When laughter is forced, for example, it activates a part of the brain linked with deciphering emotions.

This means we know it's not a genuine laugh, and we automatically try to work out why they're faking it, what the laugh means and what the they're thinking.

While genuine laughter lights up areas of the brain linked with happiness and positive emotions.

To test the theory, psychologist Dr Carolyn McGettigan from the Royal Holloway University of London measured brain responses of volunteers as they listened to genuine laughter on YouTube clips.

Each participant was asked to pick clips they found funny.

This ranged from comedy shows, such as Flight Of The Conchords, and even the Eurovision Song Contest.

The results were then compared to how their brains responded to fake laughter.

The findings revealed participants, none of which were told the study was about laughter perception, could unconsciously tell when the chuckles were insincere.

Dr McGettigan said: 'It's fascinating to consider the way our brain is able to detect genuine happiness in other people.

'Our brains are very sensitive to the social and emotional significance of laughter.

'During our study, when participants heard a laugh that was posed, they activated regions of the brain associated with mentalising in an attempt to understand the other person's emotional and mental state.'

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