Relationship · · 3 min read
Laughing together, a sign of a healthy couple
A shared fit of giggles, a joke only the two of you get: laughter is one of a couple's most intimate languages. Researchers wanted to measure what it says about the relationship.
Shared laughter, more than laughter
A study recorded more than 70 couples telling the story of how they met, then counted the moments when they laughed. It was not the amount of laughter in general that mattered, but shared laughter, at the same moment: couples who laughed together most often felt closer, more supported and more satisfied with their relationship.
A signal of connection
Other experiments by the same researchers suggest that laughing at the same time sends a message: "we see the world the same way". That feeling of connection may bring people closer, at least in the moment. The studies remain partly correlational: laughter also reflects a relationship that is going well.
Making room for play
No need to be funny on demand. Rewatching a film that makes you laugh, recalling an absurd memory, playing a game together, or keeping some lightness in your intimate moments: play and humour are part of closeness too.
Sources
- Kurtz L.E., Algoe S.B. (2015). Putting laughter in context: shared laughter as behavioral indicator of relationship well-being. Personal Relationships, 22(4), 573–590. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Kurtz L.E., Algoe S.B. (2017). When sharing a laugh means sharing more: testing the role of shared laughter on short-term interpersonal consequences. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 41(1), 45–65. doi.org
This article is for information only and does not replace professional advice. The studies cited are partly correlational and focus on specific groups of couples.
A rhythm chosen together, surprises in turn, discreet reminders.