Got goosebumps? It could be a sign of health and happiness

GOOSEBUMPS don’t just mean it is chilly or you are feeling a strong emotion – they also suggest you are healthier, more creative and friendlier than those who don’t get them, scientists say.

In addition, the shivery feeling associated with them in an uplifting environment creates a positive mindset.

When 100 volunteers watched a performance at a summer music festival, 55 per cent said they experienced goosebumps.

Robin Murphy, from the University of Oxford, and Matthew Sachs, from Harvard, asked participants about their outlook on life, their empathy, and perceptions of their mental and physical health, in a study commissioned by Barclaycard.

The experiment found a chill-inducing moment was most likely to occur within the first minute of a performance.

And the goosebump effect varied across generations, with those aged 18 to 25 more susceptible to the chills,

Those who got goosepimples said that they felt happier, were in better shape, more empathetic and more creative than those who did not.

Professor Murphy said: ‘The results are the first to show a correlation between different personality traits and people who experience goosebumps.

‘The evidence suggests that being truly connected with live entertainment and getting goosebumps has an impact on our overall sense of well-being and mood.’