the relevance of the source text to the target one and would not maintain the explicit and implicit content of the source text.

Don’t try to make me laugh, let me do: persuading employees to action

ABSTRACT As Computer-Mediated-Communication (CMC) gains prevalence in managerial practices, this study investigates the effect of managerial humor on employees’ perceptions of ability, motivation, and tendency to act. To date, the effect of humor on communication effectiveness remains unclear. Utilizing an experimental design with 923 participants, we compare humorous and non-humorous microcopy requests in CMC through a diff-in-diff regression analysis. Results show that non-humorous microcopy fosters higher motivation, action propensity, and perceived task execution ability compared to humorous microcopy. Perceived ability interacts with the other variables, yielding diverse contextual outcomes. This study reveals both the negative and positive effects of humor in CMC, providing insights for managers. The findings emphasize the importance of considering situational context and employees’ perceived task execution ability when choosing a persuasive approach in CMC requests, offering practical guidance for managers aiming to enhance communication with employees.

Reducing information avoidance: The effectiveness of humour, cute animals and coping messages.

Guided by the hedonic surplus/mood-as-resource hypotheses, we sought to identify message components that prevent health information avoidance by inducing hedonic psychological states. Two experimental studies. Participants, age 45-75, recruited from the online survey platform, Prolific (Study 1 N = 288, Study 2 N = 505), completed a survey of their colorectal cancer (CRC) information avoidance tendency and demographics. They were reinvited to participate in a study where they were randomized to view one of four types of images: humorous comics, cute animals, coping messages or streetscapes images (control condition). To assess CRC information avoidance behaviour after viewing the stimuli, participants choose whether to be directed to a website to complete a CRC risk calculator (Study 1), or whether to view a CRC information video or a video about foot care (Study 2). Using logistic regression, we regressed each outcome variable on interactions between self-reported CRC information avoidance tendency and experimental condition. We then used the PROCESS macro to test if mood mediated these interaction effects. In Study 1, to the degree participants reported CRC information avoidance tendency, viewing humorous comics compared to control images increased their odds of choosing to view the risk calculator (OR = 5.26, p = .02). The same was true in Study 2 for choosing to watch the video about CRC vs. foot care (OR = 2.42, p = .04). Effects were not mediated through mood and there were no effects for the cute animals or coping messages. Using humour at the outset of a health message may increase reach to people who otherwise avoid CRC or other health messaging.

On Verbal Humour Translation from English to Chinese in Subtitles of Stand-up Comedies under the General Theory of Verbal Humour

Apart from the increase in local TV or network programs of stand-up comedies, many Chinese translators have translated English stand-up comedies online. In the light of Attardo’s General Theory of Verbal Humour, this research aims to discuss the translation effect of verbal humour in accordance with the six Knowledge Resources from the GTVH. After a qualitative analysis of research data, this research demonstrates the translatability of verbal humour in stand-up comedies.

Fusion expression and immunogenicity of receptor-binding domains of porcine deltacoronavirus and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus

This study aims to develop an effective bivalent subunit vaccine that is promising to prevent both porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). The receptor-binding domains (RBDs) of PDCoV and PEDV were fused and cloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pCDNA3.1(+). The fusion protein PDCoV-RBD-PEDV-RBD (pdRBD-peRBD) was expressed by the ExpiCHOTM expression system and purified. Mice were immunized with the fusion protein at three different doses (10, 20, and 30 μg). The humoral immune response and cellular immune response induced by the fusion protein were evaluated by ELISA and flow cytometry. The neutralization titers of the serum of immunized mice against PDCoV and PEDV were determined by the microneutralization test. The results showed that high levels of IgG antibodies were induced in the three different dose groups after booster immunization, and there was no significant difference in the antibody level between different dose groups, indicating that the immunization dose of 10 μg could achieve the fine immune effect. The results of flow cytometry showed that the immunization groups demonstrated increased proportion of CD3+CD4+ T cells and decreased proportion of CD3+CD8+ T cells, which was consistent with the expectation about the humoral immune response induced by the subunit vaccine. At the same time, the levels of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, and interferon (IFN)-γ in the serum were determined. The results showed that the fusion protein induced both humoral immune effect and cellular immune response. The results of the neutralization test showed that the antibody induced by 10 μg fusion protein neutralized both PDCoV and PEDV in vitro, with the titers of 1:179.25 and 1:141.21, respectively. The above results suggested that the pdRBD-peRBD could induce a high level of humoral immune response at a dose of 10 μg, and the induced antibody could neutralize both PDCoV and PEDV. Therefore, the fusion protein pdRBD-peRBD is expected to be an effective subunit vaccine that can simultaneously prevent PDCoV and PEDV.

