Laughter is an effective catalyst for new relationships

If you want someone to open up to you, just make them laugh. Sharing a few good giggles and chuckles makes people more willing to tell others something personal about themselves, without even necessarily being aware that they are doing so, researchers say.

Read the complete article from Springer (and find a link to the full text journal article) here: Laughter is an effective catalyst for new relationships

Fake Laughter Doesn't Fool the Brain

A researcher from Royal Holloway, University of London, has found that there are clear differences between how our brains respond to genuine and fake laughter.

A study led by Dr Carolyn McGettigan, from the Department of Psychology, recorded the brain responses of participants as they listened to the same people produce genuine laughter, caused by watching funny YouTube videos, and forced laughter. The participants, who were unaware the study was about laughter perception, demonstrated different neurological responses when they heard false laughter. This suggested that our brains not only distinguish between the two types of laughter, but attempt to work out why the fake laughter is not genuine.

Read the article from NeuroScientistNews (and find a link to the full text journal article) here: Fake Laughter Doesn't Fool the Brain