Contents
Why do we sometimes giggle
Psychology
Laughter helps regulate levels of cortisol, known as the stress hormone, causing a decrease in this substance in the body, which helps reduce anxiety
When something they tell us makes us laugh, we laugh. We also laugh when we see someone who is doing it because we already know that laughter is contagious, and the most desperate and triggering laughter usually comes out when we are tickled. Definitely, have a laugh It is always a good option, although not all are the same or imply the same …
Laughter, in addition to being another way of expressing emotionally welfare and happiness, it has also been shown to have a highly beneficial function to neurobiological level. When our nervous system perceives a stimulus that causes us to laugh, many of the neurotransmitters involved in daily biological processes are activated. Our brain, apparently, releases endorphins and oxytocin, substances involved in producing an analgesic effect, a sensation of pleasure, a state of relaxation and strengthening the immune system. Linked to this process, another neurotransmitter is also involved: dopamine, also related to the search for pleasure and reward.
Beatriz Gil Torres, psychologist at Cepsim Psicólogos, explains that our body, by generating dopamine in a regulated way, makes natural behaviors such as laughing, hugging or receiving other forms of affection, “we find them very pleasant and thus influence our state of mind.” . On the other hand, says the expert that laughter also “helps regulate cortisol levels”, known as the stress hormone, causing a decrease in this substance in the body, which helps reduce anxiety and stress, that the rest of the substances and brain areas function optimally, so that our mood is adequate and our immune system functions properly.
“Laughter not only helps us” to be happier “but also plays a very important role at the level of neural development and, therefore, at the social level,” he says and, according to his account, it is at three years of life when the most neurons available to our brain: «One of the elements for which the baby is innately programming is for the smile of its attachment figures, since it is fundamental so that, in the future, it can develop adequate social interaction and connection with their environment, “he says.
Types of laughter
And as we have seen, there are numerous situations that invite you to laugh, although depending on the context it will have one or another meaning. Defining the types of laughter is somewhat complicated since we can adhere to different criteria such as its intensity, whether it is genuine or, on the contrary, simulated … However, Beatriz Gil Torres has managed to count the most common :
Genuine laugh. This is the type of laugh that we all commonly know. It’s about the spontaneous laughter that comes from the expression of an emotion of momentary happiness. It is usually associated with welfare states.
‘Silly’ laugh. How awkward and funny it is to laugh and not know exactly why. What we commonly call «silly laughter» says Beatriz Torres Gil who can sometimes refer to the nervous laugh that we have mentioned previously but, it can also be confused with another type of laughter, of a social nature, called «contagious laughter». “This phenomenon occurs, in part, thanks to mirror neurons, which help us feel empathy and happiness towards other people. This is the reason why, when we hear a laugh, our first reaction is to smile and if that laugh continues, we will most likely end up laughing ourselves.
Simulated or social laughter. Unlike the previous one, this type of laughter occurs “in a voluntary way.” The expert in psychology says that it is carried out when «we want convey a communicative message with this gesture ”and can have various objectives: belonging to a group, strengthening relationships, expressing approval or appreciation for something or someone, and so on.
Devaluing laugh. In the same way as simulated laughter, this type of laughter also has a social connotation. However, “its function is aimed at showing dislike or with the intention of ridiculing someone.”
Nervous laugh. Although this type of laughter is usually genuine, “it is not always associated with a humorous element”, but rather corresponds “to the need to cope with an anxious emotional state” reacting with it as a defense or regulation mechanism.
Pathological laughter. “There are some neurological pathologies that can occur with sudden laughter, out of place or without an apparent reason due to dysregulation or damage to the nervous system,” says the psychologist.
Laughter caused by substance use. Some substances and medications can induce certain states of disinhibition causing episodes of euphoria, trance or even hallucinations that give rise to this phenomenon.
Laughter caused by physiological stimuli. The pleasant stimulation of certain sensitive areas of our body such as the armpits, feet, neck or ribs, commonly known as tickling, can generate an involuntary reaction and reflects that it is very similar to spontaneous laughter, only that the latter is produced by physical stimulation.