The researchers considered this notable, because although both are powerful emotions that may result from observing or interacting with others, awe tends to harmonize and stabilize social interactions, while envy disrupts and undermines them.Īlthough the overall meaning of this study is not yet clear, one thing is – you cannot fake goose bumps. Interestingly enough, one intense emotion that does not appear to result in goose bumps is envy. Feelings of admiration also often caused the appearance of goose bumps, as did the emotions associated with fear and sexual desire. Following that, the most common cause of goose bumps was feelings of awe. They found (unsurprisingly) that the most common cause of goose bumps was exposure to cold. The researchers asked subjects to keep a journal of the times that they experienced goose bumps, and rate the feelings they were having as they experienced them. In other words, goose bumps are associated with intense emotional reactions, and often reflect a contrast between our initial reaction to a person or situation and our subsequent appraisal of them. They determined that goose bumps often occur in humans as the result of an “emotional climax” stimulated by coming into contact with a “powerful other.” They characterize the reaction as a combination of different reactions – first, possibly fear or surprise, often then followed by a more positive appraisal of the person or situation. That’s what the authors of the Motivation and Emotion study conducted at the University of Kentucky decided. Goose bumps may be a kind of “skin orgasm” But that doesn’t explain the goose bumps we get when we listen to a beautiful piece of music, or see someone we are physically attracted to. In animals, goose bumps are a form of protection, making the animal look larger, and thus hopefully scaring the enemy away.īut what are they in humans? Fear or being threatened can cause goose bumps, as part of the “fight or flight” reaction that occurs in stressful or dangerous situations. They are quite literally a form of erection, related to porcupines (who raise their quills when threatened), or to cats and dogs (whose hair stands up when they are startled or afraid).
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