What makes us laugh? What really triggers a laugh?

Answer 1

Why Do We Laugh?
Philosopher John Morreall believes that the first human laughter may have begun as a gesture of shared relief at the passing of danger. And since the relaxation that results from a bout of laughter inhibits the biological fight-or-flight response, laughter may indicate trust in one's companions.

Many researchers believe that the purpose of laughter is related to making and strengthening human connections. "Laughter occurs when people are comfortable with one another, when they feel open and free. And the more laughter [there is], the more bonding [occurs] within the group," says cultural anthropologist Mahadev Apte. This feedback "loop" of bonding-laughter-more bonding, combined with the common desire not to be singled out from the group, may be another reason why laughter is often contagious.

Studies have also found that dominant individuals -- the boss, the tribal chief or the family patriarch -- use humor more than their subordinates. If you've often thought that everyone in the office laughs when the boss laughs, you're very perceptive. In such cases, Morreall says, controlling the laughter of a group becomes a way of exercising power by controlling the emotional climate of the group. So laughter, like much human behavior, must have evolved to change the behavior of others, Provine says. For example, in an embarrassing or threatening situation, laughter may serve as a conciliatory gesture or as a way to deflect anger. If the threatening person joins the laughter, the risk of confrontation may lessen.

Provine is among only a few people who are studying laughter much as an animal behaviorist might study a dog's bark or a bird's song. He believes that laughter, like the bird's song, functions as a kind of social signal. Other studies have confirmed that theory by proving that people are 30 times more likely to laugh in social settings than when they are alone (and without pseudo-social stimuli like television). Even nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, loses much of its oomph when taken in solitude, according to German psychologist Willibald Ruch.

Laughter on the Brain
The physiological study of laughter has its own name -- gelotology. And we know that certain parts of the brain are responsible for certain human functions. For example, emotional responses are the function of the brain's largest region, the frontal lobe. But researchers have learned that the production of laughter is involved with various regions of the brain. While the relationship between laughter and the brain is not fully understood, researchers are making some progress.

For example, Derks traced the pattern of brainwave activity in subjects responding to humorous material. Subjects were hooked up to an electroencephalograph (EEG) and their brain activity was measured when they laughed. In each case, the brain produced a regular electrical pattern. Within four-tenths of a second of exposure to something potentially funny, an electrical wave moved through the cerebral cortex, the largest part of the brain. If the wave took a negative charge, laughter resulted. If it maintained a positive charge, no response was given, researchers said.

During the experiment, researchers observed the following specific activities:

* The left side of the cortex (the layer of cells that covers the entire surface of the forebrain) analyzed the words and structure of the joke.
* The brain's large frontal lobe, which is involved in social emotional responses, became very active.
* The right hemisphere of the cortex carried out the intellectual analysis required to "get" the joke.
* Brainwave activity then spread to the sensory processing area of the occipital lobe (the area on the back of the head that contains the cells that process visual signals).
* Stimulation of the motor sections evoked physical responses to the joke.

This is different from what happens with emotional responses. Emotional responses appear to be confined to specific areas of the brain, while laughter seems to be produced via a circuit that runs through many regions of the brain. (This means that damage to any of these regions can impair one's sense of humor and response to humor, experts say.)

The Limbic System
When we look more closely at the areas of the brain involved with laughter, the limbic system seems to be central. The limbic system is a network of structures located beneath the cerebral cortex. This system is important because it controls some behaviors that are essential to the life of all mammals (finding food, self-preservation).

Interestingly, the same structures found in the human limbic system can also be found in the brains of evolutionary ancient animals such as the alligator. In the alligator, the limbic system is heavily involved in smell and plays an important role in defending territory, hunting and eating prey. In humans, the limbic system is more involved in motivation and emotional behaviors.


Structures in the brain's limbic system, which controls many essential human behaviors, also contribute to the production of laughter.

