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Emotional Contagion




  Emotional contagion is the tendency to catch and feel emotions similar to and influenced by others. John Cacioppo's view is it is a tendency to automatically mimic and synchronize facial expressions, postures and movements with another, and converge emotionally.



  Emotional contagion may be involved in mob psychology crowd behavior, collective fear, disgust or moral outrage, but found in smaller groups in work negotiation, persuasion/propoganda and teaching contexts. It is also found in the childlike response to appear distressed because another is distressed, or happy because they are happy. Recognizing emotion and acknowledging their cause can be one way to avoid emotional contagion. It appears innate that humans have the ability to transfer moods.



  Emotional contagion has been studied within organizations. Schrock, Leaf and Rohr say organizations, like societies, have emotion cultures in language, ritual and meaning systems, rules about the feelings workers should and should not feel and display.



  Another view in social comparison theory sees emotional contagion demanding more cognitive effort and being more conscious. People engage in social comparison to see if their emotional reaction is congruent with those around them. Emotion used as a kind of social information to understand how they should be feeling.



  People respond differently to positive and negative stimulus. Negative events tend to elicit stronger, quicker emotional and cognitive response. Unpleasant emotions are more likely to lead to mood contagion than are pleasant emotions.



  In contrast to automatic transfer, emotions can be manipulated by a leader in order for a group to achieve something. He can do so by sweeping them in his enthusiasm, contaminating others feelings.



Another kind of emotional contagion gives a group a reward to alleviate their feelings.



  Examining emotion, group emotion is studied. A group's emotional state has an effect on cohesiveness, morale and rapport, the team's performance. For this reason account of emotional state can harness beneficial sides and avoid the detriment of group emotion. Leaders should be aware their influence is stronger than other members, they are more emotionally contagious than others.



  The amygdala is a part of the brain that underlies empathy, allows for emotional attunement and creates pathway for emotional contagion. There is a tight loop of biological connectedness recreating the physiological state of another. Psychologist Howard Friedman thinks this is why some people can move and inspire others. The speaker transmits emotion through facial expression, voice, gesture and body movements.



  In a study of married couples Robert Levinson, PhD. has measured how empathy requires a calm and receptive emotional environment to be in physiological sync. When an emotional hijacking takes place, in anger or argument, empathy declines and spousal cognitions are blocked.





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