Are Emotions Contagious? How Social Psychology Defines Emotional Contagion

Interactions with others often involve communicating through spoken language, and many people believe that most in-person communication occurs through speech. However, there are underlying layers of communication that some people may not be aware of. The human brain often subconsciously picks up on many cues in a conversation unrelated to speech. Here, we’ll discuss how emotional expressions can be communicated through nonverbal cues and how someone’s emotions—positive or negative—may be “transmitted” to another person. 

What is emotional contagion?

Emotional contagion is the process by which individuals unconsciously adopt and share the feelings of those around them. When one person smiles, for example, others in the group may also begin to smile without deliberate effort. 

Research indicates that this phenomenon may occur through simple mechanisms such as mimicking facial expressions and body language. In addition, specialized systems in the brain, like mirror neurons, are thought to help people experience similar emotions to those they observe in others. Research into human emotional responses suggests that this process of “emotional contagion” may help create a shared emotional experience, strengthen social bonds, and foster empathy.

Emotional contagion is thought to play a significant role in everyday social interactions. Whether in a family setting or at work, one person's mood can influence the emotional state of an entire group around them. As a result, positive emotional contagion leads, in many cases, to building harmonious relationships and promoting a supportive social environment. 

Organizational psychology researchers, who study how groups of people interact within organizations, tend to be especially interested in emotional contagion. One reason is that evidence suggests that emotional contagion may play a significant role in establishing and maintaining organizational group dynamics. 

How does emotional contagion relate to the study of personality and social psychology?

In contrast to many organizational psychology researchers, personality and social psychology researchers tend to take a broader view of the concept of emotional contagion. Personality and social psychology is a combined field that examines how personal traits and social influences work together to shape behavior and emotions. Researchers in this field explore how traits like empathy, emotional stability, and extraversion interact in social settings to determine how individuals experience and express emotions.

For example, a person who naturally feels high levels of empathy may be more likely to pick up on the feelings of others, while someone who is more reserved emotionally might not be as affected by external emotional cues. Similarly, the influence of social settings—such as close-knit groups versus large gatherings—may amplify or lessen the impact of an individual’s natural attitude and behavior. 

Personality and social psychology researchers examine both implicit and explicit emotional contagion. Typically, implicit emotional contagion is a subconscious process that relies primarily on nonverbal cues, while explicit emotional contagion is often a conscious, deliberate process.

How social psychology conceptualizes emotions

Within the framework of personality and social psychology, emotions are not seen simply as hidden feelings but as complex processes deeply connected to social interactions. Emotions serve as signals that communicate an individual’s internal state and intentions, influencing how others respond. 

How emotions are expressed and interpreted can vary depending on the context. For instance, many people would consider boisterous displays of joy appropriate at a birthday party or another celebration, but the same behavior may not be regarded as appropriate in a professional setting. 

Why emotions and emotional contagion can be complicated to measure

Studying emotional contagion is challenging because measuring emotions can be a difficult task, as they are both highly personal and multifaceted. Emotions involve physical reactions, thoughts, and behaviors that can differ from one person to another and across different situations. Traditional methods, such as self-report surveys, can be useful but may not fully capture the complete range of an individual’s emotional experience. This complexity means that a multi-method approach is often necessary to gain a comprehensive understanding of emotions. By combining self-reports, physiological data, and behavioral observations, researchers may better understand how emotions are experienced and expressed. 

Applying personality and social psychology to emotional contagion

Personality and social psychology research surrounding emotional contagion typically seeks first to understand the phenomenon. In contrast, related fields like organizational psychology often focus on how emotional contagion can be controlled to achieve better cohesion, communication, and cooperation between individuals in a group. Using emotional contagion as a tool is a conscious and deliberate process and requires understanding the implicit and subconscious factors that drive it. Doing so requires understanding individual personality traits and how social interactions influence them. 

In contrast, implicit emotional contagion is a constant process. Humans evolved the brain circuitry that enables emotional contagion to help synchronize emotions with others and express wants and needs. Researchers suspect that emotional contagion is closely linked to empathy and the ability to connect with others, although the exact neural mechanisms underlying emotional contagion are still being determined. 

Facial expressions and other nonverbal cues

Nonverbal cues, especially facial expressions, often serve as a primary channel through which emotions are communicated. These cues can be essential in shaping social interaction and influencing behavior without the need for words. 

Until recently, researchers estimated that up to 93% of communication was expressed through nonverbal cues alone, leaving only 7% of the message carried by the specific words that the person chose to use. More recent research suggests that 93% is no longer accurate, indicating a new estimate of around 80%. While that figure gives more weight to the words a person chooses, nonverbal communication still accounts for the vast majority of communicated information. 

