# Why Is Itching So Psychologically Contagious **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 27, 2011, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-itching-so-psychologically-contagious/569241 "2011-01-27T21:31:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-itching-so-psychologically-contagious/569241/1 "2011-01-27T21:31:53Z")
Perhaps it’s not for me, but all anyone has to do is mention chicken pox or bed bugs and all of a sudden I get itchy all over. Especially in my back, where of course it’s hard to scratch? I was just wondering does anyone else feel like this? When someone talks about itching or things that make you itch, do you feel like you need to scratch? Now I have to go find my back scratcher 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tracyfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f14d63/32.png) [@Tracyfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracyfish)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-itching-so-psychologically-contagious/569241/2 "2011-01-28T03:13:00Z")
I started itching just by reading this thread, so yes. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-itching-so-psychologically-contagious/569241/3 "2011-01-28T03:16:00Z")
Itch on my foot! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-itching-so-psychologically-contagious/569241/4 "2011-01-28T03:18:34Z")
Itching hell - try coughing. Which is basically scratching an itch in your throat. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-itching-so-psychologically-contagious/569241/5 "2011-01-28T12:56:27Z")
Try talking to people who’ve had lice. It makes my scalp crawl just thinking about it. ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-itching-so-psychologically-contagious/569241/6 "2011-01-28T14:01:35Z")
Watching someone scratch doesn’t make me itchy, but like the OP mentioning something that’ll make you itchy… makes me itchy. The other day I saw an episode of “Dirty Jobs” where Mike Rowe was at a place called Hair Fairies, a salon that specializes in head lice removal. I actually had to turn it off because I was scratching at my scalp with both hands :eek: also any time I see someone with a bad sunburn I itch like hell. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-itching-so-psychologically-contagious/569241/7 "2011-01-28T14:06:37Z")
[Mirror neurons](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_neuron) - \*A mirror neuron is a neuron that fires both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another.[1][2] Thus, the neuron “mirrors” the behavior of the other, as though the observer were itself acting. \* ---
**Author:** ![Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buckler_of_Swashing)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-itching-so-psychologically-contagious/569241/8 "2011-01-28T14:24:18Z")
Not only do I start noticing itches all over myself when I see someone else scratching, but when I just casually notice an itch and scratch it all of a sudden all I can feel for about 10 minutes is an ongoing series of little itches popping up all over my body. I had to scratch my neck, my head, my thigh, my nose and my ankle while typing this. Itchy!