Laughter serves a specific evolutionary and social function
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 85/100
Current evolutionary and psychological literature supports the view that laughter serves distinct adaptive social functions, particularly in human bonding and the reinforcement of social norms.
Evidence for · 2
Laughter and its role in the evolution of human social bonding
2022 · cited by 43
Paper 0 argues that laughter was co-opted by hominins as a form of chorusing to replace social grooming, thereby serving an evolutionary function in social bonding.
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More for · 1
Jokes optimise social norms, laughter synchronises social attitudes: an evolutionary hypothesis on the origins of humour
2015 · cited by 3
Paper 1 proposes that humour and laughter possess an evolutionarily adaptive function by appraising social norms and synchronizing social attitudes.