People who laugh frequently in daily life are better equipped to handle stressful events, according to a study by researchers at the University of Basel. Notably, the intensity of laughter appears to have little impact.
Adults typically laugh about 18 times a day, often during social interactions and influenced by pleasure levels. Variations occur by time of day, age, and gender—with women laughing more than men on average. A recent University of Basel study explored how laughter relates to stress perception in everyday scenarios.
Real-Time Data Collection via App
In this intensive longitudinal study, a smartphone app prompted 41 psychology students (33 women, average age 22) to respond to questions eight times daily at random intervals over 14 days. Queries covered laughter frequency and intensity, triggers, recent stressful events, and stress symptoms like headaches or restlessness since the last prompt.
Lead authors Dr. Thea Zander-Schellenberg and Dr. Isabella Collins analyzed these responses to examine laughter's role in mitigating physical and psychological stress symptoms amid daily challenges.
Frequency Trumps Intensity
Consistent with prior research, higher laughter frequency correlated with reduced stress symptoms during stressful periods. Unexpectedly, laughter intensity (strong, medium, or weak) showed no significant link to stress relief. The team suggests participants may more accurately recall laughter frequency than intensity over short intervals.
