Positive non-humorous effects of humor on the internet

Abstract

In this chapter, the term (non-)intended non-propositional effect is proposed and applied to the kind of feeling, emotion, impression, etc. that internet humorous texts generate in the user beyond the proposition-centered humor, and which may not be tightly connected to the act of communication. These effects may be intended as part of the effects of the discourse being interpreted, but the main interest of this Chapter lies in those non-propositional effects which are non-intended, and hence not part of humorous communication proper, but nevertheless leak from humorous communication. These non-propositional, non-humorous and non-intended effects may provide reward to the users at different levels and add to the eventual relevance (or even constitute the main relevance) of internet-based humorous texts.