There is an important difference, however between human and bonobo laughter (at least in adults). Bonobos and human infants laugh to express pleasure. This most often comes from being tickled or played with. Human adult laughter has an additional component. Human adults seem to have developed a second kind of laughter. This (not funny) variety of laughter is a social tool, which serves to lessen tension and bind members of the group. This type of laughter is not involuntary. It is commonly referred to as forced or fake laughter and differs from fun laughter in a myriad of ways.

Perhaps no other culture on Earth imposes as strict a code-of-behaviour as the Japanese. For that matter, perhaps no other culture on Earth utilizes the forced laugh as the Japanese. For this reason, it is easy to observe the differences between the fun laugh and the forced laugh in Japanese society.

The results of this case study are based on observations of Japanese teachers at a small rural school in Yamanashi, Japan. Many cases of forced laughter were observed over a two year period. Here is a brief comparison of the two types.

Real laughter is at least partially involuntary and the result of a funny or pleasurable stimulus. It is characterized by contractions in the diaphragm and lowered self-consciousness. This often causes a wide range of frequencies as well as sounds. Occasionally, in the case of a good belly laugh, there may be other physiological responses such as watering of the eyes, drooling or additional outbursts of, “Wooooo...phtphtpthtpht klchtcklth aaaahhhhhh.” This type of laughter dramatically increases serotonin, dopamine and endorphin levels in the brain and may strengthen the immune system. It is extremely rare in the Japanese school system.

Forced laughter, on the other hand, has none of these characteristics. It is the result of an uncomfortable stimulus or hostile environment. The trigger for this laugh is the overwhelming fear of not being included in the social group. This fear is almost debilitating in Japanese society, making the forced laugh as common as a soggy daikon, Japanese radish. The forced laugh is easily discernable from the real laugh in a variety of ways. First of all, it is characterized by short, flat, evenly spaced and highly predictable monotones. While these are also caused by constrictions in the diaphragm, the constrictions are highly controlled, longer and accompanied by head bobbing and making eye contact with other laughers. These behaviours are important parts of the ritual. They serve to reinforce group solidarity. In another article I wrote, I mentioned how they are also mechanisms to show group hierarchy, as the lowest ranking members of the group are always the last to finish laughing. This type of laughter does not seem to increase levels of serotonin, dopamine or endorphins. Quite the contrary, it serves only to push one deeper into the depths of despair and self loathing.  And that is…No Laughing Matter.