While the structures in this highly developed part of the brain interconnect, research has shown that the amygdala, a small almond-shaped structure deep inside the brain, and the hippocampus, a tiny, seahorse-shaped structure, seem to be the main areas involved with emotions. The amygdala connects with the hippocampus as well as the medial dorsal nucleus of the thalamus. These connections enable it to play an important role in the mediation and control of major activities like friendship, love and affection and on the expression of mood. The hypothalamus, particularly its median part, has been identified as a major contributor to the production of loud, uncontrollable laughter.

What's Funny?
Laughter is triggered when we find something humorous. There are three traditional theories about what we find humorous:

Why can't I tickle myself?
This is a little off the beaten laughter path, but believe it or not, some research is being conducted in this area. In fact, researchers at the University of California in San Diego have even constructed a "tickle machine."

Some scientists believe that laughing caused by tickling is a built-in reflex. If this is true, then, theoretically, you should be able to tickle yourself. But you can't -- not even in the same area and the same way someone else tickles you into hysteria! The information sent to your spinal cord and brain should be exactly the same. But apparently, for tickling to work, the brain needs tension and surprise -- something that's obviously missing when you tickle yourself. How the brain uses this information about tension and surprise is still a mystery.

* The incongruity theory suggests that humor arises when logic and familiarity are replaced by things that don't normally go together. Researcher Thomas Veatch says a joke becomes funny when we expect one outcome and another happens. When a joke begins, our minds and bodies are already anticipating what's going to happen and how it's going to end. That anticipation takes the form of logical thought intertwined with emotion and is influenced by our past experiences and our thought processes. When the joke goes in an unexpected direction, our thoughts and emotions suddenly have to switch gears. We now have new emotions, backing up a different line of thought. In other words, we experience two sets of incompatible thoughts and emotions simultaneously. We experience this incongruity between the different parts of the joke as humorous.

* The superiority theory comes into play when we laugh at jokes that focus on someone else's mistakes, stupidity or misfortune. We feel superior to this person, experience a certain detachment from the situation and so are able to laugh at it.

* The relief theory is the basis for a device movie-makers have used effectively for a long time. In action films or thrillers where tension is high, the director uses comic relief at just the right times. He builds up the tension or suspense as much as possible and then breaks it down slightly with a side comment, enabling the viewer to relieve himself of pent-up emotion, just so the movie can build it up again! Similarly, an actual story or situation creates tension within us. As we try to cope with two sets of emotions and thoughts, we need a release and laughter is the way of cleansing our system of the built-up tension and incongruity. (According to Dr. Lisa Rosenberg, humor, especially dark humor, can help workers cope with stressful situations. "The act of producing humor, of making a joke, gives us a mental break and increases our objectivity in the face of overwhelming stress," she says.)

That's Not Funny
Experts say that several obvious differences in people affect what they find humorous. The most significant seems to be age.

Infants and children are constantly discovering the world around them. A lot of what goes on seems ridiculous and surprising, which strikes them as funny. What's funny to a toddler consists of short and simple concepts, like an elephant joke. Along with the ridiculous and the surprising, children -- much to their parents' dismay -- also appreciate jokes where cruelty is present (it boosts their self-assertiveness) and what we refer to as "toilet humor." To children, a preoccupation with bodily functions is simply another way of exploring their fascinating new environment.

The pre-teen and teenage years are, almost universally, awkward and tense. Lots of adolescents and teens laugh at jokes that focus on sex, food, authority figures and -- in typical rebellious style -- any subject that adults consider off-limits. It is an insecure time of life and young people often use humor as a tool to protect themselves or to feel superior.

As we mature, both our physical bodies and mental outlooks grow and change. Since there is a certain amount of intelligence involved in "getting" a joke, our senses of humor becomes more developed as we learn more. By the time we're grown, we have experienced much of life, including tragedy and success. In keeping with these experiences, our senses of humor are more mature. We laugh at other people and ourselves in shared common predicaments and embarrassments. The adult sense of humor is usually characterized as more subtle, more tolerant and less judgmental about the differences in people. The things we find funny as a result of our age or developmental stage seem to be related to the stressors we experience during this time. Basically, we laugh at the issues that stress us out.

