A team of researchers, led by Ulrike Willinger at the Medical University of Vienna, asked 156 people, who had an average age of 33 and included 76 women, to rate their comprehension and enjoyment of 12 darkly humorous cartoons taken from 'The Black Book' by the renowned German cartoonist Uli Stein.⁠ Examples include a cartoon depicting a morgue where a physician lifts a cover sheet off a body. A woman confirms: “Sure, that’s my husband – anyway, which washing powder did you use to get that so white?” Participants were also tested for verbal and non-verbal IQ and asked about their mood, aggression, and educational background.⁠ The British Psychological Society Research Digest blog reports that the study found three groups of participants. The group with the highest sick humor appreciation and comprehension scored the highest in verbal and non-verbal IQ tests, were better educated, and scored lower for aggression and bad mood.⁠ ⁠ _____⁠ ⁠ A second group showed moderate comprehension of t...