Richard Wiseman, the author of Quirkology, says that research has shown a distinct regional preference for what is funny. Other studies suggest that what is considered funny maybe regional. In general, laughter is typically the result of our brainexpecting one thing but then experiencing another: the surprise is what’s humorous. Scott Weems, a research scientist at the University of Maryland, and the author of Ha! The Science of When We Laugh and Why, says there isn’t a magic formula for what’s funny. However, the odds of a funny joke causing laughter is actually, surprisingly less likely.ĭr. Provine’s research, there is a 30% increased probability of laughing if there is laughter nearby – as opposed to when alone. On average there will be about 6 bouts of laughter in a typical 10-minute conversation and, according to Dr. What causes laughter?Ĭontrary to popular belief, the number one cause of laughter isn’t a funny joke but is in fact interaction with another person. Infants realize that laughter garners an adult’s attention and so they quickly develop laughter as a communication too. Caspar Addyman, a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of London, believes that the behavior is similar to crying. However, a study publishedin the journal Infant Behavior and Development reported that when observing the interactions between mothers and children, the more the mothers laughed, the more their children laughed.ĭr. Laughter is considered an innate behavior, something that doesn’t need to be taught. He has speculated that this eventually became an automatic response. He believes that the modern-day “ha-ha” probably evolved from our primitive ancestors making a similar sound (perhaps a pant) to reassure one another that their rough-housing was all in good fun and not an attack. Robert Provine, a professor of psychology at the University of Maryland, has authored the books Curious Behavior and Laughter: A Scientific Investigation. Whether it’s a quiet little giggle, a throaty chuckle or one of those loud laughs that has everyone turning to see what’s so funny, we all know what it means to laugh. Yet, the very basics we know about laughter are just the tip of the iceberg. It’s also been said that laughter is the best medicine – an antidote to stress and a cure for the blues.

It’s more infectious than the common cold and easier to catch. Laughter is contagious – it can evoke giggling fits in those that hear it.

He will become a laughter and a byword