Work

The voluntary control of piloerection

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: Autonomic nervous systems in the human body are named for their operation outside of conscious control. One rare exception is voluntarily generated piloerection (VGP)-the conscious ability to induce goosebumps-whose physiological study, to our knowledge, is confined to three single-individual case studies. Very little is known about the physiological nature and emotional correlates of this ability. The current manuscript assesses physiological, emotional, and personality phenomena associated with VGP in a sample of thirty-two individuals. Physiological descriptions obtained from the sample are consistent with previous reports, including stereotypical patterns of sensation and action. Most participants also reported that their VGP accompanies psychological states associated with affective states (e.g., awe) and experience (e.g., listening to music), and higher than typical openness to new experiences. These preliminary findings suggest that this rare and unusual physiological ability interacts with emotional and personality factors, and thus merits further study.

Source: PeerJ

DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5292

Authors: James A.J. Heathers, Kirill Fayn, Paul J. Silvia, Niko Tiliopoulos, Matthew S. Goodwin

Institutions: Northeastern University, KU Leuven, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, The University of Sydney

Language: English

Topic: Tactile and Sensory Interactions

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,395