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For years, researchers have known that sounds play an important role in our well-being - whether it evokes emotion or conveys meaning.
But new research shows that it goes beyond the actual sound - but in which ear you hear the sound.
Sounds from behind have been shown to trigger negative emotions, likely due to evolutionary instincts to perceive them as potential threats.
But when it comes to laughter... the new study, from neuroscientists in Switzerland, reveals it has a stronger impact when they come from the left.
“Human vocalizations that elicit positive emotional experiences show strong activity in the brain’s auditory cortex when they come from the listener’s left side,” says Dr. Sandra da Costa, a research staff scientist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. “This response does not occur when positive vocalizations come from the front or right side. However, sounds with neutral or negative emotional valence, such as meaningless vowels or frightened screams, do not show this association with the left side.”
Read more about the research here.
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