New study shows laughter can trigger stress
Laughter is usually associated with happiness and warmth. As well as being contagious, laughter can also make everyone feel good. However, a recent study found that not all smiles can have a positive effect on some people. Sometimes it can be perfectly bad and some laughter can cause stress in someone.
This new discovery was based on a study conducted by brilliant researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
According to the survey, there are different types of laughter. A smile to imply dominance involves a physical response – an increase in stress hormones towards their goal. Laughter, on the other hand, for the purpose of reward, to strengthen the behavior, physically buffers against the emotional stress of the recipients.
“Facial expressions really control the world. We have that insight, but there is not much science behind itSays Martin.
Martin added, “Our results show that subtle differences in the way you create facial expressions when someone talks to you can fundamentally change their experience, their body, and the way you feel about evaluating them.“
Study
Smith collaborated with Paula Niedenthal, UW-Madison professor of psychology – and co-author of the research.
In the study, which involved 90 male college students, the researchers used three main types of smiles: dominance (to denote status), affiliation (which communicates with a bond and shows that you are not a threat), and reward (that kind of beaming, You want to give a smile to someone so that they make you happy)
Laughter participants were given brief, immediate speaking assignments via a webcam that was actually judged by a fellow student studying. Throughout their speeches, participants watched short video clips they believed were the response of their judges.
The researchers also monitored the speakers’ heartbeat and periodically took saliva samples to measure cortisol, a hormone associated with stress.
Here are the results:
The results show that cortisol levels in participants increased when they had a predominant smile. In contrast, the smile of the award has a more positive effect.
Nidenthal says, “If they get a domineering smile, which they will interpret as negative and critical, they feel more stressed and their cortisol increases after their speech and lasts longer. If they get the smile of reward, they respond to it as approval and it doesn’t make them feel as stressed and cortisol as much.“
The effect of affiliate laughter was close to reward laughter – interesting, but difficult to explain, Nidenthal said, because the accompanying message in the context of the trial was probably difficult for the speakers to understand. It is unlikely that most people know that laughter can be stressful.