Another factor that affects what we find funny is the culture or community from which we come. Have you ever laughed at a joke and realized that if you were from anywhere else in the world, it just wouldn't be funny? It's a fact of life that culture and community provide lots of fodder for jokes. There are economic, political and social issues that are easy to laugh about, but only the people living in that culture may understand it. For example, a joke from a small country might not have universal appeal because it would be so little understood. The big, influential, much-observed United States might be the exception to this rule. Thanks to media and movies, most people around the world know what is going on here. So jokes about a situation in the United States can be enjoyed pretty much across the globe.

When people say "That's not funny," theorist Veatch says they mean either "It is offensive" or "So, what's the point?" For someone to find a joke or situation offensive, he must have some attachment to the principle or person being demeaned or put down in the joke. So racist and sexist jokes are offensive to many people who feel strongly about fighting bigotry and prejudice in the world. According to Veatch, when someone says, "So, what's the point?" it indicates the absence of any moral or emotional attachment or commitment to the joke's "victim."

Laughter and Health
We've long known that the ability to laugh is helpful to those coping with major illness and the stress of life's problems. But researchers are now saying laughter can do a lot more -- it can basically bring balance to all the components of the immune system, which helps us fight off diseases. (See How the Immune System Works.)

As we mentioned earlier, laughter reduces levels of certain stress hormones. In doing this, laughter provides a safety valve that shuts off the flow of stress hormones and the fight-or-flight compounds that swing into action in our bodies when we experience stress, anger or hostility. These stress hormones suppress the immune system, increase the number of blood platelets (which can cause obstructions in arteries) and raise blood pressure. When we're laughing, natural killer cells that destroy tumors and viruses increase, as do Gamma-interferon (a disease-fighting protein), T-cells, which are a major part of the immune response, and B-cells, which make disease-destroying antibodies.

Laughter may lead to hiccuping and coughing, which clears the respiratory tract by dislodging mucous plugs. Laughter also increases the concentration of salivary immunoglobulin A, which defends against infectious organisms entering through the respiratory tract.

What may surprise you even more is the fact that researchers estimate that laughing 100 times is equal to 10 minutes on the rowing machine or 15 minutes on an exercise bike. Laughing can be a total body workout! Blood pressure is lowered, and there is an increase in vascular blood flow and in oxygenation of the blood, which further assists healing. Laughter also gives your diaphragm and abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg and back muscles a workout. That's why you often feel exhausted after a long bout of laughter -- you've just had an aerobic workout!

The psychological benefits of humor are quite amazing, according to doctors and nurses who are members of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor. People often store negative emotions, such as anger, sadness and fear, rather than expressing them. Laughter provides a way for these emotions to be harmlessly released. Laughter is cathartic. That's why some people who are upset or stressed out go to a funny movie or a comedy club, so they can laugh the negative emotions away (these negative emotions, when held inside, can cause biochemical changes that can affect our bodies).

Increasingly, mental health professionals are suggesting "laughter therapy," which teaches people how to laugh -- openly -- at things that aren't usually funny and to cope in difficult situations by using humor. Following the lead of real-life funny-doc Patch Adams (portrayed by Robin Williams in a movie by the same name), doctors and psychiatrists are becoming more aware of the therapeutic benefits of laughter and humor. This is due, in part, to the growing body of humor and laughter scholarship (500 academicians from different disciplines belong to the International Society for Humor Studies).

Here are some tips to help you put more laughter in your life:

* Figure out what makes you laugh and do it (or read it or watch it) more often.
* Surround yourself with funny people -- be with them every chance you get.
* Develop your own sense of humor. Maybe even take a class to learn how to be a better comic -- or at least a better joke-teller at that next party. Be funny every chance you get -- as long as it's not at someone else's expense!

http://people.howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?parent=laughter.htm&url=http://aath.org/

