The Impact of a Laughter Prescription on Creativity, Well-Being, Affect, and Academic Efficacy in University Students

Abstract

Our study explored: (a) the feasibility of prescribing laughter to university students; (b) the efficacy of the prescription on creativity, well-being, affect, and academic efficacy (AE); and (c) the practicality of the Applied Creativity Test (ACT) conceived for this study. A convenience sample of healthy students (n = 70) aged 18–28 (78% female; M = 21.6) was randomized to experimental or control conditions. Experimental participants (n = 29) were prescribed to laugh three times a day for a week with their Laughie (a 1-minute recording, on their smartphone, of their laughter). The intervention was planned and evaluated using Feasibility, Reach-out, Acceptability, Maintenance, Effectiveness, Implementation, Tailorability. Data measures included ACT, Wallach–Kogan Creativity Test, Kaufman Domains of Creativity Scale, WHO-5 Well-being Index (WHO-5), and Pattern of Adaptive Learning Scales AE and avoiding novelty. A 1-minute laughter prescription, used three times a day for 1 week, was feasible and effective in stimulating creativity, increasing well-being and immediate affect, and benefitting AE.