The present paper aims to investigate whether individuals with Asperger syndrome (AS) show global humor processing deficits
or whether humor comprehension and appreciation depends on stimulus characteristics. Non-verbal visual puns, semantic and
Theory of Mind cartoons were rated on comprehension, funniness and the punchlines were explained. AS individuals did not differ
to the control group in humor appreciation of visual puns. However, they had difficulty understanding and appreciating Theory
of Mind cartoons and provided mentalistic explanations less frequently than controls suggesting that humor processing is strongly
related to the cognitive requirements that the stimuli pose on the perceiver. Furthermore, AS individuals referred in all
conditions more frequently to non-joke relevant details. Therefore, humor processing is also influenced by their detail-oriented
processing style.
Keywords Asperger syndrome - Humor - Theory of mind - Cartoons - Empathizing - Local–global processing