According to a new study in the journal Cognitive Processing, there is a strong correlation between intelligence and dark humor.
Led by the Medical University of Vienna, 156 people (...) were then asked to take a look at and react to 12 cartoons by German cartoonist Uli Stein, all of which had a rather bleak component to them.
One particular example features a couple being spoken to by a medical professional, with the woman in this case being pregnant. The GP then tells them “To begin with, here is the good news: your child will always find a parking space.”
(...) Those that appreciated and understood the jokes the most not only had the highest IQ test results, but they also scored lower for general aggression, negative moods, and were better educated.
(...) The point here is that dark humor is a complex form of humor. Grim subjects like death or disability put many people off, but by being able to quickly see through the darkness to instinctively laugh at the clever construction of language – assisted by a generally good frame of mind – takes a higher level of cognitive processing.