The term emotional contagion belongs to that category of vocabulary that, although it describes a common phenomenon, is actually unknown to most people and known only to a small circle of scholars. Indeed, many people claim not to know what the term emotional contagion refers to.
On the contrary, they recognize as familiar the episodes in which the crying of a newborn has immediately triggered a similar reaction in neighbors of the same age, or the moments in which, almost magically, an intense intense relationship is created between father and small child. exchange and emotional union.
There are also situations in which, when faced with signs of danger, the fear of a few subjects immediately spreads to an entire crowd. In this Psychology-Online article, we will tell you what is emotional contagion.
What does emotional contagion mean?
If you’re wondering what emotional contagion is, this term refers to all the ways to share emotionsimmediately and automatically, characterized by lack of cognitive mediation. It refers to automatic reactions that we have due to expressive stimuli expressed by another person for whom the emotion is shared directly, not vicariously.
This undifferentiated exchange lacking awareness is characteristic, above all, in the early phases of psychological, affective and cognitive development, in which the differentiation between oneself and the other has not yet been fully completed. This is a very common phenomenon that, not by chance, we have all experienced and continue to experience in particular situations. In fact, it has been recognized as having an important role in the phylogenetic and ontogenetic development of people.
Types of emotional contagion
The meaning of emotional contagion has not always been interpreted in the same way. The different studies of emotional contagion have defined it in different ways. Next, we will see what types of emotional contagion have been described throughout history.
- Darwin foresaw the existence of a natural and innate propensity of people to recognize and respond automatically to the emotions of others.
- According to ML Hoffman, the processes involved in emotional contagion are mediated by non-cognitive processes such as motor imitationthat is, the automatic taking of the mimicry and posture of another person, and the primary circular reactionas in the newborn’s tendency to cry when he hears another newborn cry.
- For H. Wallon, the differentiation between oneself and the other person is never definitively made, so the most primitive forms of emotional contagion, such as Bühler’s affective mimicry or Stern’s affective attunement, can reappear at any age. Specifically, they can appear all those times in which the boundaries of one and the other are confused, for example, in a crowd, in or in mystical union.
Examples of emotional contagion
This form of psycho-emotional “contamination” occurs when an individual transfers to others – consciously or unconsciously – their emotions, moods and feelings. For it to occur, it is necessary that in a relationship or exchange relationship, such as mother-child, boss-collaborator or partner, one of the people is emotionally sensitive and psychologically influenced by a “dominant” subject.
In this case, intentionally or involuntarily, The person with the greatest power of emotional contagion transfers his or her emotional attitude to the other.. This transmits your way of managing and expressing emotions and, more particularly, the state of mind and experience you experience in a certain situation. In the absence of a subjective reworking, these emotions may be passively internalized by the other person.
Some examples of emotional contagion can be seen in the family environment when parents, who are pathologically worried, emotionally infect their children. Perhaps without being aware of the effects and possible consequences that their “educational model” can have on their psycho-physical growth process. Children, in turn, will tend to share parental behavior and internalize it as a model for managing emotions, considering it legitimate and credible. In this article, we tell you.
How to avoid emotional contagion
The contagion has little chance of occurring if the recipient is an emotionally stable person, with the ability to make their own decisions and sufficient autonomy in managing their own thoughts and moods. It follows that, when there is a relationship of emotional and/or psychological dependence between those who communicate, it is very likely that a unidirectional situation of emotional contagion may occur.
In general, being aware of the mechanisms of emotional contagion can be useful, from several points of view, to avoid emotional contagion. Let’s see how to do it:
- Increase our conscience, understanding that it is not just about managing our own emotions, but also the influence of others.
- Make decisions guided by one that allows understand and express one’s own emotions, recognize them in others, discipline them and channel them into adaptive behaviors. This will help us better manage work, family and our social life.
- Have a realistic perception of our ability to influence situations social issues, avoiding the risk of assuming too many responsibilities.
- At the level of large-scale cultural influences, be more aware of the mechanisms applied by the consumer industry and, therefore, become active social agents instead of consumerists driven by impulses as uncontrollable as they are inexplicable.
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This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Battista, A. (2011). Vocabolario dell’intelligenza emotiva ed altro… Bari: Cacucci Editore.
- Di Blasi, M. (et al.) (2003). Sud-Ecstasy. A contribution to the understanding of new styles of consumer consumption. Milan: Franco Angeli.
- Inzani, L., Cazzaniga, I., Martelli, D., Salina, P.R. (2004). Il emotivo contagion: quando le emozioni “passano” tra le persone… Retrieved from: http://www.acp-italia.it/rivista/2004/Liberta_inzani,_ilaria_cazzaniga,_dario_martelli,_paola_rita_salina_-__il_contagio_emotivo_.pdf