Linguistic mechanisms of creating a humorous effect in the poetry of H. Erhard

Linguistic mechanisms of creating a humorous effect in the poetry of H. Erhard

Image and verbal text interfaces of internet memes: a cognitive analysis

The article focuses on image-text interface types of Internet memes mocking the same viral event – Melania Trump’s speech at the Republican Party convention. The future first lady’s address contained borrowings from Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic Party convention. The relevance of the study is accounted for both by the social significance of visual-verbal Internet memes as a tool influencing the formation of the Internet users’ views and by the need to elucidate the principles of interaction between the verbal and visual modes of memes in creating a humorous effect, which is the aim of the study. The application of cognitive linguistics methods, in particular, the tools of the theory of conceptual integration for multimodal analysis of communication, made it possible to establish four types of visual and verbal text interfaces. It has been concluded that simple visual-verbal metonymy underlies memes, in which the humorous effect is achieved through the interaction of an image that provides access to a viral event mocked by the meme and a verbal text that activates a certain metonymic association highlighting a feature of the event that is incompatible with the expectations provided by the generic space of the viral event. In memes built on the basis of visual metonymy and verbal allusion, incompatible conceptual structures are activated with the help of allusive connection. Radial visual-verbal metonymy occurs when an image engages a series of metonymic features linked by a radial semantic link, whereas the verbal text highlights the incompatibility of these features with the actual features of the viral event. The interaction of allusion and diffuse visual-verbal metonymy is the cognitive basis of memes, in which access to a viral event is provided by verbal allusion, while the image contains signs of absurdity and triggers metonymic associations that are not based on expected connections.

Unveiling Namibia's Digital Humour

This article explored the humorous and stylistic elements of memes in Namibian online discourse. In the digital age, memes have become an integral part of online communication, offering valuable insights into contemporary language use. Today, memes are widely recognised as short videos or images accompanied by humorous texts, rapidly shared on social media. The incongruity theory of humour helps elucidate the humorous and language elements within memes. The study aimed at analysing selected memes within the Namibian socio-cultural context, shedding light on how language is used to create humorous effects and identifying stylistic qualities. The study employed a desktop methodology, analysing image macros from the Namibian socio-cultural context. 8 memes were sampled from an online platform called Namibian memes01 populated by 139 thousand followers at the time of sampling these memes. The study revealed that memes serve as a form of communication, conveying emotions, thoughts, ideas, and reflecting cultural values. They contribute to language development and have the potential to shape social interactions and shared beliefs. Humour plays a significant role in memes, fostering a sense of community, defusing tension, and promoting positive interactions. The findings highlight the importance of pragmatics and context in interpreting the intended meanings of memes.

What is counter-Versailles literature? – At the intersection of humblebrag, irony, and humor

Abstract The counter-Versailles literature (counter-VL) is born out of the resistance to Versailles literature (VL). The latter is in essence the same as humblebrags. Authors of counter-VL pretend to post VL but are essentially making up jokes or expressing ironies and self-mockeries. Based on the samples gathered from Weibo, this study divides counter-VL into two types according to how their non-VL nature is revealed. By identifying the echoed VL strategies, we investigate how the irony of VL and self-mockery are incarnated in counter-VL and result in humorous effects. This study also highlights the social and psychological factors that influence the creation and effects of counter-VL.

Political skill amplifies the beneficial effects of leader humor on actors’ work engagement via psychological capital

Existing research provides substantial evidence of the positive effects of leader humour on followers and their teams. However, less attention has been given to understanding how such behaviour benefits leaders. This study, grounded in the Conservation of Resources theory, introduces and tests a model that clarifies the mechanisms and conditions under which leader humour benefits these individuals. The study findings, derived from data collected from 137 supervisors in an experience sampling study and 134 supervisors in a three-wave field study, consistently show a positive correlation between leader humour and leader psychological capital, which subsequently enhances leader work engagement. Moreover, the magnitude of this positive effect depends on the leader’s political skill level, with those possessing high political skill reaping greater benefits from leader humour. The results suggest that leader humour is an effective method for supervisors to gain psychological resources.

GOOD MOANING! THE HUMOROUS ALTERATIONS AND TRANSLATION MECHANISMS IN THE LINES OF ‘ALLo ‘ALLo!’S OFFICER CRABTREE

Officer Crabtree is a memorable character from the British sitcom ‘Allo ‘Allo!, char- acterized by his pseudo-English speech. The ways in which his language deviates from the stan- dard English bring about a very humorous effect. This paper introduces the main tenets of the incongruity theory and the main types of wordplay through which Crabtree’s speech is delivered, before defining the relevant morphological and morphosyntactic shifts which dominate his lines in the series. Next, the paper collects all of his original lines from the show, analyzes them for different morphological changes and classifies them accordingly, while the Serbian translation of his lines is also taken into account and analyzed for further morphological and morphosyntactic shifts. Additionally, the direct translation mechanisms from English to Serbian are analyzed and classified as well. The results are first expressed in terms of percentage, and then compared be- tween the two languages, with the aim to discover which of the presented alterations dominate in creating the comical effect for the audience.

Is it funny or a trend?: Examining US news humor on TikTok

ABSTRACT Humor is foundational to American politics and online culture. However, the content and effects of political humor vary greatly depending on the type of humor and context in which it is deployed. TikTok is particularly known for its humorous content, and US news organizations have capitalized on TikTok’s popularity by creating accounts. Using digital affordances and relief theory as theoretical lenses, we qualitatively content analyze US news organizations’ TikTok videos (WaPo, NYT, WSJ, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, NPR), asking how US news humor manifests on TikTok and how TikTok affordances impact US news humor on the platform. We find that US news organizations’ TikTok content ranges from no humor (ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN) to explicit humor (WaPo). News organizations also incorporated small attempts at lighthearted content using TikTok features and norms.