When Laughter Does (and Does Not) Harm Trust

Abstract: Despite being a universal behavior, the impact of laughter on trust remains underexplored. Across three studies, we examine how laughter affects trust and how these effects are moderated by gender and social hierarchy. The ambiguity surrounding the cause of laughter hinders emotional perspective-taking, has a detrimental impact on a speaker’s perceived ability, benevolence, and integrity, and ultimately reduces trust. Contrary to lay beliefs that laughter is particularly harmful to powerful women, we demonstrate that both women and men in powerful positions are equally penalized for laughing during a presentation and that laughter can be more deleterious to the trust of low-power men than women. Combined, our findings contribute to the literature on communication, trust, and gender stereotypes. In doing so, they highlight the importance of developing a more nuanced understanding of laughter and its interpersonal consequences.

Keywords: Laughter; trust; emotions; gender stereotypes