Why do we clap and since when do we do it to show approval or enthusiasm?

When I heard that, I wanted to try to give a standing ovation worthy of Cannes.

How do you feel when you clap for a long time?

I wasn’t even sure I could pull it off. So one morning I asked my daughter to set a timer and she started clapping.

“Why are we doing this, Dad?My daughter asked me as the minutes passed.

I didn’t know what to say, I just replied, “It’s science.”

After 60 seconds, everything was fine.

“This is easy,” I thought. “I could do this forever!”

However, I soon began to question my life decisions, how I got here, and, above all, Why Nasheed?

Why did people start slapping their palms to show gratitude?

Is it something other animals do? Why don’t we whistle or hiss instead of clapping?

According to research on the theme of 2023, it is likely that Homo sapiens started clapping long ago.

Granted, our primate ancestors never showed films at festivals, but in the absence of spoken language, they may have realized they could use noise Warn of the presence of predators, intimidate their enemies, or even play and point out opportunities.

It has been observed that some primates currently use their palms to attract the attention of other primates or to communicate at a distance.

Gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) also do this underwater to show strength and dominance.

It is not known exactly when people started clapping to express their enthusiasm and appreciation after the show.

Applause is mentioned in the Bible as A way to show joy and love.

It is likely that the ancient Egyptians used clapping in the same way.

However, the practice of clapping after a play or speech seems to have taken off in ancient Rome.

At that time, plays included the word “Approbation“At the end of the scenes. This is the origin of the word “applause.”

For Roman leaders, applause also served as a measure of popularity. Similar to a modern-day poll or “Like” On social networks.

Some paid money for louder applause: Nero apparently spent some money to have 5,000 soldiers applaud him during his appearance.

Nodal clappers became popular in the 16th century, when a French poet He distributed tickets to a number of people in the audience to loud applause..

Over the next two centuries, professional cheerleaders in France attended performances to lead the applause.

Clapping is easy. Although some studies suggest that babies are not coordinated enough to clap until the first year of life, babies are able to do it easily.

This may explain the presence prevailing in various culturesespecially compared to more complex actions such as finger snapping, which is the preferred method of spoken poetry audiences.

Clapping also produces very loud noise without much effort.

“Claps par excellence are the non-vocal signal with the highest vocal level… It is a simple, quick, and effective movement,” Crowley notes.

You can hit another body part with your hand, such as the thigh, however The noise-to-voltage ratio is lower with clapping.

Finally, clapping may be more socially acceptable than shouting or whistling.

Although opera tolerates more daring behavior (some shout “bravo” or “brava”), applause is also… She is seen as educated It is light, as well as enthusiastic, and can be prolonged.

Some researchers have noted that applause can also indicate more than just appreciation: in some cases, it allows the audience to collectively identify transitions during an event, such as: “The national anthem’s over, let’s watch some sports.”

More importantly, it can also be an act of strengthening social connections.

For example, during pandemic lockdowns, people in some countries applauded at certain times of the day to thank health workers.

But it can also be said that it brought communities together at a time when they had to maintain a certain distance, through joint action. Celebration, belonging and unity.

There is an element of social contagion in applause.

Anyone who has sat in a crowd will know that applause can sometimes cause a room full of people to follow suit.

“Sometimes people clap because they want to send a message. Other times, they may clap not because of an internal choice, but because Social pressure“Crowley says.

In 2013, a team led by Richard Mann of Uppsala University in Sweden observed this happening at academic conferences.

They found that the onset of the outbreak often follows a pattern similar to the way the disease spreads.

So why do we chant? The answer in the end seems to be this It is the most effective way to make a lot of noiseShow gratitude and foster the social bond that is created when we enjoy something as a community.

But what about applause that lasts for a long time, Cannes style? Why isn’t a minute or two of applause enough?

In 2013, Mann told the BBC that the length of the applause had nothing to do with the quality of the performance.

“There is social pressure to start (clapping), but once you start, there is an equally strong social pressure not to stop until someone else does it first.”

If we apply this to explain the long applause at Cannes, we conclude that no one in the hall wants to be seen – or worse, photographed – as the first to stop applauding.

This article was published on BBC Future. click here If you want to read the original version (in English).