Effects of Laughter on Stress

Mentor 1

Raymond Fleming

Location

Union Wisconsin Room

Start Date

28-4-2017 1:30 PM

End Date

28-4-2017 4:00 PM

Description

This study investigated the effect of laughter on stress to address current gaps in the literature on the psychophysiological effects of laughter on cardiovascular reactivity. While there is data relating humor to stress reduction, there is little data on the relationship between laughter (and its mechanics) and stress reduction. To evaluate stress, the experiment used self-report (e.g., personality traits, stress levels) and physiological measures (e.g., heart rate [HR], heart rate variability [HRV], respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]), including respiration and ECG using a MP36 Biopac system. First, all participants' physiological measurements were recorded during a 5-minute baseline, then stress was induced via the Trier Social Stress Test, a test involving the serial subtraction of 13 from 1,022. This was followed by having participants watch either a nature video (control group) or a video intended to make them laugh (experimental group), all while participant laughter was recorded. The study ended after a second 5-minute baseline. A repeated measures ANOVA on stress levels using a Greenhouse-Geisser correction determined that responses to stress differed between groups (F(1.29, 49.005) = 23.754 , p .001), such that those in the laughter group reported significantly less stress than those in the control group following the video. Analysis revealed no significant between group differences on psychophysiological responses to stress. These results suggest that laughter has a positive impact on perception of stress. In conclusion, these results could prove useful as an effective adjunctive treatment of patients. This information may also help future research focused on laughter's effects across longer spans of time.

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Apr 28th, 1:30 PM Apr 28th, 4:00 PM

Effects of Laughter on Stress

Union Wisconsin Room

This study investigated the effect of laughter on stress to address current gaps in the literature on the psychophysiological effects of laughter on cardiovascular reactivity. While there is data relating humor to stress reduction, there is little data on the relationship between laughter (and its mechanics) and stress reduction. To evaluate stress, the experiment used self-report (e.g., personality traits, stress levels) and physiological measures (e.g., heart rate [HR], heart rate variability [HRV], respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]), including respiration and ECG using a MP36 Biopac system. First, all participants' physiological measurements were recorded during a 5-minute baseline, then stress was induced via the Trier Social Stress Test, a test involving the serial subtraction of 13 from 1,022. This was followed by having participants watch either a nature video (control group) or a video intended to make them laugh (experimental group), all while participant laughter was recorded. The study ended after a second 5-minute baseline. A repeated measures ANOVA on stress levels using a Greenhouse-Geisser correction determined that responses to stress differed between groups (F(1.29, 49.005) = 23.754 , p .001), such that those in the laughter group reported significantly less stress than those in the control group following the video. Analysis revealed no significant between group differences on psychophysiological responses to stress. These results suggest that laughter has a positive impact on perception of stress. In conclusion, these results could prove useful as an effective adjunctive treatment of patients. This information may also help future research focused on laughter's effects across longer spans of time.