Emotional Contagion in Animals: Connections and Applications.

The document explores emotional contagion in animals, highlighting its role in promoting synchronization, affiliation, and prosocial behavior within animal groups. Researchers from various fields have shown interest in understanding the mechanisms of emotional contagion, which is considered a substructure for advanced forms of empathy. The Special Issue collates research on psychological and behavioral correlates, proximate mechanisms, adaptive significance, and challenges in studying emotional contagion in animals, showcasing diverse approaches and contributions from authors worldwide. The six articles published cover topics such as empathy in domesticated dogs and cats, physiological responses of goats, interspecific contagious yawning, emotional contagion in piglets, and empathy-like behaviors in dogs, contributing to a better understanding of emotional contagion and its applications in animal welfare and human mental health. [Extracted from the article]