Clapping reveals applause is a 'social contagion'

The quality of a performance does not drive the amount of applause an audience gives, a study suggests. Instead scientists have found that clapping is contagious, and the length of an ovation is influenced by how other members of the crowd behave. via Pocket http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22957099#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa