The positive effects of blushing
Most people find blushing unpleasant. But can blushing sometimes have positive effects as well, for example when you accidentally make a mistake and then blush to show others that you will try to prevent making the same mistake in the future? This is difficult to study in a laboratory, as only a limited number of situations can be examined realistically and it is difficult to elicit blushing. Researchers from the University of Groningen and McGill University recently studied blushing in daily life.
They asked young adults, who blush more often than older people, to repeatedly complete brief questionnaires on how they behaved and felt during conversations with others. They did this after each conversation for a period of two weeks. Blushing occurred on average once a day, but some study participants blushed much more often than others. Participants who blushed often were more submissive and less dominant towards others, even when they did not blush. When they did blush, they experienced shame. Participants who did not blush often did not experience shame when they blushed, and mostly appeared to be blushing in pleasant situations. In this group in particular, blushing might have a positive communicative function.
The study by Marije aan het Rot (University of Groningen), D.S. Moskowitz (McGill University Canada), and Peter J. de Jong (University of Groningen) was published in the Open Access journal PLOS ONE with the title ' Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Concomitants of Facial Blushing during Everyday Social Encounters'.
Last modified: | 18 March 2015 09.54 a.m. |
More news
-
01 May 2024
Behavioral Scientist Carsten de Dreu Appointed as Professor at the University of Groningen
The University of Groningen is pleased to announce the appointment of renowned social and behavioral scientist Carsten de Dreu as research professor at the UG.
-
09 April 2024
Kirsten van den Bosch: 'Connecting students with the work field really is achievable in every programme'
Dr Kirsten van den Bosch en her team won the Best Practice Award 2024 with their initiative to connect students with organizations to solve real problems within Academic Learning Communities.
-
03 April 2024
Research: much stress among Groningers due to gas extraction issues, including among the elderly
The gas extraction issue still has its effect on people in Groningen. Questionnaire research shows that people who had multiple instances of damage to their homes have increasingly poor health. In addition, interviews with elderly people show a...