Examining the Peer Educator: Emotional Contagion Within Peer Health Education

• In Event: Interpersonal Communication in the Health Care Context: Patients and Providers in Interaction

Abstract

This paper examines the role of peer educators within Peer Health Education programs, specifically focusing on their susceptibility to emotional contagion. As various studies have identified the potential effect of emotional contagion within positions similar to PHE (ie. counseling, therapy, etc..), the susceptibility of peer educators to this contagion must be analyzed. The present study seeks to draw connections between PHE and emotional contagion, building our understanding of both topics and how they connect. Peer educators from across the country were contacted and asked to complete an online survey, which examined their general and PHE specific demographics, susceptibility to emotional contagion in a general and PHE specific setting and potential lingering effects of emotional contagion. Multiple analyses were run to analyze these variables, including correlations and regressions. Results revealed peer educators as more susceptible to contagion in PHE specific settings than in general situations. Additionally, a significant relationship was shown between peer educators who reported exhibiting characteristics associated with emotional contagion and lingering effects of emotional contagion. These findings suggest peer educators are highly susceptible to emotional contagion through a variety of factors, ultimately providing insight into Peer Health Education as a whole.

Author

• Lucas Youngvorst, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities