The telegraphs summary seems like your standard effort to simplify a complex signaling action into a simpler action.
Real research, on things like game theory, actually has shown how a single signal can have multiple functions that vary depending on the context. This "research" is clearly not aware of these modern advances...
Uh, and the funniest thing is that the only article in the "Journal Of Pragmatics" that I could find said just the opposite: "Humor serves a wide range of functions at work, one of which is to foster collegiality. An analysis of interactions in New Zealand workplaces showed that one of the most important functions of humor was the construction and maintenance of good relations with fellow workers. " ( http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi... )
Real research, on things like game theory, actually has shown how a single signal can have multiple functions that vary depending on the context. This "research" is clearly not aware of these modern advances...
Uh, and the funniest thing is that the only article in the "Journal Of Pragmatics" that I could find said just the opposite: "Humor serves a wide range of functions at work, one of which is to foster collegiality. An analysis of interactions in New Zealand workplaces showed that one of the most important functions of humor was the construction and maintenance of good relations with fellow workers. " ( http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi... )