The next time someone gives you the side-eye for laughing at an inappropriate joke, refer them to this study. It found that those who have a sense of humor that lives in the depths of hell actually have high levels of intelligence.
The researchers from the Medical University of Vienna also found that people who appreciated dark humor tend to be less aggressive than those who prefer their jokes vanilla and safe.
156 participants took part in the study. 76 were female, while 80 were male. The group had mixed levels of education. Each participant's verbal intelligence levels were measured using a vocabulary test. Their nonverbal IQ scores were also measured, and their aggressiveness and mood states were assessed using two questionnaires.
The participants were shown a set of 12 cartoons, taken from German artist Uli Stein’s The Black Book. The cartoons portray taboo topics that aren't often featured in conventional humor. The participants were then asked what they thought of the cartoons and whether they appreciated the jokes.
"The findings revealed that the participants fell into 3 distinct groupings," reports Psychologist World. "The first group was of average intelligence, with 'moderate' levels of aggression. They reported a moderate appreciation of black humor."
The second group showed high levels of aggression and were rated as average in terms of both intelligence and their ability to comprehend the dark humor. This group didn't appreciate the humor as much as the other two.
"The final group reported the highest appreciation of black humor," notes the site. "This group was found to have higher verbal and nonverbal intelligence levels, but had the lowest levels of aggression amongst the 3 groups."
"The most surprising result,” said the research team, “is that subjects who show the highest values with respect to black humour preference and comprehension show high values with respect to intelligence, have higher education levels and show lowest values regarding mood disturbance and aggression."
According to the Side Splitters Comedy team, there are a couple of reasons certain people find dark humor funny.
They say that it allows us to deal with difficult subjects in a way that is light-hearted and easier to process. "This type of humor is often used to lighten the mood in an otherwise serious situation to help people cope and feel better about their situation," explains the site. "Dark humor can also be used to shock people into awkward laughter which in turn makes it easier for others to join the otherwise serious conversation without feeling pressured or attacked."
The comedians add that dark humor can also be used as a way to bond with others and create positive well-being. However, they warn that if you're thinking about using dark humor, you need to make sure you understand the context and the audience before proceeding with caution. And that's because unlike you, there are many people that find dark humor extremely offensive.
