Incongruity and resolution

Abstract

This chapter returns to the incongruity theory of humor and presents its most common conceptualization, the incongruity-resolution model. A semantic definition of incongruity, based on the violation of expectations, is provided. The discussion of the resolution of the incongruity is then addressed. A distinction is made between full and partial resolution and between foregrounded and backgrounded incongruities. Finally, the linearity of the incongruity-resolution model is discussed, using the Isotopy Disjunction Model, which is the linguistics-based proposal that offers the most insight in the linear processing of humor.