Jul
16
“I’m not worried.” - You might be if everyone else around you is.
Without our realising, it seems we can smell fear and empathise with it. Some links:
- New Scientist
- BPS Research Digest
- PLoS ONE (the whole research paper)
The New Scientist article mentions:
The researchers conclude that anxiety prompts the release of a chemical that bypasses conscious experience, automatically triggering similar feelings in anyone who sniffs it. This may allow fear to spread quickly and speed our ability to flee danger.
Clearly a good thing…but I suggest you avoid any crowded waiting outside the room before an exam by hiding around the corner, away from people’s smells. And go alone, because you don’t want your own mates setting off unwanted anxiety!
