Emotional contagion

Emotional contagion is a term used in psychology to describe a form of emotional transfer.

General

The term has been named and analyzed in 1913 by Max Scheler, it is used frequently since 1994, when he became known as a translation of the Hatfield - book title Emotional contagion.

Emotional contagion is a natural innate quality that occurs as a phenomenon in humans and higher animals. In psychology, is referred to as emotional contagion, when the feelings expressed by facial expressions of a human being in other people unwittingly trigger imitations. This expression is primarily and very easy to detect a change of face. Furthermore, however, also solves every move from unwillentliches imitation - for example, like muscles are excited at the observing people play sport at onlooking other people.

In modern sociology even the transfer of knowledge and meaning content is called as part of the phenomenon of emotional contagion. This emotional contagion, a transmission of knowledge and meaning content and thus contributes to the emergence of a pan- social knowledge in a social system in. It is believed that emotional contagion was developmentally necessary and is to first - to give rise to a bond between parents and newborn children - born with empathy at the same time.

"Another important aspect of empathy in a developmental context is that it leads to the fact that individuals bind to each other, especially mothers to their infants '

As triggering factors as mirror neurons are suspected.

Emotional contagion occurs on very different ways, not all of which are explored long ago. As an example may be mentioned that recent evidence indicates that smells trigger affective reactions work subconsciously, for example, triggers anxiety smell of activity, specifically in the "Resources" in the brain that are active in authentic empathy typically (consciously ).

Emotional contagion from a developmental perspective

Between people of all ages occurs involuntarily to emotional contagion, while feelings of man ( " infected " ) will be transmitted to man without will influence and lead to an affective imitation.

The psychologist Hatfield sees the emergence of emotional contagion in two steps:

"Step 1: We imitate other people - if the / the Other smiles, we smile back involuntarily. Step 2: Our mood changes when we imitate other - if we smile, our mood is also positive when we "see darkly ," we feel worse ".

General Hatfield goes beyond purely psychological effects beyond and does not exclude social impact: " facial expressions seem to be the foundation of any emotional movement between people. Just a few hours old infants imitate automatically [ are wired ] facial expressions of others. When we smile, smiles back at the small child. "

A similar description of "contagion " is found even in far earlier texts of some psychologists and philosophers in the early 20th century, for example, in Max Scheler (see below under sociology). Edith Stein presented in 1916 to a similar stage model as Hatfield and recognized sociological effects similar to those of Hatfield. At the same time analyzed Theodor Lipps the phenomenon of compassion (see also: theory of empathy ). Despite the description of two completely different phenomena empathy and empathy was for this then everybody the same word used. This conceptual confusion by the contradictory definition was dissolved only in recent years by the addition of newer concepts. While Lipps the word synonymous for later empathy - term deterministic empathy, used, corresponding to the importance of the use of Edith Stein and Scheler concept of empathy that name that has been defined by Hatfields disambiguation in 1994 as " emotional contagion " and since then also correctly referred to as must be. In addition, many texts and authors of this time were religious appropriated and reinterpreted, which additionally complicates a scientific definition.

The deterministic empathy, emanating from the Lipps is a cognitive ability arising that presupposes a strict respect for personal boundaries, while emotional contagion occurs unintentionally and means a personal transgression ( "contagion "). The innate or natural empathy is so far little explored (see also: Arno Gruen ). Emotional contagion of any kind arises spontaneously and can be terminated only cognitive.

Since feelings and culturally determined reactions occur together, is a differentiation of the individual units of meaning. Related, but not synonymous with emotional contagion include:

• Empathy or its opposite: narcissism and autism ( here extreme and severe cognitive conformity with the mutual personal boundaries )
• Sympathy or ( opposite) dislike ( transgression possible)
• Pity or ( opposite) Schadenfreude ( transgression possible)
• Compassion or ( opposite) indifference ( transgression possible)
• Love of enemies or ( opposite) revenge ( transgression unavoidable )

In contrast to this, with the emotional contagion related affective or emotionally charged impulses there is no word for contrasting emotional contagion, why is spoken of negative and positive emotional contagion. Positive emotional contagion, for example, the ones (and vice versa ) is triggered by small children with caregivers, and shared joy and laughter and shared sentiments eg music events. Negative emotional contagion is transmitted (among others) of depressed people, this is a " contagion " danger to others if they are not detected in time and ( cognitive) is terminated.

