Dynamic-Acoustic Variation Causes Differences in Evaluations of Laughter

Exposure to laughter has striking effects on human listeners and may facilitate positive emotional and behavioural responses. The acoustic signal pattern of laughter vocalisations is particularly suitable to elicit these reactions. However, little is known about factors that lead to differences in reactions of listeners. The acoustic quality of laughter, the social context, and the disposition of the listener are possible variables in differences in evaluation. We conducted experiments using playback techniques in which human laughter elicited in a natural setting was evaluated by listeners (N = 90). Listeners evaluated several phrases of laughter produced by different laughing targets. We investigated the role of the characteristics of voice, dynamic-acoustic characteristics, and order of playback sequence on the evaluation of laughter. The dynamic-acoustic characteristics of laughter significantly affected evaluations by listeners, whereas voice and the playback order did not. An acoustic analysis allowed us to identify acoustic parameters that contribute to such differences in evaluation.

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