Even when a joke doesn’t elicit a guffaw, people may still experience the benefit by feeling uplifted by it, he said. And some research shows that emotions are tied to health and well-being.There’s also a cognitive response, known as wit, that can occur with humor. To understand a joke, people often need to shift their perspective, and studies suggest that this cognitive reframing can help regulate emotions and cope with stress, Sultanoff said.Dad jokes tap into not only wit but also the social dimension of humor — what Sultanoff calls relational fusion.
Science suggests cringe-worthy dad jokes may serve an actual purpose – The Washington Post