The contagion of physiological stress: causes and consequences

Rationale/statement of the problem : The contagion of psychological states such as arousal, pain, and distress has been well established and is consistent with perception–action models of empathy. However, the recent demonstration of contagious physiological stress is more confounding because cortisol responses have been historically difficult to trace to specific subjective states or overt behaviors. Thus, it is currently unclear how someone could detect another's physiological stress (i.e., cortisol and sympathetic nervous system responses) through mere observation to produce resonating levels in themselves. It is also unclear if such resonating stress has any implications for subsequent prosocial behavior, as it does for typical empathic states like shared pain or distress. Methods : In two separate studies, we assessed salivary cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase in both speakers and observers during a modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). In Study One, we coded a set of nonverbal behaviors from TSST speakers to determine the behavioral indices that may signal stress reactivity between individuals. In Study Two, to examine the influence of contagious stress on prosocial behavior, participants completed poststress measures of empathy and altruism. Results : In both studies, observers and speakers showed evidence of contagious physiological stress responses. In Study One, speakers who demonstrated more gaze aversions showed the greatest cortisol reactivity. In Study Two, both speakers and observers showed evidence of increased prosocial behavior after the TSST. Conclusion : These findings demonstrate that the contagion of physiological stress is a robust phenomenon, which may be mediated through the observation of behaviors like gaze aversion that indicate another's level of stress. The experience and resonance of stress also appears to have implications for prosocial behavior.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC

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