The Learning Network Blog: Word of the Day | contagion

contagion •kən-ˈtā-jən• noun

1. an incident in which an infectious condition is transmitted
two. any disease easily transmitted by make contact with
three. the communication of an mindset or emotional state among a number of folks

The word contagion has appeared in 121 New York Times articles or blog posts in the past 12 months, which includes on June six in the New Old Age site post “Empathy Without Boundaries” by Judith Graham:

“She could hear the anxiety in my voice, and I could feel her getting to be anxious,” said Ms. Raichle, 63. “I noticed that she was choosing up on my feelings, and I just stopped appropriate there.”

Ms. Raichle had stumbled onto a phenomenon seasoned by several men and women with family members who have Alzheimer’s: emotional contagion. The phrase refers to the way we sense the emotions of other folks by way of their facial expressions, tone of voice or entire body language, and reflect them with out currently being conscious of performing so.

Infants have this innate potential to catch and mirror the feelings of individuals about them. And it is not just humans who share this capability: other primates, rodents and birds appear to have it, as well, in accordance to a number of scientific scientific studies.

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The Learning Network Blog: Word of the Day | contagion