Bodystates are contagious. Training staff to change the bodystate can reduce sick days, interpersonal disputes, and staff turnover, and increase productivity and successful client engagement. Depending on how proficient your staff are at shifting the shared bodystate of your collective client base, shared bodystate can be your organization’s most expensive or most valuable currency.

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References and suggested reading/listening:

Peer Reviewed Scholarly Publications

• Barsade, S. G. (2002). The Ripple Effect: Emotional Contagion and Its Influence on Group Behavior. Administrative Science Quarterly, 47(4), 644. https://doi.org/10.2307/3094912

• Bonini, L., Rotunno, C., Arcuri, E., & Gallese, V. (2022). Mirror neurons 30 years later: implications and applications. In Trends in Cognitive Sciences (Vol. 26, Issue 9, pp. 767–781). Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2022.06.003

• Carr, L., Iacoboni, M., Dubeau, M.-C., Mazziotta, J. C., & Lenzi, G. L. (2003). Neural mechanisms of empathy in humans: A relay from neural systems for imitation to limbic areas. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 100(9), 5497–5502. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0935845100

• Christov-Moore, L., & Iacoboni, M. (2016). Self-other resonance, its control and prosocial inclinations: Brain-behavior relationships. Human Brain Mapping, 37(4), 1544–1558. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.23119

• Ellis, B. J., Bianchi, J., Griskevicius, V., & Frankenhuis, W. E. (2017). Beyond Risk and Protective Factors: An Adaptation-Based Approach to Resilience. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(4), 561–587. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617693054

• Eres, R., Decety, J., Louis, W. R., & Molenberghs, P. (2015). Individual differences in local gray matter density are associated with differences in affective and cognitive empathy. NeuroImage, 117, 305–310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.05.038

• Eres, R., & Molenberghs, P. (2013). The influence of group membership on the neural correlates involved in empathy. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00176

• Hatfield, E., Cacioppo, J. T., & Rapson, R. L. (1993). Emotional Contagion. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2(3), 96–100. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.ep10770953

• Iacoboni, M. (2009). Mirroring People: The Science of Empathy and How We Connect with Others. Picador.

• Iacoboni, M., & Mazziotta, J. C. (2007). Mirror neuron system: basic findings and clinical applications. Annals of Neurology, 62(3), 213–218. https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.21198

• Iacoboni, M., Molnar-Szakacs, I., Gallese, V., Buccino, G., Mazziotta, J. C., & Rizzolatti, G. (2005). Grasping the Intentions of Others with One’s Own Mirror Neuron System. PLoS Biology, 3(3), e79. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0030079

• Prochazkova, E., & Kret, M. E. (2017). Connecting minds and sharing emotions through mimicry: A neurocognitive model of emotional contagion. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 80(May), 99–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.013

• Rizzolatti, G., & Craighero, L. (2004). The Mirror-Neuron System. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 27, 169–192. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.neuro.27.070203.144230

• Rudolph, K. D., Skymba, H. V., Modi, H. H., Davis, M. M., & Sze, W. Y. (2022). Biological Embedding of Peer Experiences: The Contribution of Peer Adversity to Stress Regulation. In P. A. van Lier & K. Deater-Deckard (Eds.), Biosocial Interplay During Elementary School (pp. 111–151). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07109-6_6

• Wicker, B., Keysers, C., Plailly, J., Royet, J.-P., Gallese, V., & Rizzolatti, G. (2003). Both of Us Disgusted in My Insula. Neuron, 40(3), 655–664. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0896-6273(03)00679-2

Podcasts and interviews

• Mirror Neurons and Human Connection with Marco Iacoboni

• Contagious Emotions, Moods, and Behaviors with Sigal Barsade

Media credit (photo/video/audio/animation) Sincere thanks to the following artists

Thumbnail Image - Ripple in water - Unnamed author, Canva

Tiered Building – Ben McLeod, Unsplash

News Article – 6 teens, 1 man facing charges after fight breaks out at Boston playground, CBS News Boston, https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/6-teens-1-man-charges-fight-boston-playground/

News Article – A staffing shortage in PA juvenile justice system is creating a public safety crisis, CBS Local 21 News, https://local21news.com/news/facing-the-future/a-staffing-shortage-in-pa-juvenile-justice-system-is-creating-a-public-safety-crisis

News Article – Maine kids in youth prison are often locked in cells because of staff shortages, Maine Public, https://www.mainepublic.org/news/2022-10-24/maine-kids-in-youth-prison-are-often-locked-in-cells-because-of-staff-shortages

News article – Nearly two years after it was slated to close, staffing shortages continue to plague Wisconsin youth prison, Wisconsin Public Radio, https://www.wpr.org/lincoln-hills-copper-lake-youth-prisons-staffing-shortages

News Article - NC juvenile justice system facing critical shortage and unsafe conditions for youth and staff at detention centers, Public Radio for Eastern North Carolina, https://www.publicradioeast.org/pre-news/2023-05-18/nc-juvenile-justice-system-facing-critical-shortage-and-unsafe-conditions-for-youth-and-staff-at-detention-centers

National Institute of Corrections Webinar Series “Promoting Civility in the Correctional Workplace”, https://nicic.gov/resources/nic-library/webinars-broadcasts/promoting-civility-correctional-workplace-webinar-series

Government Building - Taylor Cole, Unsplash

News Article – ‘Back to one meal a day’: SNAP benefits drop as food prices climb, NPR, https://www.npr.org/2023/03/17/1163131918/snap-benefits-food-hunger-pandemic-assistance

News Article – Kentucky Caseworkers plead for help amid staffing shortage, heavy caseloads, WDRB, https://www.wdrb.com/news/kentucky-social-workers-plea-for-help-amid-staffing-shortage-heavy-caseloads/article_61a37942-b2f7-11ed-9732-471ad72ffa46.html

News Article - Residents frustrated as skyrocketing caseloads, staffing shortages ‘wreak havoc’ on Richmond social services, CBS 6 News Richmond, https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/staffing-shortages-skyrocketing-caseloads-wreck-havoc-on-richmond-social-services-february-15-2023

Wrist watch – fancycrave1, Pixabay

Budget on computer screen – Carlos Muza, Unsplash

Person at desk – Claudio_Scott, Pixabay (Stock photo. Posed by model)

Person having chest pains – istock.com/PeopleImages (Stock video. Posed by model)

Dad and son reuniting – Cinematic_Vision, Storyblocks (Stock video. Posed by models)

Employee and Supervisor – istock.com/SDI Productions (Stock photo. Posed by models)

Profile Picture on Google review - Leyli Nova, Unsplash (Stock photo. Posed by model)

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Disclaimer: The contents of this video are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be medical or psychiatric advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor to replace medical or psychiatric care. The information presented herein represents the perspective of the author. The concepts presented are accurate and conform to the available scientific evidence to the best of the author's knowledge as of the time of posting. Always seek the advice of qualified mental health providers with any questions regarding any emotional or psychological condition. Never disregard professional mental health advice or delay seeking it because of information contained in Body and Behavior Institute videos. Body and Behavior Institute is an initiative of Limbic Legacy.