It's no joke: Study identifies brain circuitry involved in our grasp of sarcasm - Research Paper Example

Brain circuitry involved in our grasp of sarcasm Psychology is important in understanding life; thus, helps have an understanding on how the brain works. A study carried out by Tsoory, et al. (24) shows how the brain is involved in processing sarcasm. The study conjectures that, the right prefrontal cortex standardizes how an individual comprehends sarcasm. The right hemisphere is responsible for handling emotions in the brain hence the hypothesis made in the study. A group of people got involved in the research.

Those, whose prefrontal cortex was damaged, erred more when identifying sarcasm and empathy, compared to those whose prefrontal cortex was in an excellent physical shape. The study also designates that, those with right prefrontal cortex damage made more errors than those with damage in the two cortexes, or the left one only. Tsoory, et al. (26) conclude that, there is a relationship between language and social cognition, and more importantly there is a relationship among the abilities to understand sarcasm, empathy and people’s thoughts.

Consequently, it is vital to be aware of how the brain is implicated in processing sarcasm. Sarcasm may arouse positive or negative emotions depending on how an individual processes the intended meaning (Tsoory, Tomer and Peretz, 26). To be an excellent psychologist, one requires knowing how processes in the brain influence people’s behavior socially. In most cases, sarcasm is intended to evoke laughter since happy people portray better adaption to work and socialization. They are not only productive, but also successful and healthy.

Work cited Tsoory, et al. (2005). Its no joke: Study identifies brain circuitry involved in our grasp of sarcasm. Journal of American Psychological Association, 36, 13.