Experts Explain the Wild Reason We Get Goosebumps
Picture this: On a frigid winter morning, chills force you to bundle up. Later, you settle in to watch a horror flick, only for a jump scare to raise the hair on your arms. Though the sensations were triggered by different experiences, anatomically, they’re the same. And that’s the strange phenomenon that is goosebumps. Below, doctors explain what goosebumps are, why they happen, and more.
What are goosebumps?
Medically speaking, goosebumps are called “cutis anserine” or “piloerection,” says Raleke Adibe, D.O., a family medicine physician with Inspira Medical Group Primary Care in Somerdale, New Jersey. The former literally means skin (cutis) goose (anser), and riffs off of the appearance of raw poultry skin after its feathers are plucked, Adibe adds.
The latter title stems from the arrector pili muscles, the smooth muscles responsible for the physical response. They contract, pulling body hair that typically lays an at angle to stand upright, which creates a visible bump at the site of a hair follicle, explains Diya Mutasim, M.D., University of Cincinnati Health dermatologist and professor at the UC College of Medicine. “When this happens, it involves all hair follicles in an area of the body, hence goosebumps,” he adds.
Why do goosebumps happen?
In short, goosebumps are triggered by various stimuli, including cold temperatures and emotions like fear, surprise, or other intense feelings, says Dr. Mutasim. And as a function of the sympathetic nervous system, they happen involuntarily.
But why are they triggered in the first place? That’s where things get interesting. Goosebumps are believed to be an evolutionary fight-or-flight response “left over from earlier animals,” explains Dr. Mutasim. When wild mammals are cold, goosebumps trigger their fur coats to stand taller, inviting additional insulation and warmth. In a study on mice, researchers found that they could also stimulate hair growth to provide warmth long-term. “Humans do not have enough hair for the phenomenon to be beneficial to protect against cold weather, yet the phenomenon persists,” Dr. Mutasim adds.
Why do I get goosebumps when I’m not cold?
When many mammals are threatened or afraid, their hair erects to make them appear bigger and more intimidating—which explains why a scared cat inflates like a balloon, and why humans break out in bumps out of fear.
Because humans have a wider range of emotions, goosebumps can also arise with moving experiences like awe and pride. In fact, a 2011 study published in Biological Psychology found that visual social stimuli, such as two actors having a conversation in a movie, may be more likely to cause the reaction than audio stimuli like music.
Some experts believe that humans may evolve out of goosebumps like they have wisdom teeth, per Harvard Health Publishing. Until then, you’ll at least understand the odd feeling when it happens.
You Might Also Like
