When you experience any of these phenomena, youre experiencing emotional contagion.
Humans are social creatures, and we react and respond to the stimuli in the world around us.
What Triggers Emotional Contagion?
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Emotional contagion comes up whenever one person responds to the stimuli they feel when seeing another persons emotions.
Several psychological factors also have an effect on your emotional response.
A variety of factors can influence or trigger emotional contagion.
These can include verbal communication andnon-verbal communicationsuch as facial expressions and body language.
Think about a room full of people watching a stand-up comedian.
And that emotion is contagious to everyone who enters.
Youre more likely to copy emotions of anger, frustration, or depression when your inhibitions are low.
The person who is observing then mirrors what they see.
And their emotions become contagious.
First, theres mimicryyou smile, and my face just smiles with you.
Then, theres feedbackhey, look Im smiling, and this tells me Im probably pretty happy right now.
Smiling and laughter, of course, are positive ways to share emotions.
Not surprisingly, when you smile, mirroring someone elses emotions, you also feel happier andless stressed.
Negative contagious feelings have a detrimental effect.
When it’s negative, emotion contagion can lead to burnout and a disoriented sense of self.
It can also foster an atmosphere of fear and widespread panic.
Good or bad, there are steps you’re free to take to manage your reactions.
Life is filled with moments of emotional contagion.
The key is knowing how to navigate them and make them work for you.
2009;364(1528):2391-2404.
