The effect of social norms on emotional contagion and its potential mechanisms

Emotional contagion refers to the process by which emotions are transmitted from the expresser to the receiver, leading to a convergence of emotional experiences between the two parties. Appropriately, emotional contagion can promote interpersonal relationships and social cooperation. Research suggests that social appraisal-Rather than mere emotional mimicry-May be the primary pathway for triggering emotional contagion in social contexts. However, previous studies on emotional contagion have primarily focused on intergroup factors, such as in-group/out-group dynamics, competition, and cooperation, while, as one of the key factors in the social appraisal process, social norms have not received adequate attention regarding how they affect the occurrence of emotional contagion and the possible mechanisms involved. However, the solution to these issues is essential for explaining real-life phenomena, such as the lack of emotional resonance when smiling at a funeral, and for advancing theories related to emotional contagion. Therefore, this paper provides a brief review of the meaning and measurement paradigms of emotional contagion and decodes the two key pathways that trigger emotional contagion and their interrelationship. It also highlights the importance of social norms within the pathway of social appraisal, a topic that has been neglected in previous research. The paper further outlines the concepts and classifications of social norms, along with manipulations that can be considered in emotional contagion studies. Additionally, it summarizes relevant discussions from the perspectives of classic theories of emotional contagion, the social construction theory of emotions, and collective emotion theory regarding the influence of social norms on emotional contagion. Based on this foundation, the paper proposes potential psychological mechanisms through which social norms impact emotional contagion. It suggests that social norms may influence emotional contagion both directly and indirectly. The indirect pathways include providing valuable information (such as descriptive social norms), creating external obligations (such as interpersonal pressure and anticipated rewards or punishments), and transforming external obligations into internal obligations (such as personal values and identity). Subsequently, the paper speculates on the event-related potential (ERP) components that may be involved in the processing of emotional contagion, including the P1 and N1 components related to the physical characteristics of social context and facial expressions, the N170 and N2 components associated with the processing of the expresser's facial expressions and their relation to the social context, the P2 component involved in the transformation of physical stimuli into psychological meaning, and the P3, N400, and late positive potential (LPP) components associated with social cognitive processing and emotional experience. It additionally discusses relevant brain regions implicated in emotional contagion, such as the amygdala, ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), anterior insula (AI), and temporoparietal junction (TPJ). However, further theoretical and empirical research is needed to explore the psychological and physiological mechanisms through which social norms influence emotional contagion as well as the social consequences arising from these processes. In conclusion, the paper provides an outlook on future research directions, offering suggestions and recommendations to inspire subsequent studies in this field.