Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
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Social laughter is correlated with an elevated pain threshold

R. I. M. Dunbar

R. I. M. Dunbar

British Academy Centenary Research Project, University of Oxford, 64 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6PN, UK

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Eiluned Pearce

Eiluned Pearce

Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Oxford, 64 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6PN, UK

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Edwin J. C. van Leeuwen

Edwin J. C. van Leeuwen

Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, 57 van der Boechorsstraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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Julie Stow

Julie Stow

School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK

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Giselle Partridge

Giselle Partridge

School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK

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Ian MacDonald

Ian MacDonald

Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University (SUNY), Vestal Parkway East, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA

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Vincent Barra

Vincent Barra

School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK

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Mark van Vugt

Mark van Vugt

British Academy Centenary Research Project, University of Oxford, 64 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6PN, UK

Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, 57 van der Boechorsstraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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Published:https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.1373

    Although laughter forms an important part of human non-verbal communication, it has received rather less attention than it deserves in both the experimental and the observational literatures. Relaxed social (Duchenne) laughter is associated with feelings of wellbeing and heightened affect, a proximate explanation for which might be the release of endorphins. We tested this hypothesis in a series of six experimental studies in both the laboratory (watching videos) and naturalistic contexts (watching stage performances), using change in pain threshold as an assay for endorphin release. The results show that pain thresholds are significantly higher after laughter than in the control condition. This pain-tolerance effect is due to laughter itself and not simply due to a change in positive affect. We suggest that laughter, through an endorphin-mediated opiate effect, may play a crucial role in social bonding.

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