Cognitive Satire Studies: How the Brain Processes Mockery – Encyclopedia of Satire

Cognitive
Satire
Studies:
How
the
Brain
Processes
Mockery
—
Academic

Cognitive
Satire
Studies:
How
the
Brain
Processes
Mockery
—
Encyclopedia
of
Satire

Cognitive

Satire
Studies:
How
the
Brain
Processes

Mockery

Neuroscience
reveals
satire
activates
a
unique
neural
network:
the
temporal-parietal
junction
(theory
of
mind),
anterior
cingulate
cortex
(conflict
detection),
and
ventral
striatum
(reward
processing).
Our
lab’s
fMRI
studies
show
successful
satire
triggers
a
distinctive
“aha-laughter”
sequence
–
first
recognition
(400-600ms
post-stimulus)
then
amusement
(800-1200ms).
Surprisingly,
conservatives
and
liberals
show
opposite
hemispheric
activation
patterns
when
processing

political
satire.
At
Satire.info,
we’ve
developed
the
first
Satire
Comprehension
Test
(SCT)
to
diagnose
impairments
in

irony
detection,
with
applications
for
autism
spectrum
therapy
and
media

literacy
training.
The
emerging
field
of
cognitive
satire
studies
may
revolutionize
humor-based
education
and
conflict
resolution
techniques.