It’s time to solve the mystery of YOU, two mysteries, to be exact. Why do you laugh, and how’d you develop those superstitions you have? Here’s what makes you tick, courtesy of New Scientist magazine.
- Laughter. Robert Provine and his research team from the University of Maryland conducted a 10-year study for Provine’s book Laughter: A Scientific Investigation. He says laughter probably began as a response to tickling – some animals still display their own form of “laughing” when tickled, like an ape’s “pant pant” sound. Over time, laughter took on a more powerful social function – to bond people. Studies show that laughing increases our levels of endorphins, our feel good chemicals, which help strengthen our social relationships. In Provine’s study, he found that laughter is provoked more often by ordinary comments than by amusing jokes. So you don’t have to be funny to have a lot of friends.
- Superstitions. For example, Tiger Woods always wears a red shirt when playing golf on Sundays. Most of us have our own superstitions. Even though we know rationally that there’s no truth to them. Why? Bruce Hood is a professor with the Cognitive Development Centre at Bristol University in the UK. He says that our brains are designed to detect structure and order in our environment. We also assume that past outcomes influence future ones. This combination makes us superstitious. Wearing a red shirt on Sundays represents structure to Tiger Woods. Since he’s won before while wearing one, he thinks he will again. Also, environmental factors influence superstitions. One study found that people in high-risk areas of the Middle East are much more likely to carry a lucky charm than other people. Attendance at U.S. churches jumps an average of 50% during economic downturns. Hood says no one is immune – we can all shift our beliefs based on circumstances. As he puts it, “There are very few atheists on a plane that’s plummeting from 30,000 feet.”
