Individuals lack the ability to accurately detect emotional piloerection.

Abstract

Piloerection (e.g., goosebumps) is an essential thermoregulatory and social signaling mechanism in non-human animals. Although humans also experience piloerection-often being perceived as an indicator of profound emotional experiences-its comparatively less effective role in thermoregulation and communication might influence our capacity to monitor its occurrence. We present three studies (total N = 617) demonstrating participants' general inability to detect their own piloerection events and their lack of awareness that piloerection occurs with a similar frequency on multiple anatomical locations. Self-reported goosebumps were more frequent than observed piloerection. However, only 31.8% of self-reports coincided with observable piloerection, a bias unrelated to piloerection intensity, anatomical location, heart-rate variability, or interoceptive awareness. We also discovered a self-report bias for the forearm, contradicting the observation that piloerection occurs with equal frequency on multiple anatomical locations. Finally, there was low correspondence between self-reports of being "emotionally moved" and observed piloerection. These counterintuitive findings not only highlight a disconnect between an obvious physiological response and our capacity for self-monitoring, but they underscore a fascinating divergence between human and non-human species. Although piloerection is vital in non-human organisms, the connection between piloerection and psychological experience in humans may be less significant than previously assumed, possibly due to its diminished evolutionary relevance.