"Laughter, the 'Free Cure-All,' Has 'Contagious' Effects"

WP Reports on the Effects and Contagion of Laughter
"Laughter Contagion Is Learned, Not Innate"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Everyone has probably experienced laughing along unknowingly when hearing someone else's laughter or seeing someone laugh. But is laughter really contagious?

"Laughter is indeed contagious." On the 15th (local time), the Washington Post (WP) reported on the positive effects of laughter and why laughter spreads to others like yawning in an article with this title.

[Image source=Pixabay]

In this article, Professor Sophie Scott of University College London (UCL) in the UK asserted, "Laughter is a social phenomenon." Professor Scott is a scholar who published a research paper in the 2006 Journal of Neuroscience on how our brains respond to others' laughter. He said, "The contagion of laughter shows affection and a sense of belonging," adding, "We laugh just by being with people we expect to be funny."

Scientists have pointed out the positive psychological and physiological effects of laughter, including reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, relieving tension, improving cardiovascular health, releasing endorphins that enhance mood, and increasing pain tolerance. Laughter also lowers stress levels. Professor Scott explained, "Laughter lowers the stress hormone cortisol, and the anticipation of laughter reduces adrenaline levels," adding, "It also lowers the body's fight-or-flight response, all of which contribute to feeling good when we laugh."

Regarding why laughter spreads throughout a room like yawning, Lauri Nummenmaa, a neuroscientist at Aalto University in Finland, said, "Humans are connected to reflect each other." According to his explanation, humans simply imitate others' behaviors and laughter; when seeing or hearing someone else's laughter, sensory information changes the same brain areas in the observer, triggering laughter. Furthermore, laughter can strengthen social bonds, as scientists say people naturally want to be with those who make them feel good, like when laughing.

Laughter contagion is not unique to humans. Great apes such as chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans are also known to mimic each other's behaviors similarly. The fact that laughter is contagious means people are more likely to laugh stronger and longer when in groups, such as at comedy clubs or movie theaters. Psychologist Robert Provine stated in his book Laughter: A Scientific Investigation that "people are 30 times more likely to laugh when with others than when alone." He added, "Contagious laughter is immediate and involuntary, and it is the most direct form of communication possible between people?a 'brain-to-brain' response."

Although scientists have revealed much about the health benefits and contagious nature of laughter, many aspects remain unknown, including how contagious laughter is initially learned.

Professor Scott said, "Babies are not born laughing along when they see others laugh," adding, "What we know is that people learn contagious laughter, but exactly when and how it starts is still unknown."