The Psychology Behind Laughter

In fourth grade, I went to go watch a Bollywood-style humorous comedy movie with my family. In the middle of a scene, I whispered to my mom, "why is this a full-house? Why do so many people want to watch a funny film?" She replied, "it's because the other emotions; fear, sadness, and nostalgia, people feel on a daily basis. Everyone wants to laugh, but sometimes, they just don't get to."

Laughter is one of the most positive, simple conscientious actions for the brain. Although there are literature articles (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27439375/, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456) detailing this, I don't think anyone needs to an expert opinion to verify the fact that not only is laughter happiness, but it also causes happiness. Increased frequencies of laughter have been correlated with overall positive mood, increased health benefits, and less endothelial cell stress. But what exactly makes us laugh? When I and the hundrds of other people were watching the "funny" movie, why did we laugh? What does our brain find funny?

A joke is something someone says to induce laughter to an audience. Comedians, humorous movies, and your funny friend often employ misdirection; setting up the audience with a claim and convincing the audience its true, but then delivering a punchline which opposes almost everything they've said. When a joke is structured using misdirection, specific regions of the brain are activated, one of the reasons we start laughing.

Researchers have tried studying the brain using functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify which specific chemical reactions occur in the brain. The reward circuit, that releases dopamine and serotonin, is activated when certain ideas activate the aformentioned areas fo the brain.