LAUGHTER

WHY DO WE LAUGH?

• Not always humorous
• Often the speaker who laughs
• A social behavior-people rarely laugh alone
• Not consciously controlled

GENDER: DOES IT MATTER?

• Women laugh more
• Men instigate more laughs
• Healthy relationship=Women laughing
• Leaders laugh less during work

THE LAUGHTER VIRUS

• Laughter is contagious
• 1962 outbreak - Tanzania boarding school
• Speech takes priority over (inhibits) laughter

THE BIOLOGICAL SIDE

• Laughter raises heart rate and blood pressure
• Medicinal effects largely unknown
• Laughing does not necessarily increase longevity
• Laughter may help decrease pain and stress
• Unclear what is caused by laughter over humor

WORKS CITED

• HTTPS://WWW.PSYCHOLOGYTODAY.COM/ARTICLES/200011/THE-SCIENCE-LAUGHTER