Emotional contagion from a sociological perspective

Relatively new is the realization that toddlers aged 10-12 months learn social behavior on emotional contagion, (leave Watching and Sichmitreißen ) first by copying the behavior of caregivers. This process is called social referencing. But similar learning processes take place continue. According to the mass psychology of Gustave Le Bon, the emotional contagion is a spontaneous and often epidemic anwachsender affect human exchanges. In a mass situation, or where a panic people would irrational in a similar emotional state through interaction feeling in their collective social behavior, hysterical and management need.

Since the beginning of sophistry is until the 20th century only the negative emotional contagion, in the form of mass or " mob " movements, coupled with violence and panic, been perceived. From this legitimized since Plato and Aristotle, the apparent need for a ( rational controlled ) elite that must regulate the unruliness of the " mass ". This set of values ​​was followed generally until the 20th century. Example of this is Friedrich Nietzsche, in On the Future of Our Educational Institutions (5th Lecture, 1872) strongly warned in the "level of mass dive ", because here every " genius " to the " half- animal " is. Although Nietzsche's time, the word was still unknown, is very clear that he sees negative emotional contagion by the " mob " as a threat.

The importance of positive emotional contagion for a social system is to this day denied mainly in sociology, such as the systems theory of Niklas Luhmann is free of associated with emotional phenomena. The existence or importance of empathy is there, as well as the negative emotional contagion. On the other hand, sees Luhmann, that is caused by a double contingency Emergent order that can be zumindes partially named as emotional contagion with sociological impact.

In fact, an acknowledgment of the emotional contagion as a positive -acting force a break with since Plato alone of " mind " dominated philosophical value system, especially in Europe. A departure of this would mean the negation of the need for elites. Max Scheler in his works used the same word "empathy ", which also used Lipps. However Lipps came from the later importance of the notion of ( deterministic ) empathy, while Scheler with this word designated phenomena that Hatfield in 1994 as " emotional contagion " designated and hereby clearly named. Only recently some of his texts have been identified and their significance for a new set of values ​​in sociology.

An example is Wolfhart Henkmann called, which summarizes that Max Scheler defines three axioms of the " sociology of knowledge ":

" A social transmission of knowledge and meaning content is done already by" emotional contagion " and the involuntary imitation of actions; Both find themselves at higher animal species. "

Henkmann emphasizes that emotional contagion not only transmits feelings, but also sense and knowledge content. Emotional contagion is thus an important transmission route of social overall level of knowledge, by which a whole society or group-specific consensus arises. Kevin Mulligan also sees in the texts Scheler that emotional contagion far more than just feelings about bears, but also social commonality to " groundless confidence " towards strangers can develop, which then of " groundless suspicion " is different. However, Mulligan uses the currently Scheler's usual terms:

" Many philosophers who think they need a decision once and for all for one of the following views on the perception of others: either the perception by a kind of empathy or a kind of final, or a direct perception or a simulation. This requirement does not share Scheler and that because a philosophy of perception of others who do not belong to a social philosophy, is sentenced to a one-sided diet and thus simplifications. According to Scheler, the direct perception of emotional feelings works by sympathize on the sociological level of community prevails in the baseless confidence. But there is also a perception of others that can not do without inferences and analogies. Such a perception of others is to be found primarily on the sociological level of society, is groundless suspicion on the agenda. Finally, the Lipps'sche theory of social perception as empathy " approximate ". "

Criticism of Plato's influence in the history to modern philosophers and their legitimizing the existence of elites, who suspected other ( vorplatonische ) of values ​​of Socrates and the change in the system of values ​​that Scheler with its expanded view of emotional contagion by the transfer of social systems brought into sociology, is the subject of some recent dissertations.