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Asked by lillyahardy to Sofia on 19 Nov 2013.
Question: why do we laugh
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Sofia Franco answered on 19 Nov 2013:
Good question! Laughter is involuntary and it always happens as a reaction to something…in a way, its evolutionary significance comes from the fact that it is one of the essential mechanisms for socializing. By laughing you are basically expressing your emotions without speaking, but everyone will understand what you mean (if is of fun or making fun of, maybe just a panic laughter, or even to be sarcastic!) and is a universal language! Also you laugh since you are born so it is innate to us, and it helps the parents understand if all is good with the baby….from that point on, the baby understands (even if not consciously) that by laughing it is communicating. It is also really connection to our emotions, and in the brain it is related to both the hippocampus and the amygdala, as well as the production of endorfins that make you happy! So, from communication to expression of feelings, laughing is innate to humans and essential for social interaction!
Comments
fariac commented on :
Another good questions Lilly. Thanks Sofia. Just wondering if other social animals laugh and if they are communicating the same feelings / emotions as humans do when they laugh…
Sofia commented on :
They do, yes 🙂 and by similar feelings to ours! It is encoded in their brain the same way as us 🙂 see the case of rats that laugh when they are tickled and then come looking for more! This article can tell you more about it http://news.nationalgeographic.co.uk/news/2005/03/0331_050331_animallaughter_2.html ….it is fascinating to be honest!
Tommy commented on :
A really interesting question that came up in chat today was about “why do we cry”. Now there’s a question!
fariac commented on :
Thanks for the link to the article Sofia, brilliant! Tommy I agree – would be great to find out whether there has been any research done in this area. Could it be a way to get attention and care? Babies and toddlers are incredibly good at this!