Memories are different events in our lives that we remember. What is most interesting about these fragmented pictures in our brains, though, is that they are entirely subjective to you. Our past experiences and biases will ultimately influence each memory that we encode in our brains. Consequently, how people view the same issue will be inherently different. 

I can come off as stubborn and strong-willed, so I imagine I am a bit hard to work with during group projects, especially when the members inside share a similar persona. I can recall that once during my English group project–a Group Analytical Paragraph (GAP write)–the members of my group had many conflicting ideas about what to write and how to answer the prompt best. There were multiple debates and maybe a few strained friendships, and then there were the uncontrollable, impulsive emotions. Once we got riled up enough, the group drifted away from cohesive and clear thinking, allowing heated emotions to lead the way. Eventually, this caused tension within the group, which lowered our efficiency and resonance with each other while working. 

There is a fascinating concept that we could think about during these occurrences: emotional contagion. It’s difficult to imagine that your emotions easily influence how others feel around you, but it’s true, and I am confident that everybody has experienced it before. Simply said, emotional contagion is when one person’s emotions trigger a similar, shared emotion from another. So, how does this affect our group work settings? Like the example I mentioned earlier, I needed to understand to take a step back and reconsider problems with a cooler, more logical mindset, which everybody, including myself, failed to do because we were focused on our experience and annoyance. This caused one disagreement to lead to another, creating a slippery slope that we ultimately tripped over, spiraling into a pool of incoherent and angered feelings.

 Understanding emotional contagion is pivotal in navigating group dynamics. The emotional climate within a team can significantly influence its overall effectiveness. Acknowledging and managing these shared emotions is crucial in orchestrating a more harmonious and productive collaborative environment, especially for students at Lexington High School, where group work is standard daily. By employing our understanding of this neuroscientific concept, you can avoid situations where the “in the moment” emotions of somebody cause a ripple effect, breaking the teamwork apart.