Behavioral Contagion: 3 Contagious Behaviors You Didn't Know, According To Science

The psychological phenomenon known as "behavioral contagion" is an event where people tend to imitate the actions of another due to our natural inclination to socialize as humans. Being affected by contagious behaviors is often a sign of being emphatic. While there are numerous harmless contagious behaviors like yawning or laughing that we can "catch" from friends or family, there are certain ones that may result in dire consequences.

On Peer Effects: Behavioral Contagion of (Un)Ethical Behavior & the Role of Social Identity https://t.co/3mYiapuGng#behavioraleconomics

— Dennis A V Dittrich (@davdittrich) March 6, 2016

1. Smiling/Frowning

When a stranger smiles at you, it is often your automatic reaction to smile back. Why is this so? A research found in the journal Cell Press explains that our tendency to mimic another one's smile is our attempt at reading other people's emotions.

The same explanation also applies to other common contagious behavior like frowning. "When people simulate a perceived facial expression, they partially activate the corresponding emotional state in themselves, which provides a basis for inferring the underlying emotion of the expresser," the researchers wrote.

2. Politeness/Impoliteness

It's considered good behavior to be polite to people at all times. However, when we are first subjected to impoliteness or rudeness, we tend to mirror it back. This can especially be stressful when this contagious behavior happens in the workplace.

Another study featured in the Journal of Applied Psychology found evidence that impoliteness can be contagious. People who give off negative behavior will suffer the consequences especially when in an organization or in the workplace.

3. Risky behavior

Those who encounter risk-seeking individuals tend to adapt to their behaviors too. Risky behavior is contagious and this may explain why players in a high stakes game keep making larger bets.

A study led by Shinsuke Suzuki from the California Institute of Technology explained that one's behavior and preference can be influenced by another. People tend to conform and they adjust their beliefs and opinions based on the people around them.

"Our present findings indicate that when an individual has the opportunity to consistently observe the risky behavior of another agent, one's own risk-preference can be directly influenced," the scientists wrote about the study published in PNAS.