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The origins of laughter

By Guest PostApril 2, 2013Healtharistotle, behavioural program, benefits of laughter, bernard chapais, bibliographic guide, brain activation, change, cultural transmission, cultural variability, descartes, duchenne, evolution of laughter, evolutionary origins, freud, Health, humour, kant, mimic play, nervous laughter, neural circuits, non duchenne, origins of laughter, plato, positive emotions, psychology of laughter, steven legare, types of laughter, universal behavior

We know the benefits of laughter on health. But why do we laugh? What are the evolutionary origins of laughter and humour? Steven Légaré has asked these questions and has made them the subject of his master’s thesis, which he recently submitted to the Université de Montréal’s Department of Anthropology.

“Science provides few answers to these questions other than in psychology and neuroscience. From the perspective of anthropology, laughter and humour are often overlooked. However, it is a serious subject,” says the recent graduate. (more…)

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The origins of laughter