Laughter and sighs are generally judged acceptable more often than screams, but no sound has a universal social meaning. Whether a vocalization seems appropriate depends on the setting, the people present and the mood of the moment. Studies of everyday reports and scenario judgments show how these unwritten expectations shift between home and work, close friends and strangers, and one culture and another.
What makes a vocalization seem appropriate?
Social scientists call expectations about when vocal expressions fit display rules. As study author Roza G. Kamiloğlu puts it, “The appropriateness of common nonverbal vocalizations is guided by social norms, known as display rules.” These are social judgments, not objective rules of right and wrong: people may disagree, and the same person may react differently in different circumstances.
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Across the findings, four factors help explain the pattern:
- The sound: laughter and sighs tend to be accepted more readily than screams and retches.
- The setting: home and social places such as parties tend to allow more expression than workplaces, schools or libraries.
- The relationship: people report greater latitude around close friends and family than around acquaintances or strangers.
- The situation: social, positive situations are associated with higher appropriateness judgments, while formality and power are associated with lower ones.
What people reported in everyday life
A 2026 experience-sampling study followed 142 adults for seven days. Participants completed three surveys a day, reporting vocalizations and details such as where they were, who was present and characteristics of the situation. The study recorded 2,670 surveys and 3,821 vocalizations. Laughter and sighs were most often judged appropriate; screams and retches were least often judged appropriate. The researchers also found the setting, relationships and situational qualities described above tracked with appropriateness ratings.
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These counts describe the study, not how often people in the general population make each sound. The study captured participants’ reports and perceptions during everyday life; it does not establish that a particular setting or relationship causes a reaction. The PubMed abstract and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam record provide details.
How much do these expectations vary across cultures?
A 2024 study examined judgments in the United States, Türkiye, China and the Netherlands. Its first preregistered study included 250 participants in the United States; its second included 1,120 participants across the four countries. Participants rated ten kinds of nonverbal vocalizations in scenarios that varied by public or private setting and whether the listener was close or not close.
Laughter and sighs were among the most acceptable sounds across all four societies. But the pattern was not identical: screams were judged more acceptable in the Netherlands, Türkiye and the United States than in China. The strength of setting and relationship effects also differed across cultures. Because the comparison covers four countries, it should not be treated as a rule for every culture or for every person in those countries. The full study describes its methods and results.
A practical way to read the room
The findings suggest a useful, cautious guide rather than a rigid etiquette code:
- In a formal or quiet public setting, a loud or startling sound is more likely to draw notice than a sigh or ordinary laughter.
- With people you know well, a vocal expression may feel less socially risky than it would among strangers, though reactions still vary.
- Consider what is happening: a laugh that fits a shared, positive moment may seem out of place during a serious exchange.
- Do not assume culture alone predicts a response. The four-country study found broad similarities alongside meaningful differences for some sounds.
These are tendencies in participants’ judgments, not guarantees about how anyone will respond. The studies help explain why everyday sounds can carry social meaning without establishing a single code everyone follows.
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