What is emotion contagion?
Emotional contagion is the phenomenon in which a person or group influences the emotions and affective behaviour of another person or group through the conscious or unconscious indication of emotions. Or to put it more simply, moods are catchy.
We are highly attuned to detect emotion in others. When others are happy, we are infected with their joy. When others are sad, anxious, cranky or on the warpath, it’s easy for us to have a heightened reaction to that as well. When someone says they are ‘fine’, yet their body language or tone of voice is incongruent, our limbic system senses a threat.
The ‘Emotional Wake’
What kind of impact does it have on your colleagues when you are having a bad day? How do you feel when you are around someone who is upset? This impact is known as an ‘emotional wake’.
Think of it as wave of emotion that enters the room with a person that others in the room can’t help but be swept up in. Our brains are finely tuned to other’s emotional states and an emotional wake can be either a positive experience, or a negative experience, based on the mood of the person bringing it to a situation.
Remember, the human brain has the ability to be ‘neuroplastic’. Brain plasticity is the brain’s ability to change structure and function (Pillay). The great thing about neuroplasticity is that it means that the brain has the ability to ‘reinvent’ itself based on the experience of the individual involved.
This research or knowledge is relatively new, as for many years it was thought that the brain was ‘developed’ once an individual reached a certain age. Schwartz argues that just changing the way you pay attention can change the circuitry of the brain over weeks.
We need to create new wiring to support us to better self-regulate in the moment so we don't spread negative emotions.
In the checklist below, see some of the questions which you can ask yourself to increase your self-regulation so you can manage your emotional state.
Where is my attention focused? Are the thoughts in my head helping or hindering me? Am I fully present?
Do I detect signs of my limbic system firing up in response to a thought or interaction with others?
When I notice my limbic system firing up, am I actively engaging my brain to label and reappraise the situation? We know labeling a feeling or emotion can dampen down our limbic arousal and help us think more clearly. Reappraisal supports us to take a different position on a situation.
What are my expectations about a given situation? Would it be useful to refocus my attention on my goal? Reminding yourself of you goal in any given situation can help us refocus our attention on where we want to head.
Learning to self regulate is key to stopping the spread of negative emotions. In our Diploma of Neuroscience of Leadership we devote an entire study period to self-regulation and our students report significant improvements in productivity and improved mindset. www.neuresourcegroup.com.au
