Superpower laughter - How humor makes us strong

DW Documentary • Season 9 • Episode 107

About this episode

Laughter is both contagious and a social behavior: people laugh 30 times more often in company. The documentary shows how neuroscience and psychology have discovered that humor makes us stronger. In London, neuroscientist Sophie Scott has dedicated herself to researching laughter. "Laughter plays an important role in building and maintaining social relationships. It reduces stress and relaxes us. It is an important behavior to understand," she says. This is why laughter is also interesting for psychology. A research team at the Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt is exploring how humor can help in psychotherapy.