Stressed connections: cortisol levels following acute psychosocial stress disrupt affiliative mimicry in humans

Jonas P. Nitschke; Cecile S. Sunahara; Evan W. Carr; Piotr Winkielman; Jens C. Pruessner; Jennifer A. Bartz

doi:10.1098/rspb.2019.2941

journal article May 13, 2020

Stressed connections: cortisol levels following acute psychosocial stress disrupt affiliative mimicry in humans

Jonas P. Nitschke

Cecile S. Sunahara

Evan W. Carr Piotr Winkielman

Jens C. Pruessner

Jennifer A. Bartz

Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences Vol. 287 No. 1927 pp. 20192941 · The Royal Society

View at Publisher Save 10.1098/rspb.2019.2941

Abstract

Mimicry, and especially spontaneous facial mimicry, is a rudimentary element of social–emotional experience that is well-conserved across numerous species. Although such mimicry is thought to be a relatively automatic process, research indicates that contextual factors can influence mimicry, especially in humans. Here, we extend this work by investigating the effect of acute psychosocial stress on spontaneous facial mimicry. Participants performed a spontaneous facial mimicry task with facial electromyography (fEMG) at baseline and approximately one month later, following an acute psychosocial stressor (Trier Social Stress Test). Results show that the magnitude of the endocrine stress response reduced zygomaticus major reactivity, and specifically spontaneous facial mimicry for positive social stimuli (i.e. smiles). Individuals with higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol showed a more blunted fEMG response to smiles, but not to frowns. Conversely, stress had no effect on corrugator supercilii activation (i.e. frowning to frowns). These findings highlight the importance of the biological stress response system in this basic element of social–emotional experience.

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Details

Published: May 13, 2020
Vol/Issue: 287(1927)
Pages: 20192941
License: View

Authors

J

Jonas P. Nitschke

Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

C

Cecile S. Sunahara

Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

E

Evan W. Carr

Columbia Business School, Columbia University, New York, USA

P

Piotr Winkielman

Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, USA; SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland

J

Jens C. Pruessner

Faculty of Medicine, McGill Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany

J

Jennifer A. Bartz

Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

Funding

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Award: RGPIN-04241

Fonds de Recherche du Québec-Société et Culture

Cite This Article

Jonas P. Nitschke, Cecile S. Sunahara, Evan W. Carr, et al. (2020). Stressed connections: cortisol levels following acute psychosocial stress disrupt affiliative mimicry in humans. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 287(1927), 20192941. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.2941

Stressed connections: cortisol levels following acute psychosocial stress disrupt affiliative mimicry in humans

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