Increasingly researchers are investigating the notion of emotional contagion—the transferring of emotions from one individual to another in a shared context. Admittedly, the bulk of research to date skews negative and sees researchers keen to understand how stress is passed from a high-stress individual to others.
Emotional contagion has been described as 'The tendency to mimic and synchronize facial expressions, vocalizations, postures, and movements with those of another person's and, consequently, to converge emotionally.' This mechanism plays a crucial role in how emotions spread in social settings.
Whereas positive and supportive environments can help students thrive, stressful classroom environments can jeopardize healthy development and success in school. It highlights how educator wellbeing directly influences student cortisol levels.
Therapy dogs can be a source of joy contagion in classrooms for both students and teachers, suggesting that the presence of such animals can foster a more positive emotional environment.
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