Is Aging A Laughing Matter?
A research study published in the July 2007 issue of the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society examines the effect of age-related cognitive decline on understanding humour. Previous research has suggested that comprehending humour involves a cognitive appraisal process in which the humour stimulus (such as a joke) is examined in terms of possible meaning with a "funny" outcome being selected. Therefore, impaired cognitive functioning tends to result in an inability to "get" jokes. A sample of 41 older adults (over the age of 65) and a control sample of 40 younger adults were tested on a series of tests of cognitive functioning and humour comprehension. The results indicated that older adults had a greater problem with cognitive flexibility, short-term memory, and abstract reasoning than younger adults. Age differences were also found on measures of verbal and non-verbal humour comprehension but the results suggested that different cognitive processes may be at work in understanding verbal and non-verbal humour. The results were consistent with previous studies of aging and humour and suggest that understanding humour may be an important factor in successful aging.
great post, interesting abstract... I hope I can still get jokes after 40.
Posted by: the constant skeptic | August 06, 2007 at 10:44 AM