I think it's fair to say it's works for the same reason the laugh-track works. Clearly we enjoy performances more when we're in the company of others visibly/a

I think it's fair to say it's works for the same reason the laugh-track works. Clearly we enjoy performances more when we're in the company of others visibly/audibly enjoying them. My sometimes negative reaction to synthetic or real crowd approval combines two judgments: the material is awful, and the crowd is despicable in their approval of it (people sometimes viscerally hate laugh tracks). If I like the performance, I won't be disgusted by the laugh track.