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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…)

Children Who Seldom Smile, Laugh or Hug a Parent Might be at Risk for Depression

By Guest PostJuly 8, 2011Healthamy gentzler, charles george, children, daniel shaw, history of depression, hugging a parent, laboratory assessment, maria kovacs, negative emotions, negative moods, nestor lopez duran, positive displays, positive emotions, smiling and laughing, thomas olino, university of michigan, university of pittsburgh, vulnerability to depressive disorders

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— A new study from the University of Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh shows that even if a child isn’t crying, frowning or displaying other negative emotions on a consistent basis, another warning sign is when a child shows fewer positive displays, like hugging a parent or smiling and laughing.

“Surprisingly, it seems that it is low levels of happiness, as opposed to high levels of sadness, what may help explain why these kids too often develop depressive disorders,” said Nestor Lopez-Duran, an assistant professor of psychology at U-M and one of the study’s authors. (more…)

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The origins of laughter

Children Who Seldom Smile, Laugh or Hug a Parent Might be at Risk for Depression