title: Effects of laughter and relaxation on discomfort thresholds.
abstract: Two experiments were conducted to test the proposal that laughter is a pain antagonist. In Experiment I, thresholds for pressure-induced discomfort of 20 male and 20 female subjects were measured after each subject listened to a 20-min-long laughter-inducing, relaxation-inducing, or dull-narrative audio tape or no tape. Discomfort thresholds were higher for subjects in the laughter- and the relaxation-inducing conditions. In Experiment II, 40 female subjects were matched for pressure-induced discomfort thresholds. Their discomfort thresholds were measured after they listened to a laughter-inducing, interesting narrative, or uninteresting narrative audio tape, completed a multiplication task, or experienced no intervention. Discomfort thresholds increased for subjects in the laughter-inducing condition. Laughter, and not simply distraction, reduces discomfort sensitivity, suggesting that laughter has potential as an intervention strategy for the reduction of clinical discomfort.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cogan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cogan
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Waltz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McCue
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007845:Laughter; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D012684:Sensory Thresholds