Leave ' em laughing

Thanks to Jessica Ames for sending along this article about humor as a social lubricant.

A study from the University College London suggests that people who have been laughing are more likely to share intimate, even embarrassing details about their lives.

Three experimental groups each were shown a different video – one to induce laughter, another to induce a pleasant mood, and a third to induce no particular feelings at all. After watching the video, participants were asked to write a biography that introduced them to other members of the group.

Those who saw the funny video were significantly more likely to share secrets in their bio (e.g. “In January I broke my collarbone falling off a pole while dancing.”)

Maybe there are implications here for consumer research, especially when dealing with sensitive or embarrassing topics. Perhaps laughter can be a bit like a truth serum.