Impact of Genuine Laughter on the Brain

Emotional Vocalisations and Laughter

• Ekman suggested that emotional vocalisations, including laughter, are more resistant to social masking than facial expressions, making them a more reliable indicator of emotional state.

Laughter in Conversation

• On average, people laugh 1.4 times per 10 minutes of conversation.

Contagious Laughter

• Contagious laughter is important as it promotes social bonding and can create a sense of togetherness.

Acoustic Properties of Laughter

• 'Spontaneous' and 'volitional' laughs have distinct acoustic differences, with spontaneous laughs having a more abrupt onset, shorter duration, and a more rapid decay.
• Spectral change (pitch/volume) plays a crucial role in emotional vocalisations, as it helps to convey emotional intensity.

Perception of Laughter

• According to Lavan et al. (2015), perception of laughter can be influenced by social context, relationships, and cultural background.

Functions of Laughter

• Laughter serves multiple functions, including social bonding, tension release, and communication.
• The quote 'laughter is the shortest distance between two people' relates to the study findings, as it highlights the role of laughter in bridging social gaps.

Ekman's Theory of Emotions

• Ekman's theory proposes that there are six core facial expressions of basic emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust.

Distinguishing Emotions in Emotional Vocalisations

• Distinct acoustic profiles are used to distinguish between positive and negative emotions in emotional vocalizations.

Nonverbal Emotional Vocalisations

• Nonverbal emotional vocalisations are likened to a "vocal tone of voice" that conveys emotional information.

Social Functions of Laughter

• Laughter serves social functions, such as relieving tension, promoting social bonding, and facilitating communication.

Laughter in Other Species

• Behaviors in other species, such as chimpanzee panting and dog yawning, mirror the social and contagious nature of laughter.

Classification of Laughter

• People perceive and classify the laughter they hear into two main categories: 'in-group' laughter (shared with others) and 'out-group' laughter (directed at others).

Brain's Response to Laughter

• Functional imaging studies reveal that the brain responds differently to various types of laughter, with some types eliciting more intense emotional responses.

Types of Laughter

• Volitional laughter and spontaneous laughter are distinguished by their acoustic properties, with volitional laughter being more controlled and spontaneous laughter being more natural.
• Laughter is related to play behavior, as both involve a sense of freedom and release.