Benign violation theory of humor appreciation in autistic and non-autistic individuals

Purpose Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by deficits in social communication and interaction, restricted interests and repetitive behavior. Humor appreciation in autistic individuals has been examined from the perspective of incongruity-resolution theory but not fully examined in terms of benign violations. Therefore, this study aims to examine the benign violation theory of humor appreciation among autistic individuals. Design/methodology/approach In total, 38 and 462 autistic and non-autistic participants rated the degree of humor appreciation, violation appraisal and benign appraisal of 12 humorous stimuli. Furthermore, participants completed the Social Responsiveness Scale 2 Adult-Self Edition. Findings Restricted interests and repetitive behavior had significant positive effects on humor appreciation, violation appraisal and benign appraisal. Focusing on autistic traits, especially restricted interests and repetitive behavior, is important when considering humor appreciation in autistic individuals because differences in the degree of restricted interests and repetitive behavior are considered a gap in sharing humor. Originality/value This study focused on autistic traits such as deficits in social communication, restricted interests and repetitive behavior and examined their relationships with humor appreciation from the perspective of benign violation theory. The findings suggest that these three autistic traits are involved in the gap in sharing humor between autistic and non-autistic individuals. Therefore, identifying the association between autistic traits and humor appreciation offers a new perspective to support the formation of humorous relationships between autistic and non-autistic individuals.