This study aimed to comprehend the extension of emotional contagion and gender influences on the embarrassment experienced in several social circumstances. It was a correlational study, with 325 participants, 65% of which were female, all aged from 14 to 75 years old (media= 26.7; standard deviation= 10.4). The sample group included students, 87.7% of them were from the local university, 12.3% were high school students, and the rest of the group were from the general population. They answered individually the Embarrassment Questionnaire, the Emotional Contagion Scale, and also a set of demographic questions. Results showed that the total score of embarrassment and its specific factors are negatively correlated to the emotional contagion. Women have presented higher scores on embarrassment dimensions. These findings were analyzed based on the present theories of emotions, as well as on a gender perspective.
Embarrassment; Emotional contagion; Gender
