Why applause spreads

Applause is a powerful signal, they say, and fortunately it's contagious. You know the situation — someone claps and we (17) ________ clap in turn, without knowing why we've joined in. It's a totally (18) ________ response — just hearing the sound of clapping is enough to prompt it spreading. It's no surprise, therefore, that recorded applause is added to television sitcoms. This applause track (19) ________ the programme, in the absence of a live audience, to stimulate applause among the (20) ________ at home. Naturally, the likelihood of our clapping is much greater in social situations. Clapping with people brings the (21) ________ of feeling accepted by the group; the only thing we have to be careful of is not to clap (22) ________ as that would destroy the positive group feeling. Applause can be a particularly informative measure of relationships because it's largely (23) ________ and hard to fake. As it's also a good guide to audiences' immediate (24) ________, learning how to read these would be a valuable life skill.