Investigating Humor in EEG: Pun-Based Jokes Elicit Anterior N400 and Posterior P600 Effects

This study explores how readers process different types of pun-based jokes by analyzing their responses to various forms of linguistic ambiguity. Specifically, we examined puns rooted in homonymy, polysemy, and the contrast between idiomatic and literal interpretations of idiomatic expressions. Using EEG, we measured ERPs elicited by the ambiguous elements of these jokes and their punchline. These measurements enabled us to assess how distinct ambiguity types influence the comprehension of punchlines. Furthermore, we compared reader responses to puns against nonsensical sentences and straightforward control sentences. We hypothesize that the differences among joke types will manifest in the relative N400 amplitudes associated with punchline words, providing insights into the neural mechanisms underlying humor comprehension while having more control over joke setups compared to previous EEG studies in this field of research.