The mood of the people around us can be contagious, like viruses of various diseases, according to scientific studies.
Our work, our relationships, everything we do on a daily basis, are all aimed at conquering happiness. According to a study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, happiness can actually be contagious.
The study looked at 2,194 high school and high school students who participated in depression sessions. The children were asked to answer questions about their best friends. The results showed that children whose friends were in a bad psychological state were also more likely to report some bad mood.
On the contrary, when children were hanging out with happier children, their mood was more likely to improve over time.
Psychologists call this phenomenon “emotional transmission,” a three-step process through which one person’s feelings are transferred to another.
Unconscious mimicry
Individuals copy another person’s subtle nonverbal signals, including their body posture, facial expressions and movements. For example, you are likely to copy a fringe expression when you see it in someone else’s.
Feedback stage
Then people may show up, a stage of feedback that is, because you frown, now you feel sad.
Finding solutions to problems!
Stage of transmission
Individuals tend to share their experiences until their emotions and behaviors begin to synchronize.
So when you meet a colleague who has a bad day, you may, unknowingly, get stuck in your colleague’s non-verbal behaviors and start experiencing an unhappy emotional state.
A person can also adopt the good mood of a friend or colleague, which can also help to strengthen their bond.
The contagious nature of emotions can be further enhanced when individuals are in frequent contact with one another.
Good and bad mood are contagious in the same way
It was very important the fact that the emotional junction was more intense when a couple engaged in negative problem-solving practices, such as rejecting or criticizing the other partner.
These studies highlight the importance of the people we choose to hang out with so that we can adopt their good mood.
