Blushing and the Social Emotions

The blush is a ubiquitous, but little understood, phenomenon that presents many puzzles. It involves a visible, involuntary and uncontrollable change in the face that can express feelings, reveal character, influence others and, for those individuals who fear blushing, cause intense anxiety. Ray W. Crozier provides a scholarly, yet accessible, synthesis of research, and new findings, locating blushing within the context of the 'social emotions' of embarrassment, shame and shyness.

W. RAY CROZIER is Professor of Psychology in the School of Social Sciences at Cardiff University, and is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society.