Psychologists have identified a unique type of laughter.

Laughter is an essential aspect of our lives, yet the reasons behind it and the ways in which people laugh can vary significantly. Recent studies have revealed that a specific type of laughter possesses unique sound characteristics and how it is perceived. In an experiment, both artificial intelligence and human participants were able to recognize it successfully.

2024-11-21 10:00:56https://naked-science.ru/article/psy/unikalnyj-tip-smeha

Researchers from the University of Amsterdam, along with specialists in digital technology and software from the eScience Center (Netherlands), set out to investigate whether human laughter varies in different contexts, such as during comedy shows, practical jokes, or from tickling. Their collaborative study was published in the journal Biology Letters.

Initially, the scientists compiled a collection of 887 laughter episodes from everyday situations using YouTube and analyzed them with machine learning algorithms. Ultimately, they found that AI was best at recognizing laughter from tickling—thanks to its distinctive acoustic properties, which resulted in the fewest identification errors.

In the subsequent two phases, laughter from tickling and other laughter types were presented to listeners. Over 200 men and women participated in each experiment.

Participants correctly identified tickling-induced laughter in more than 60% of the cases. They noted that this laughter sounded and felt different from the other presented types. Additionally, this type of laughter was characterized as less controlled.

According to the Dutch researchers, the experiments on recognizing laughter types showcased AI's extensive capabilities in detecting nuances in complex behavioral acts.

The scientists also stated that the findings demonstrate a fundamental difference in laughter elicited by tickling—a form of playful behavior observed in other animals, including tailless macaques and chimpanzees.

Scientific literature indicates that vocalizations similar to human laughter are found in at least 65 species. These include not only primates but also dogs, domestic cows, foxes, seals, mongooses, and three species of birds, including parrots and Australian magpies.

Numerous studies have also focused on the topic of tickling. German neurobiologists previously explained how the brain reacts to a person's attempt to tickle themselves. They also identified the most "ticklish" areas of our body.