London: Babies laugh as they both exhale and inhale, in a manner that is remarkably similar to non-human primates, says a new study that can offer insight into vocal production of children with developmental disorders.
The findings showed that the youngest babies commonly laughed on both inhalation and exhalation, as do non-human primates like chimpanzees. In the older babies, however, laughter was primarily produced only while exhaling, as is the case in older children and adults.
“Adult humans sometimes laugh on the inhale but the proportion is markedly different from that of infants’ and chimps’ laughs. Our results so far suggest that this is a gradual, rather than a sudden, shift,” said Disa Sauter, a psychologist and Associate Professor at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
Sauter said there is no accepted reason why humans, alone among primates, laugh only on exhalation. One possibility, she said, is that it is a result of the vocal control humans develop as they learn to speak. In infants and younger babies, as in non-human primates, laughter occurs as the result of physical play like tickling.
In older individuals, laughter can arise from physical play but also from social interactions, the researchers noted.
Ultimately, the research could offer insight into vocal production of children with developmental disorders.
