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Related Concept Videos

Empathy02:34

Empathy

Some researchers suggest that altruism operates on empathy. Empathy is the capacity to understand another person’s perspective, to feel what he or she feels. An empathetic person makes an emotional connection with others and feels compelled to help (Batson, 1991). Empathy can be expressed in several ways, including cognitive, affective, and motor.
Thermosensation01:43

Thermosensation

Peripheral thermosensation is the perception of external temperature. A change in temperature (on the surface of the skin and other tissues) is detected by a family of temperature-sensitive ion channels called Transient Receptor Potential, or TRP, receptors. These receptors are located on free nerve endings. Those detecting cold temperatures are closer to the surface of the skin than the nerve endings detecting warmth. These thermoTRP channels, while temperature selective, have relatively...
Responses to Heat and Cold Stress02:45

Responses to Heat and Cold Stress

Every organism has an optimum temperature range within which healthy growth and physiological functioning can occur. At the ends of this range, there will be a minimum and maximum temperature that interrupt biological processes.
Motivational Bias01:25

Motivational Bias

Cognitive bias results from limitations in thinking and information processing, leading to systematic errors in judgment. Conversely, motivational bias stems from personal desires or emotions, causing distortions in perception to align with self-interest. Motivational bias influences how individuals perceive and attribute causes to events, often shaped by personal needs, goals, and self-esteem preservation. This bias can distort judgment, leading to inaccurate assessments of success, failure,...
Stereotype Content Model02:16

Stereotype Content Model

The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) was first proposed by Susan Fiske and her colleagues (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick & Xu, 2002; see also Fiske, 2012 and Fiske, 2017). The SCM specifies that when someone encounters a new group, they will stereotype them based on two metrics: warmth—or that group’s perceived intent, and how likely they are to provide help or inflict harm—and competence—or their ability to carry out that objective. Depending on the warmth-competence categorization, a person will feel...
Factors Affecting Perception01:25

Factors Affecting Perception

Perception is influenced by perceptual set, context, motivation, and emotion. Perceptual set, or perceptual expectancy, refers to the tendency to perceive things in a particular way, influenced by previous experiences and expectations. This phenomenon affects the interpretation of stimuli, creating a set of mental tendencies and assumptions that impact sensory perceptions of sound, taste, touch, and sight.
An illustrative example of a perceptual set is the scenario where an airline pilot told...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Electroencephalographic, Heart Rate, and Galvanic Skin Response Assessment for an Advertising Perception Study: Application to Antismoking Public Service Announcements
06:39

Electroencephalographic, Heart Rate, and Galvanic Skin Response Assessment for an Advertising Perception Study: Application to Antismoking Public Service Announcements

Published on: August 28, 2017

Exploring the cold-to-hot empathy gap in smokers.

Michael A Sayette1, George Loewenstein, Kasey M Griffin

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, 3137 Sennott Square, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA. sayette@pitt.edu

Psychological Science
|October 25, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Smokers in a neutral state underestimate how much they will want to smoke when craving hits. This "cold-to-hot empathy gap" impacts tobacco addiction.

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Cigarette Smoke Exposure in Mice using a Whole-Body Inhalation System
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Cigarette Smoke Exposure in Mice using a Whole-Body Inhalation System

Published on: October 22, 2020

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Electroencephalographic, Heart Rate, and Galvanic Skin Response Assessment for an Advertising Perception Study: Application to Antismoking Public Service Announcements
06:39

Electroencephalographic, Heart Rate, and Galvanic Skin Response Assessment for an Advertising Perception Study: Application to Antismoking Public Service Announcements

Published on: August 28, 2017

Cigarette Smoke Exposure in Mice using a Whole-Body Inhalation System
06:07

Cigarette Smoke Exposure in Mice using a Whole-Body Inhalation System

Published on: October 22, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Behavioral Science
  • Addiction Research

Background:

  • Cigarette smoking decisions often involve predicting future craving states from a neutral state.
  • Individuals in neutral states frequently underestimate the influence of intense emotional states on future behavior.
  • This phenomenon is known as the 'hot-cold empathy gap'.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the existence and impact of the cold-to-hot empathy gap in cigarette smokers.
  • To determine if smokers in a low-craving state underpredict their future desire for cigarettes during high craving.

Main Methods:

  • 98 smokers participated in a study with three conditions: hot (predicting craving from high craving), cold (predicting craving from low craving), and comparison (experiencing high craving).
  • Participants made predictions about the value they would place on smoking in a future high-craving state.
  • Behavioral and self-reported data were collected to assess craving levels and predicted value.

Main Results:

  • Smokers in the cold group significantly underpredicted the value they would place on smoking during a high-craving session.
  • This underprediction was less pronounced in the hot group, who were already in a high-craving state when making predictions.
  • The results demonstrated a clear difference in prediction accuracy between the cold and hot states.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides evidence for a cold-to-hot empathy gap in cigarette smokers.
  • This empathy gap helps explain various aspects of tobacco addiction and relapse.
  • Understanding this gap can inform interventions aimed at smoking cessation and addiction management.