Individuals lack the ability to accurately detect emotional piloerection

McPhetres, Jonathon; Han, Ailin; Gao, Halo H.; Kemp, Nicole; Khati, Bhakti; Pu, Cathy X.; Smith, Abbie; Shui, Xinyu

Abstract

Piloerection (e.g., goosebumps) is an essential thermoregulatory and social signaling mechanism in non‐human animals. Although humans also experience piloerection—often being perceived as an indicator of profound emotional experiences—its comparatively less effective role in thermoregulation and communication might influence our capacity to monitor its occurrence. We present three studies (total N = 617) demonstrating participants' general inability to detect their own piloerection events and their lack of awareness that piloerection occurs with a similar frequency on multiple anatomical locations. Self‐reported goosebumps were more frequent than observed piloerection. However, only 31.8% of self‐reports coincided with observable piloerection, a bias unrelated to piloerection intensity, anatomical location, heart‐rate variability, or interoceptive awareness. We also discovered a self‐report bias for the forearm, contradicting the observation that piloerection occurs with equal frequency on multiple anatomical locations. Finally, there was low correspondence between self‐reports of being “emotionally moved” and observed piloerection. These counterintuitive findings not only highlight a disconnect between an obvious physiological response and our capacity for self‐monitoring, but they underscore a fascinating divergence between human and non‐human species. Although piloerection is vital in non‐human organisms, the connection between piloerection and psychological experience in humans may be less significant than previously assumed, possibly due to its diminished evolutionary relevance.

Citation

McPhetres, J., Han, A., Gao, H. H., Kemp, N., Khati, B., Pu, C. X., Smith, A., & Shui, X. (2024). Individuals lack the ability to accurately detect emotional piloerection. Psychophysiology, 61(9), Article e14605. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.14605

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 23, 2024
• Online Publication Date: May 7, 2024
• Publication Date: May 7, 2024
• Deposit Date: May 13, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: May 13, 2024
• Journal: Psychophysiology
• Print ISSN: 0048-5772
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-8986
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 61
• Issue: 9
• Article Number: e14605
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.14605
• Keywords: Piloerection, awareness, goosebumps, chills, emotion
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2437531