Fake laughter doesn't fool the brain, research reveals

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140319222503.htm

Date: March 19, 2014
Source: University of Royal Holloway London

s the world celebrates International Day of Happiness today (Thursday, 20 March), can we tell whether people are truly happy just from their laugh?

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.

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