This post is co-authored by Ron Riggio and nonverbal communication expert Alan Crawley. When and why do we clap? We get startled, and we clap. We try to get our dog’s (or our child’s) attention, and ...

WERTHEIMER: But what makes us clap more for some performances than others? You'd think it's obvious: the better the show, the more applause. Think again. New research at Uppsala University in Sweden ...

How do you decide when to start clapping after a virtuoso performance? And when do you stop? New research finds the answer lies in what other people around you are doing. The louder the applause — ...

Enthusiasm is a fine thing. But where, when, and why did it begin to go wrong? I’m thinking especially of the now ubiquitous, mandatory Standing Ovation, accompanied by whoops, hollers, and whistles, ...

I’ve been giving applause since I can remember. Check that. I’ve probably been doing so since before I can remember. When I ate Gerber jar bananas as a baby, I bet I clapped my hands. They’re awfully ...

First lady Jill Biden didn't get the reaction she was expecting Thursday when she delivered what she thought would be an applause line, only for her quip to fall flat, leading her to prod the audience ...

What makes us clap more for some performances than others? You'd think it's obvious: The better the show, the more applause. Think again. Guest host Linda Wertheimer explores how and why applause ...