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.