In focus
Have you laughed today?
When and how often we laugh depends, among other things, on our age, our environment, and our expectations. A look at the data shows how these factors work—and what they trigger in us.
Adults laugh 15-20 times a day in everyday life.
The older we get, the less we laugh. Children laugh dozens of times a day. (Provine et al., 1989 Ethology)
We laugh 30 times more often in company
Laughter plays a central role in social interactions and is an expression of connectedness. (Scott et al., 2014, Trends in Cognitive Sciences)
Rich people laugh more often
People in the highest income quartile of society laugh significantly more often than those in the lowest quartile. This difference is greater among men than among women. (Imai et al., 2018, BMJ Open)
Remedy for stress
Just the anticipation of laughter significantly reduces stress hormones: cortisol levels drop by up to 39%, and adrenaline by up to 70%. (American Physiological Society, 2008)
Magazine uniFOKUS
"Funny, isn't it?"
This article first appeared in uniFOKUS, the University of Bern print magazine. Four times a year, uniFOKUS focuses on one specialist area from different points of view. Current focus topic: humor.
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