Sharing a laugh may help people get to know each other better, according to a new study published in the journal Human Nature.
Students who watched a standup comedy video together were more likely to reveal personal information about themselves than students who watched a nature video or golf instruction video, researchers found. While chatting together after the funny video, students were more likely to disclose important personal information like fears or religious convictions, or more trivial facts like their favorite foods.
Alan Gray, one of the principal researchers, "suggests this is not merely because (laughing) is a positive experience, but because of the physiology behind a good laugh. It actually triggers the release of the so-called "happy hormone" endorphin," Science Daily reported.
"These results suggest that laughter should be a serious topic for those interested in the development of social relationships," Gray said.
When you laugh with people, you show them that you like them, you agree with them, or that you are in same group as them, neuroscientist and standup comic Sophie Scott told the BBC. Laughter is an index of the strength of a relationship.
You are 30 times more likely to laugh if youre with someone else, Scott said. Scotts research shows that mirror neurons in the brain are activated when we see someone laugh. Mirror neurons cause people to sympathetically experience others emotions and physical sensations, according to the American Psychological Association.
Sparking new relationships is only one of the many benefits of laughter. Laughter can boost memory, lower stress, decrease inflammation, lower cholesterol, improve immunity and speed up learning, according to Scope, a magazine published by Stanford Medical School. Laughter helps regulate emotions in challenging situations and makes people more attractive to the opposite sex, Scope reported.
Students who watched a standup comedy video together were more likely to reveal personal information about themselves than students who watched a nature video or golf instruction video, researchers found. While chatting together after the funny video, students were more likely to disclose important personal information like fears or religious convictions, or more trivial facts like their favorite foods.
Alan Gray, one of the principal researchers, "suggests this is not merely because (laughing) is a positive experience, but because of the physiology behind a good laugh. It actually triggers the release of the so-called "happy hormone" endorphin," Science Daily reported.
"These results suggest that laughter should be a serious topic for those interested in the development of social relationships," Gray said.
When you laugh with people, you show them that you like them, you agree with them, or that you are in same group as them, neuroscientist and standup comic Sophie Scott told the BBC. Laughter is an index of the strength of a relationship.
You are 30 times more likely to laugh if youre with someone else, Scott said. Scotts research shows that mirror neurons in the brain are activated when we see someone laugh. Mirror neurons cause people to sympathetically experience others emotions and physical sensations, according to the American Psychological Association.
Sparking new relationships is only one of the many benefits of laughter. Laughter can boost memory, lower stress, decrease inflammation, lower cholesterol, improve immunity and speed up learning, according to Scope, a magazine published by Stanford Medical School. Laughter helps regulate emotions in challenging situations and makes people more attractive to the opposite sex, Scope reported.
