The physiological study of emotional piloerection: A literature review and guide for future research

Abstract

This paper provides an accessible review of the biological and psychological evidence to guide new and experienced researchers in the study of emotional piloerection in humans. I first discuss the mechanisms and function of non-emotional and emotional piloerection. A systematic review (N = 27) reveals that indices of sympathetic activation are abundant, suggesting emotional piloerection occurs with increased skin conductivity and heart rate. Measures of emotions and parasympathetic activation are lacking and no clear conclusions can be drawn. Finally, I provide an overview of the methodological possibilities and I highlight some pressing questions researchers may wish to answer in future studies.

Frisson Waves

“…Frisson is a feeling that describes the experience of body states like goosebumps, shivers, and skin tingling. Frisson is described as a sudden strong feeling of excitement often experienced together with so-called goosebumps [30]. Due to the numerous descriptive terms that have been associated with this experience (chills, thrills, goosebumps, shivers, and goosetingles), the succinct French term frisson makes it beneficial to provide continuity to this body of research [13,51].…”

“…Frisson is known as aesthetic chills or musical chills which refer to a set of bodily sensations, such as shivers, or piloerection (goosebumps), transient paresthesia (skin tingling), sometimes along with mydriasis (pupil dilation). The embodied feeling of frisson induced body sensations is a physical feeling of shivers down your spine and tingling on the nape of your neck and the back of your arms [30,46]. Having goosebumps is a physiological phenomenon where small bumps appear on the skin surface as the hairs stand up.…”