While facial expressions can communicate emotional content quickly, other forms of nonverbal cues can also play a role in emotional contagion. Some of these include:

• Tone of voice 
• Hand gestures
• Posture
• Gait
• Eye contact

How nonverbal cues like facial expressions can influence the behavior of others

Nonverbal cues are thought to be necessary for communicating emotions and shaping social interactions. When people observe these cues, they often experience automatic, unconscious responses that can influence their feelings and behavior, as emotions and actions are deeply intertwined. While many people believe that at least some of their decisions are based on conscious thought alone, evidence suggests that emotions influence the decision-making process, even if a decision is being made deliberately and consciously. 

Because of the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, emotional contagion can be a powerful tool for maintaining cohesion and safety. For example, if a person sees several other people running away with looks of fear on their faces, emotional contagion ensures that the observer is alerted to what is (likely) a substantial nearby threat. A more subtle example could be how organizational culture influences a person’s actions. Workplaces that highly value professionalism, for example, may rely on emotional contagion to ensure all employees maintain the expected standard.

Positive emotional contagion for mood

While emotional contagion can communicate danger or aid in cohesion, it can also contribute to improved mood and well-being. People who openly display positive feelings often improve the moods of those around them with minimal conscious effort. This type of emotional contagion may be one of the reasons why social interaction is so important for mental well-being and mood.

Emotional intelligence and social behavior

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage the emotions of oneself and of others. The core elements of EI include self-awareness, self-regulation, social skills, empathy, and motivation—and the effects of emotional contagion are likely influenced by an individual’s level of EI ability. 

High-EI people tend to have greater control over emotional arousal and may be more sensitive to the positive and negative emotions of others. Deliberate negative emotional contagion may have less of an effect on high-EI individuals, and they may also be more adept at enacting positive emotional contagion. 

Noticing emotional contagion

Improving emotional intelligence may make it easier to recognize when emotional contagion occurs. High-EI people tend to be more aware of other’s emotions than the general population, and it may be easier to pick up on subtle emotional cues consciously. It may also be easier to notice when a person’s negative emotions influence them or when massive-scale emotional contagion occurs. 

Improving emotional intelligence

A variety of techniques may be effective in improving emotional intelligence, such as:

• Mindfulness practices: Regular mindfulness exercises, such as meditation or deep-breathing techniques, may help individuals become more aware of their emotional states and reduce impulsive reactions.
• Reflective journaling: Keeping a journal to document daily emotional experiences can assist in identifying patterns and areas for improvement.
• Social skills training: Participating in workshops or group sessions that focus on communication and empathy may help enhance one’s ability to interpret and respond to emotional cues.
• Professional guidance: Engaging with a therapist or counselor can provide personalized strategies to help a person manage emotions and develop stronger interpersonal skills.

Fostering more positive emotional contagion

Focusing on improving emotional intelligence and resilience might help an individual gain control over their own emotions and primitive emotional contagion functions. However, emotional contagion will still be primarily a subconscious process of human and animal emotions driven by autonomic nervous system activity. Because of this, it can often be helpful to spend time with others who are adept at spreading positivity. Positive emotional contagion may help bolster mood and positive affect and make it easier to cope with adverse emotions. Engaging in social interactions with those who can easily spread positivity could lead to improvements in overall well-being. 

Getting help with emotional intelligence and well-being

While spending time with positive people can be one way to gain the benefits of emotional contagion, it is likely not enough to maintain well-being on its own. If you’re concerned about your resilience to negative emotional contagion or your ability to engage emotionally with others, or if you find it challenging to manage emotional arousal or maintain overall well-being, you may want to speak to a qualified professional. Therapists and other mental health service providers may help you understand your level of emotional intelligence, develop resilience, adopt coping strategies, and bring positivity to yourself and others.

Exploring the option of online therapy

Working with a mental health professional can be helpful for many, but not all who desire services are easily able to receive them. Common barriers to therapy, such as high cost or long commutes, prevent some people from seeing a traditional therapist in person. However, in many cases, online therapy can be a viable alternative to in-office treatment. 

Online therapists generally use the same evidence-based techniques as traditional therapists, and recent research suggests that, in most cases, those techniques can be just as effective online. For many people, online therapy also offers a more affordable route to mental healthcare, since online therapy may cost less than in-person therapy without insurance. Plus, online sessions may fit more easily into a person’s schedule since there's no commuting required.