Smiling and Laughter in Naturally Occurring Dyadic Interactions: Relationship to Conversation, Body Contacts, and Displacement Activities

Abstract

Although research suggests that different types of smiles have different meaning, and possibly different functions, observational evidence to support that claim is relatively rare. The present study reports ethological observations on the frequency of smiling and laughter during naturally occurring dyadic interactions taking place in bars and cafés. Smiles were classified along two dimensions: spontaneous/deliberate and open/closed. Younger individuals displayed more laughter, spontaneous smiles and open smiles. People tended to smile more to individuals of their own sex and this was particularly salient for closed smiles, which appeared at significantly higher rates in male dyads. Different forms of smiles and laughter also varied with the behavioural context, characterized in this study by conversation time, displacement activities, and body contacts. The present findings also suggest that laughter plays a role in regulating partners’ speech. This article supports the assumption that different forms of smiles have different functions in social relationships: Open and spontaneous smiles could be related to affiliation/bondings; whereas closed and deliberate smiles could be related to the regulation of status-based social interactions. The relationship between smiling and laughter is also discussed.