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arXiv · 2502.01682

The exception of humour: Iconicity, Phonemic Surprisal, Memory Recall, and Emotional Associations

Alexander Kilpatrick·Maria Flaksman
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Abstract

This meta-study explores the relationships between humor, phonemic bigram surprisal, emotional valence, and memory recall. Prior research indicates that words with higher phonemic surprisal are more readily remembered, suggesting that unpredictable phoneme sequences promote long-term memory recall. Emotional valence is another well-documented factor influencing memory, with negative experiences and stimuli typically being remembered more easily than positive ones. Building on existing findings, this study highlights that words with negative associations often exhibit greater surprisal and are easier to recall. Humor, however, presents an exception: while associated with positive emotions, humorous words also display heightened surprisal and enhanced memorability.

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Alexander Kilpatrick, Maria Flaksman. 2025-02-02. The exception of humour: Iconicity, Phonemic Surprisal, Memory Recall, and Emotional Associations. https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.01682

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