In my last post, I shared some findings from an article titled “Essential Attributes of a Comprehensive Theory of Laughter” (Simon, 2020), which listed topics raised by modern laughter scholars in their peer-reviewed writings. I wanted to expose some of the difficulties investigators face when attempting to develop a single “unified” laughter theory, one capable of answering all the questions raised, some going back as far as Ancient Greece (Halliwell, 2008). Unfortunately, I had space to cover only about a third of the issues interested theorists must address, so here I’d like to add a few more examples.
Previously reported themes
Last month’s article covered these themes: the physiological basis of atypical laughter behaviors as they relate to various cognitive or emotional disabilities; the social consequences of laughter and humor, both positive and negative; precisely where in the brain laughter is initiated; what physical benefits, if any, laughter provides to the individual expressing it; how laughter and humor may help us cope with difficult circumstances; explaining the tremendous variation we see in people’s laugh response; laughter’s relationship to humor; the essential role or function laughter’s has in an evolutionary sense; and why we sometimes misinterpret the sentiments behind others’ laughter. Listed below are the next most common themes encountered during my search.
More subjects the experts have raised
Acoustic Structure: Whether or not one assumes laughter is a form of nonverbal communication, a complete theory should be able to explain why, among all the other options available, laughter has the vocal signature it does. For that matter, why is it a vocalization at all rather than some other physiological reaction, such as puffing out one’s cheeks or pulling on an earlobe?
Message Conveyed: If a theorist presupposes laughter as being some form of communication, what message or messages does it convey? If it has more than one message, what method or markers are used to differentiate them?
Indicators of Personality, Health, and Status: It is generally held that people glean information about others’ personality (e.g., extroversion), physical and/or emotional health (e.g., depression), and their social status (e.g., acquiescence) from their laugh response…or lack thereof. What are the traits people associate with laughter, and how reliable are the inferences people make?
Laughter’s Relationship With Smiling: There is a clear link between laughter and smiling. We often smile before beginning a bout of sincere laughter and almost always follow such laughter with a smile. Is this coincidental, or is there some overlap in the motivations behind, or meaning of, these two behaviors?
Laughter’s Dual Nature: It’s not quite universal, but most cultures appear to differentiate between at least two “types” of laughter. One form is associated with friendly, supportive emotions (i.e., laughing “with” others) and a second form is linked with feelings of condescension and even malice (i.e., laughing “at” others). Why do these two internal motivations share a single outward form? Why not simply evolve two clearly different expressions, one gracious and the other antagonistic?
Origins: No theory of laughter would be complete without a plausible account of its evolutionary origins. When did laughter originate in our evolutionary history and from what source or “parent” behavior? Do the similar (but not vocally identical) expressions used by orangutans, gorillas, bonobos, and chimpanzees serve the same function as that proposed for humans? What about other, more distantly related species? Do any have a comparable behavior?
Volitional Laughter: Most of us have, at various times, felt compelled to laugh even absent the feeling of amusement. We might feign laughter if we think others expect (or at least hope) for us to respond in that way. Or we might fake a bout of laughter in a sarcastic way to suggest something isn’t funny. Why would we pretend to laugh, particularly if a theory presupposes laughter did not evolve to convey a message?
Contagiousness: It has been well established that laughter is often, but not always, contagious. That is, a person’s laughter itself generates feelings of amusement and laughter in others. Why would it spread from person to person in this way? Why might it not? What factors are at play?
Varieties: More than a few scholars have suggested there are different kinds of laughter—nervous laughter, joyous laughter, malicious laughter, embarrassed laughter, elevating laughter, etc. Does each serve a separate physiological function or convey a different message? Or is this a case of many different motivations all being responsible for a singular action?
Variations in Intensity or Duration: Laugh responses come in many degrees. It can be an almost imperceptible nasal “snort,” a single chuckle, a gentle giggle lasting a few seconds, a hearty guffaw, all the way up to a fall-on-the-floor “roller” that might go on for minutes. Why do bouts of laughter vary so much in intensity and duration? What influences our response to a particular stimulus?
Laughter and Humor’s Use by Bullies: The laughter of others is often, but not always, welcomed. There seems to be a relationship between it and bullying behavior. How does one explain laughter as a means of defamation, belittlement, and scorn? What are the motivations behind the use of antagonistic humor?
Relationship to Tickling: There is a clear link between laughter and tickling, at least for those who are “ticklish.” What is it about being tickled that explains the seemingly uncontrolled expression of laughter in some individuals while generating little or no effect in others? Why is it virtually impossible for even highly susceptible people to tickle themselves into a bout of sincere laughter?
The increasing scope
Combined with last month’s list, the themes enumerated here make it increasingly clear that any comprehensive explanation of the enigmatic behavior we call laughter must ultimately take into account dozens of wide-ranging issues.
I’ll present the final collection of examples, and a few additional thoughts, in next month’s post.
© John Charles Simon, 2026
