Is Happiness Contagious? How Other People’s Emotions Affect Us

The moods of those around us can directly influence how happy or sad we feel. Drawing on psychology and neuroscience, Dr. Laurie teams up with the world’s leading expert on TV laugh tracks to explore how emotional cues shape our feelings without us realizing it. From sitcoms to social groups, learn how humans naturally “catch” emotions from others—and how we can we intentionally bring joy to ourselves and our loved ones.

Experts Mentioned:
- Tanya Chartrand, Roy J. Bostock Professor, Duke University
- Jeff Hancock, Harry and Norman Chandler Professor of Communication and founder of the Stanford Social Media Lab, Stanford University
- Sigal Barsade, Joseph Frank Bernstein Professor Professor of Management, The Wharton School
- Marcel Marceau, legendary mime

Resources Mentioned:
- "The Man Who Perfected the Laugh Track," (Slate, 2018)
- "When Paid Applauders Ruled the Paris Opera House," (JSTOR Daily, 2021)
- "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," TV series, (1952-1966)
- "The Chameleon Effect: The Perception-Behavior Link and Social Interaction," (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1999)

Related episodes of "The Happiness Lab":
- "Nerd Out! The Happiness of Being a Fan"
- "Emotions Are Data…So Listen to Them"
- "Laurie Gets a Funtervention (Part 1)"
- "Laurie Gets a Funtervention (Part 2)"

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