City Research Online

Abstract

Introduction
Aging is associated with reduced accuracy in recognizing others’ emotions, an ability that is important for maintaining social connectedness in later life. Laughter is a social signal with multiple functions, as it can facilitate social bonding but also convey negative social meanings, for example when directed at someone. In previous research we have shown that younger adults are able to classify spontaneously emitted joyful, schadenfreude, and tickling laughter above chance level, and that these laughter sounds differ according to the perceived dominance. Given evidence that affect recognition generally declines with age, the present study examined whether comparable age effects emerge in the perception of laughter.

Methods
64 younger adults (mean 25 years, 18–33 years) and 30 older adults (mean age 60 years, 50–77 years) evaluated 117 spontaneously emitted laughter sounds according to the laughter type, i.e., joyful, Schadenfreude, and tickling laughter and according to the perceived sender’s dominance.

Results
Results showed that both age groups classified laughter above chance level. Younger adults showed higher classification rates than older adults for all laughter types, with the largest age effect for Schadenfreude laughter. The dominance ratings showed an age effect only for Schadenfreude, where older adults rated Schadenfreude laughter less dominant than younger adults.

Discussion
Pronounced differences in Schadenfreude perception might be ascribed to difficulties of older adults in perceiving non-literal messages or to cultural differences between age groups.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2026 Szameitat, Wildgruber and Szameitat. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Publisher Keywords:	aging, emotions, joy, laughter, nonverbal communication, schadenfreude, tickling
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Departments:	School of Health & Medical Sciences School of Health & Medical Sciences > Department of Psychology & Neuroscience
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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