Emotional Contagion

“Emotional contagion” coming to feel as another person feels"

Hatfield, Cacioppo, and Rapson (1994) and Zahn- Waxler, Robinson, and Emde (1992)

Feelings move from one person to the other through mirror neurons. We see the feeling in others and the same neurons fire in us. This can cascade into a full blown feeling in us. Like seeing a Yawn, the mirror neurons fire in the viewer, the nruons related to yawning fire, the muscles are activated, the body simulates a minor yawn and it jumps into a full blown yawn in us. Even thinking of a yawn makes me want to yawn.

Contagion

• Laughing

• Yawning

• Crying