Answer 2

When we hear some peculiar things, some mimicry of imitating others,how people think madly, extending converstation the status quo standing of a problem,imaginations of human thinking etc there are plenty of opportunitie
to make one laugh.
Now let's look at the biochemical impact of laughter. When you laugh, there's a lot more going on in your body than just the physical effect. You're also experiencing a biochemical benefit.
Your body manufactures chemicals based on certain needs and then distributes them throughout your body. When you laugh, you generate a wealth of healing biochemicals. I've often stated that for every minute of laughter, you produce somewhere around $10,000 worth of healthy body chemistry, and what I mean is that if you had to go out and actually purchase these refined chemical compounds from labs or pharmaceutical companies, you would have to pay at least $10,000 for the very same chemistry that your brain is producing free of charge when you engage in laughter.
Some of these are brain-altering chemicals such as serotonin; others are immune-boosting chemicals such as interleukins. If you were to make a long list of all the chemicals created by engaging in healthy laughter, you would have quite a list of healthy body chemicals that would carry a hefty price tag if you purchased them retail. And yet, once again, you can create these chemicals for yourself at no cost by simply engaging in laughter.
Laughter, they say, is a coping skill and good for your overall health. It's more than that to me. It's the bulk of life. The world is mined with frustration and heartbreak. Knowing that I enjoy a fully functional brain, including a sense of humor, that helps me tread on those mines lightly, or even flit over them, makes me feel pretty grateful.Secondly, laughter increases oxygenation of your body at both the cellular and organ level. By laughing, you intake vast amounts of oxygen in huge gulps, and you repeat this process in a sort of temporary hyperventilation session. This is the natural result of laughter, and if you watch someone laugh, you will notice these biophysical effects.

Answer 3

A sudden visualisation of what the other person is saying/ describing, or seing/ thinking something that is unusual, or something that doesn't happen on a daily basis. That split second, that one moment triggers it, and the more we think about it the laugh continues. When the novelty has worn off, we stop laughing.

Answer 4

. Laughter is a common physiological phenomenon that researchers are just beginning to study. What exactly happens when we laugh? What makes us laugh? Is it true that laughter is contagious? Is laughter healthy?

When we laugh, the brain pressures us to simultaneously make gestures and sounds. Fifteen facial muscles contract, the larynx becomes half-closed so that we breathe irregularly, which can makes us gasp for air, and sometimes, the tear ducts become activated (1). Nerves sent to the brain trigger electrical impulses to set off chemical reactions. These reactions release natural tranquilizers, pain relievers and endorphins (2).

There are three different theories for what people find humorous. The incongruity theory is when people's logical expectations don't match up with the end of the situation or the joke. The relief theory is when tension is built up and we need a release of emotion; this is commonly seen in movies in what we refer to as 'comic relief' (1). The relief theory also takes into account laughing at forbidden thoughts (6). The third is called superiority theory, when we laugh at someone else's mistakes because we feel superior to them (1). While what people find humorous can be divided into these three generic categories, many factors affect a person's sense of humor, which is why we don't all laugh at the same things. The main factor seems to be a person's age (1). We have all seen young children laugh at jokes that they don't "get" just because they understand the format for riddles (4). There is always a certain amount of intelligence involved in understanding a joke, no matter how basic or stupid the joke may seem (1). So the older a person gets, the more she learns, and her sense of humor will usually become more mature.

However, laughter also occurs in situations not necessarily considered to be typically humorous. Psychologist and neuroscientist Robert Provine, from the University of Maryland, studied over 1,200 "laughter episodes" and determined that 80% of laughter isn't based around humor (3). We laugh from being nervous, excited, tense, happy or because someone else is laughing (4). The listener isn't just laughing in response to the speaker, either. Provine found that in most conversations, speakers laugh 46% more than listeners do (3). I think the fact that speakers laugh more than listeners implies a kind of nervousness and need for acceptance on the speaker's part. They subconsciously think that if they laugh, the people listening to them will also laugh, and the listeners laughing makes the speaker feel more comfortable.

Conversationalists who think that if they laugh they will also make their audience laugh may not be too far off. It is widely accepted that laughter makes people laugh, even if they do not know the original context that caused laughter. The ability of laughter to cause laughter indicates that humans might have "auditory "feature detectors"--neural circuits that respond exclusively to this species-typical vocalization"(3). These detectors trigger the neural circuits that generate laughter. A laugh generator that is initiated by a laugh detector may be why laughter is contagious (3). So people who are laughing with someone else may not be able to control themselves, even if they do not know what caused the original laugh.

