Humor in ASD: a differentiation between text comprehension difficulties and humor appreciation

Abstract Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are often associated with humorlessness. The present study aimed to separate potential differences in humor appreciation from text comprehension difficulties. Twenty-three adults with ASD and 23 neurotypical adults (age: 18–72 years) read four types of texts: jokes, non-funny revision texts (requiring an incongruity resolution), straightforward and incoherent control texts. Funniness ratings, comprehension accuracy and punchline reading times were recorded. There were no overall differences between the groups, and both rated jokes funnier than other texts. The joke facilitation effect (faster reading times for jokes) was even more pronounced for autistic participants. More heterogenous responses in the autistic group and interactions with age underscore the importance of interindividual differences. The study provides several indicators for intact humor comprehension and appreciation in ASD. We hypothesize that the complexity and unpredictability of funny situations in everyday life, rather than humor per se, causes difficulties in ASD.