The Role of Conceptual Blending in Cognitive Metaphor and Humor
Abstract
Studies between cognitive metaphor and humor have received attention in cognitive linguistics, while the cognitive mechanisms that underpin their relationship need clarification. Based on conceptual blending theory (Fauconnier and Turner 1998), specifically for the emergence of humor via the mechanism of cognitive metaphors, this study investigates the role which conceptual blending or metaphorical convergence have played. Using a corpus of current stand-up comedy performances, we take a qualitative analytical approach that both identifies and examines the conceptual blending at work in metaphoric humor. Coulson (2005) concludes that conceptual blending increases the creativity and novelty of metaphors while bounding the notions of incongruity and surprise that are also required for humor appreciation. Humor-inducing and humor-holding effects from the same session indicate that semantic networks formed by blending processes through disparate mental spaces are enhanced during play. This work contributes both to theory—around cognitive processes underlying humor generation—and provides practical implications for comedy writing, advertising, and artificial intelligence language modeling. This paper highlights conceptual blending as a central cognitive model of humor.