What we consider normal, healthy laughter doesn't come in different forms. Laughter is rigidly structured the same way as any animal call. All types of laughter should be a series of short vowel-like syllables such as 'ha-ha-ha' or 'tee-hee-hee' that are about 210 milliseconds apart (3). When it doesn't follow that structure, laughter usually sounds unnatural or disturbing. Laughter that sounds like 'haa-haaa-haaaaa', that gets louder instead of quieter, or that interrupts the structure of a sentence are all examples of odd laugh forms (5). I realized that many of the examples of 'unhealthy' laughter are what we use in our society to depict villains. Since laugher is structured like animal calls, it is almost as though when we hear something that doesn't follow those patterns, we instinctively know that it is menacing or unnatural.

We often laugh because we're happy, but laughing can also make us happy - and healthy. Laughter releases endorphins, neurotransmitters that have pain-relieving properties similar to morphine and are probably connected to euphoric feelings, appetite modulation, and the release of sex hormones (7). Studies have shown that laughter boosts the immune system in variety of ways. Laughter increases the amount of T cells, which attack viruses, foreign cells and cancer cells, and gamma interferon, a protein that fights diseases (8). It increases B-cells, which make disease-destroying antibodies (1). Immunoglobulin A, an antibody that fights upper respiratory tract infections, and immunoglobulins G and M, which help fight other infections, levels all rise due to laughing (8). The amount of stress hormones are also reduced by laughing, some of which are hormones that suppress the immune system (1). So when you feel better after laughing, you really are happier and healthier.

Laughing is also a full body workout. Some researchers estimate that laughing 100 times is as much of a workout as 15 minutes on an exercise bike (1). This raises the question of exactly what type of laughing do they mean? The kind where your stomach hurts by the time you are finished, or any type of laughing? Also, the average adult only laughs seventeen times a day, so it would take a little more than five days to get the equivalent of 15 minutes on an exercise bike through laughing. Laughing exercises the cardiovascular system by lowering blood pressure and increasing heart rate, which any aerobic exercise will do (6). It probably improves coordination of brain functions, which increases alertness and memory, and helps clear the respiratory tract from coughing (8). Laughter increases blood oxygen; and strengthens internal muscles by tightening and releasing them (6). One doctor says that 20 seconds of laughing works the heart as hard as three minutes of hard rowing (8). My friends who are rowers say that this is practically impossible, but the fact that research indicates that laughing gives you that much of a workout means it must be good for you, even if not to such an extent.

Laughter is a very complex physical process. There are theories on how to classify what we find humorous, which in turn makes us laugh. But even if these categories are correct, there are other things that cause laughter. Any extreme emotion can make people laugh, which is sometimes why we laugh in what are considered socially inappropriate moments (like funerals or car accidents). Someone else laughing also triggers laughter, so it really is contagious. There is a great deal of research that indicates that laughter is healthy for you in a variety of ways, such as boosting the immune system and reducing stress. So if you feel like you're getting sick or you don't have much energy, stop worrying about going to the gym or the health center. You just need to find funnier friends.

Answer 5

Very often the truth that we are afraid to encounter when wrapped up in a nice humorous saying makes us laugh.

Answer 6

Eddie Murphy

Answer 7

There is no single answer for this, but I will name one that works with almost anyone. Give someone a joke they can relate to. People love to hear a story that makes their own life seem that much more humorous.

Answer 8

We tend to think of dog training as a series of steps for teaching particular behaviors. To teach a dog to stay in a particular position, you reward her as she remains in place for gradually longer times, at gradually greater distances, with gradually increasing degrees of distraction. Read more https://tr.im/Wxmdm

Now, this is fine, training does involve teaching dogs specific behaviors with a step-by-step approach. This week, though, I’m going to discuss three mental habits that will not only enable you train more effectively but also make life pleasant for both you and your dog.

Answer 9

Humor of course (which is subjective)...people also often laugh when nervous or under stress...

Answer 10

thats a good question, sometimes i just laugh for no reason at all lol

Answer 11

The crying of opposing fans when we beat them !