In two experiments, videotaped and still-photographed laughter was examined with respect to likeability. A total of 350 (150 Study 1, 200 Study 2) Introductory Psychology students participated for partial course credit. In Study 1, participants rated videotaped recordings of individuals on the Reysen Likeability Scale. Individuals in the video laughed genuinely, faked their laughter, or did not laugh while reading a paragraph. In Study 2, participants rated photographs of 8 different individuals using the Reysen Likeability Scale. The photographs depicted individuals genuinely laughing, faking their laughter, smiling, or exhibiting a neutral expression. In both the video and photograph condition individuals were rated higher on likeability when they were laughing (genuine or fake), and participants were able to identify false laughter at a rate better than chance alone. Explanations for the origins and purpose of laughter have varied widely. It has been suggested that laughter is an expression of joy, happiness, and play (Darwin, 1872), a signal the danger is over (Hayworth, 1928), a signal of a false alarm (Ramachandran, 1998), a dissociation to stress (Keltner & Bonanno, 1997), a release of nervous energy (Freud, 1959), a method to enhance social bonds (Coser, 1960), or a method to elicit emotional affect in listeners (Bachorowski & Owren, 2001). Laughter plays a social function, evident by the fact that we rarely laugh alone (Provine, 2000; Provine & Fischer, 1989). The present study reviews past research concerning laughter and provides empirical support for a connection between laughter and likeability.
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