Goosebumps are an involuntary response that occur when the muscles at the base of the hair contract. This causes the hair to stand on end. The medical term for goosebumps is piloerection. It gets this name because the pili muscles are responsible for the process. The signal for piloerection occurs in the same area of the brain as blushing, feelings of "butterflies" in the stomach when nervous and other emotion-driven automatic reflexes.
All Mammals Get Goosebumps
Have you ever seen a cat warn off a barking dog by puffing up? With her back arched and tail in the air, she immediately transforms into an animal twice the size of normal. She is using piloerection. Cats, as well as most other mammals, have too much hair to see their skin when they develop goosebumps. When they develop goosebumps, their hair stands on end. Piloerection is a defensive mechanism and a way to keep warm. When the hair stands on end, it traps the body's heat close to the skin. The result is like the animal wearing a heavy winter coat.
Always Caused by Outside Stimuli
Cold weather is the most common reason for goosebumps. Although humans do not have enough body hair to gain any benefit from their hair standing on end, it still happens. If something scares you, you may find your arms covered in goosebumps as well. Again, the lack of hair prevents you from appearing as if you have doubled in size. Goosebumps, unlike shivering or sweating, do not have any actual temperature regulation benefits; they are simply involuntary responses to stimuli.
Side Effect of Emotional Response
Why can beautiful music or a heart breaking story give us goosebumps? The area of the brain that triggers the piloerection response also regulates emotional response to sensory functions. Appreciating a particular sensory experience can activate the piloerection response.
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