• Question: why do people go bright red when they are embarrassed?

    Asked by maevelewisxo to Damien, Rachael, Simon, Suzi, Tim on 14 Jun 2011. This question was also asked by aimeewalton1.
    • Photo: Tim Fosker

      Tim Fosker answered on 14 Jun 2011:

      Hi @maevelewisxo

      Blushing is part of the ‘fight or flight response’. When you are under pressure you body produces hormones that get you ready to fight or run. One of the main hormones in this response is adrenaline which causes your heart to beat faster and your blood vessels to get bigger to send blood more quickly around the body. The increased blood flow shows in your cheeks as a blush. You also often feel warmer and less hungry all as a result of adrenaline.

      I hope that answers your question.

    • Photo: Suzi Gage

      Suzi Gage answered on 14 Jun 2011:

      Hi @maevelewisxo
      Great question!
      The lab I work in is doing some experiments in to social anxiety – why some people feel more embarrassed than others. We call reactions like blushing and increased heart rate ‘physiological responses’. We use a machine similar to a lie detector which measures how sweaty you get, it’s called a ‘galvanic skin response’ and it relates to how the electrical conductivity of your skin changes as you sweat!

      I really like the fact that people’s responses to embarrassment are so different. Apparently psychopaths don’t get these physiological responses to normal social situations, which is a theory as to why they often react in unusual ways in social situations. So when they take a lie detector test you can’t tell they’re lying!!

      Hope this is interesting to you 🙂

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