contagion theory
nounUK /kənˈteɪdʒən ˈθɪəri/
US /kənˈteɪdʒən ˈθɪri/
The idea that feelings and actions spread from person to person like a cold.
Contagion theory explains why a whole crowd can start laughing together.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A public health idea that diseases spread from one person to another.
Early doctors used contagion theory to explain how the flu passes between people.
3. The belief that ideas or rumors spread quickly through a group.
Contagion theory helps explain how a funny video becomes popular overnight.
4. A way to describe how moods pass between friends.
Contagion theory says a happy mood can spread around a classroom.