Laughter, we already know that it is one of the best remedies for morale. But, according to a new study published in the journal Personal Relationships, laughing with your partner would be better for the couple life.
To verify this link between love and laughter, Laura Kurtz, psychologist at the University of North Carolina (United States) has followed 77 heterosexual couples for 4 years on average. Her team of researchers asked the couples to recall how they met while filming their responses. The researchers counted how many times the couples laughed together while telling their stories, and how long they laughed. Then, each couple filled out a questionnaire about their married life.
The results show a clear link between laughter and happiness of the couple. “In general, couples who laugh together more tend to have better relationships,” says Laura Kurtz.
Although the link between laughter and couple happiness seems obvious, this study is one of the first to examine the influence of laughter on couples in a social context. The researchers also noticed specific gender trends while carrying out their study. They note that women laughed more than men, but men’s laughter was more contagious. “When men laugh, they are 1.73 times more able to make their partner laugh too,” adds Laura Kurtz.
Shared laughter as a couple could also indicate that participants are with supportive partners. “Participants who laughed more with their partners during the recorded conversation in the lab said they felt closer and more supported by their partner,” concludes the study’s lead author.
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