A recent collaboration between researchers from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, the University of Amsterdam, and the University of Chieti delves into the neural processes behind blushing using MRI technology.
Blushing is a common phenomenon experienced by many, characterized by a warm, reddening face and feelings of self-consciousness like embarrassment, shyness, shame, and pride. Charles Darwin once described blushing as “the most peculiar and the most human of all expressions.” But what triggers blushing and how does it work?
To uncover the mystery behind blushing, researchers Milica Nikolic and Disa Sauter from the University of Amsterdam partnered with Simone di Plinio from the University of Chieti, under the supervision of Christian Keysers and Valeria Gazzola from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience.
“Blushing is a fascinating phenomenon because we are still unsure about the cognitive abilities necessary for it to happen,” explains developmental psychologist Nikolic. “There’s a psychological theory dating back to Darwin that suggests blushing occurs when we consider others’ perceptions of us, involving rather complex cognitive processes.”
Blushing in a karaoke environment
The study examined blushing by observing brain activity using MRI scans while monitoring cheek temperature as a blushing indicator. The participants were teenage girls, a group known for heightened sensitivity to social judgment. Nikolic notes, “Blushing tends to increase during adolescence since teens are highly attuned to others’ opinions and may fear rejection or making a wrong impression.”
To induce blushing in a controlled setting, participants attended two lab sessions. In the first session, they sang challenging karaoke songs, and in the second session, they viewed recordings of their singing while their brain responses and physical reactions were recorded.
Additionally, they were informed that an audience would watch their recording, and they watched videos of another participant and a disguised professional singer performing at the same level.
The science behind blushing
As predicted, participants blushed more while watching their own recordings compared to other participants’ videos. Surprisingly, blushing was linked to increased activity in the cerebellum, a brain region known for motor functions. Nikolic remarks, “Recent research suggests its involvement in emotional processing.” Furthermore, heightened activation was observed in early visual areas, suggesting that participants were most attentive to their own singing videos.
Interestingly, traditional areas associated with self or other mental state understanding did not show activation. Nikolic concludes, “This leads us to believe that blushing may be part of an automatic response to self-relevance when exposed to relevant stimuli.”
A widespread phenomenon
Nikolic states, “The next phase will involve studying blushing under various conditions or possibly exploring the phenomenon in young children before they develop advanced cognitive abilities related to social cognition.”
“Blushing is universally intriguing. There are individuals who develop a fear of blushing, such as those with social anxiety disorders. Understanding the mechanisms of blushing can enhance our ability to address the fear of blushing effectively. Additionally, gaining more insights into blushing in general is valuable, given its common occurrence in our daily lives.”
