HOLD THE APPLAUSE

A thunderous round of applause following a performance might actually say little about its quality. Clapping, according to a recent study, is a social contagion that can be driven by the actions of just a few members of anaudience. Video footage of groups of undergraduates watching an academic presentation reveals that the sound of just one or two people clapping is enough to prompt a ripple of applause throughout a crowd. Similarly, the power to stop a round of applause lies in the hands of just a couple of individuals. More… Discuss