The Brain Can Distinguish between Real and Fake Laughter

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Link: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-brain-can-distinguish-between-real-and-fake-laughter/

A study was completed at University College London in 2013 to investigate the brain’s reaction to both genuine and posed laughter. They scanned the brains of 21 participants and had them listen to clips of laughter from watching funny videos as well as laughs produced on command. They found that the participants whose medial prefrontal cortext lit up while listening to posed laughter were able to tell whether the laughs were genuine or posed. Then in 2016 during a follow up study they disovered that the activity in the brain not actually classifying laughs but is more engaged when laughs become happier and more energetic.    


This article stood out to me because laughter is such a common and important part of our everyday lives. It also made me wonder whether it would link back to our study of Emotion. I believe this article is novel research because laughter is such a key to every person’s day to day activity and social interactions with others. And although they discovered the brain does not necessarily decipher between real or fake laughs it was interesting to learn that the brain is actually more engaged as laughs become stronger and happier.

Comments

  1. UnknownMay 1, 2017 at 8:28 PM

    This article definitely links with our class discussions on emotion generation. The Medial PFC helps us judge a stimulus, such as a laugh. Whether or not the laugh was fake is based on the context and emotional relevance to the person evaluating the stimulus. The Insula is also involved in this appraisal of laughter; providing awareness of the body states in relation to the situation. If a laugh brought on happiness in someone, they would perceive it as more real. Generation of emotions determines the appraisal of the stimulus.

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  2. UnknownMay 1, 2017 at 8:31 PM

    I have always assumed that telling the difference between a real or fake laugh came from facial expressions of the individual laughing. But, it makes sense that your brain can hear the difference between stronger and happier laughs, creating the connection through memory that it is a real laugh opposed to a fake laugh through the value of the stimulus. Whether the laugh will be judged as real or fake will be decided from the different laughs that they have heard in the past and how it compares.

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  3. Becca CossaboomMay 1, 2017 at 10:55 PM

    This article was actually really interesting to me and I'm glad you chose it to add to the blog because though facial expressions are important in distinguishing emotions we did learn in class that over time a person can be able to alter what emotions are shown to others through their facials and what emotions they may keep inside. With things like sarcasm and jokes, this is where the tone of voice, and apparently the tone of a persons laughter, are truly the key to understanding how a person truly feels. I'm not gonna lie I have noticed in some instances where I may be telling a joke or say something I think is funny and people I am talking to may laugh but I can tell that the genuinely may not have thought I was funny.

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  4. UnknownMay 1, 2017 at 11:07 PM

    I thought this article was interesting and while I was reading it I couldn't help but think of several instances when this idea has come up in social situations I have been a part of. I remember hearing an individual laugh at something that was not particularly funny however due to the situation they gave a fake laugh that I noticed but the other individual seemed to be oblivious to. It made me wonder if individuals can differentiate other fake expressions of emotion in a similar way or if laughing is something that is easier to tell with.

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  5. UnknownMay 2, 2017 at 1:38 AM

    We all believe that we can determine the difference between a fake laugh and a real laugh. The article made a good point stating that genuine laughs are usually more energetic and has a happy tone to it. I agree with Becca Cossaboom that another identifier in determining genuine laughs are facial expressions. During a fake laugh, the face will quickly back to a relaxed face while during a genuine laugh, the face will gradually become relaxed.

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  6. UnknownMay 3, 2017 at 12:18 AM

    This is very interesting, it can tie in with what we have learned about emotion. We look at a stimulus and by paying attention to it the PFC decides how we should react to it. Its cool to know we can decipher between real and fake laughter, makes a laugh more meaningful.

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