Whether it ’s in response to a shiver in the melodic phrase or an specially tasteful guitar solo , it ’s often thought thatgoosebumps are for the most part out of our conscious control — but that might not always be the case .
Some citizenry have the unusual ability to control their goosebumps at will , flicking them on and off like a light shift . Perhaps most special of all , other research has indicated that people with certain personality trait , namely a gamey level of openness , might be more likely to have goosebumps - on - command compared to others .
pilomotor reflex arean evolutionary leftoverfrom our ancestors . In a moment of flight or competitiveness , bantam muscles around the hair follicle contract , causing the hair to rise and make the beast seem larger and more daunting . For us for the most part hairless ape , however , it most often appears as small more thana few hairs sticking upand some horripilation on the skin . This is often view an nonvoluntary chemical reaction , controlled by nerves from the sympathetic nervous organisation that regulates the body ’s unconscious actions . So , given our current sympathy , it should be physiologically unimaginable to hold in this action on cue . Nevertheless , it look that some people do have conscious ascendance of this natural process .
In a 2018 study , published in the journalPeerJ , researchers from Northeastern University foregather 32 masses who were able to demonstrate their voluntary control of piloerection , the scientific name for the compression of minor muscles at the substructure of pilus follicle that cause goosebumps . Mostof these participants explain that it was highly sluttish for them to generate goosebumps at will . In fact , they were surprised that most people did n’t have this ability .
“ I think about gooseflesh , they start to appear , I throb / shiver , and there they are , ” one notice .
“ I just think about the human action of having goosebumps and focus a little on the nape of my neck opening , ” another said .
As part of this work , the participants were asked to complete a survey about their personality , as well as other questions about goosebumps . The team found that all of the people who could control their goosebumps exhibit higher level of openness . This is a personality trait that generally refer to a mortal ’s tendency tohave a greater receptivity to new ideasand fresh experiences . These people tend to be more originative , imaginative , and curious , as well as have a great appreciation for art and beauty .
The investigator note that there ’s no way to explain why citizenry with high levels of receptivity possess this acquirement . Since the study had a very small sample size , it may just be sheer chance that their participants all displayed higher levels of receptivity . To dive deeply into the mystery , the bailiwick authors expressed a desire to follow up their research with a with child field of study involving more people .
