Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Factors Influencing Attraction IV: Reciprocity01:28

Factors Influencing Attraction IV: Reciprocity

Reciprocity in attraction is fundamental to social and romantic relationships, shaping how individuals form and maintain connections. The psychological principle underlying this phenomenon is that people tend to like those who express liking toward them. Balance theory supports this tendency, suggesting that mutual attraction fosters psychological harmony, whereas one-sided affection leads to discomfort and cognitive dissonance.The Psychological Mechanisms Behind ReciprocityWhen individuals...
Trait Centrality01:21

Trait Centrality

Trait centrality refers to the degree to which a particular characteristic influences the overall impression of an individual. Some traits exert a disproportionately strong impact on perception, shaping how people interpret other attributes of a person. Solomon Asch first systematically studied this phenomenon in 1946.Asch’s Experiment on Trait CentralityAsch's seminal study demonstrated the centrality of certain traits through a controlled experiment. Participants were presented with a list of...
Decreased Body Temperature01:29

Decreased Body Temperature

A decreased body temperature can occur in patients with hypothermia and frostbite. Heat loss with extended cold exposure overpowers the body's ability to create heat, resulting in hypothermia. Core temperature readings help classify hypothermia. Mild hypothermia is temperatures between 32 °C (89.6 °F) and 35°C (95 °F) and is caused by impaired thermoregulation. Moderate hypothermia is temperatures between 28 C (82.4 °F) and 32 °C (89.6 °F) caused by sustained extreme cold exposure, and severe...
Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch01:15

Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch

The history of therapeutic communication can be traced back to Florence Nightingale, who emphasized the importance of developing trusting relationships with patients. She taught that the presence of nurses with patients results in therapeutic healing.
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
Understanding Interpersonal Attraction01:25

Understanding Interpersonal Attraction

Interpersonal attraction is a fundamental psychological phenomenon influencing human relationships across various contexts. It refers to one person's positive feelings or interests toward another, serving as the foundation for friendships, romantic partnerships, familial bonds, and professional relationships. The nature of interpersonal attraction extends beyond romantic connections, shaping interactions in both short-term and long-term social engagements.Psychological Foundations of...
Role of Affect in Interpersonal Attraction01:24

Role of Affect in Interpersonal Attraction

Affect plays a crucial role in shaping interpersonal evaluations and perceptions. Emotions influence how individuals judge and respond to others, often determining whether interactions are viewed positively or negatively. This effect can manifest directly through interactions with the person in question or indirectly via associations with unrelated emotional experiences.Direct Effects of Affect on AttractionAffect directly influences interpersonal attraction when a person’s behavior elicits...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Primate gut microbiota induce evolutionarily salient changes in mouse neurodevelopment.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

The primate gut microbiota contributes to interspecific differences in host metabolism.

Microbial genomics·2024
Same author

Concepts in Space: Enhancing Lexical Search With a Spatial Diversity Prime.

Cognitive science·2023
Same author

Theory of collective mind.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2023
Same author

Hoist by its own petard: The ironic and fatal flaws of dual-process theory.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2023
Same author

Deviancy Aversion and Social Norms.

Personality & social psychology bulletin·2022
Same journal

Erratum for the Research Article "Detecting supramolecular organic nanoparticles during heat wave".

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Local signals, systemic decline.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

The mechanics of liver regeneration.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Computing in a memory with physics.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Retraction.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Making time.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Using Facial Electromyography to Assess Facial Muscle Reactions to Experienced and Observed Affective Touch in Humans
04:27

Using Facial Electromyography to Assess Facial Muscle Reactions to Experienced and Observed Affective Touch in Humans

Published on: March 15, 2019

Experiencing physical warmth promotes interpersonal warmth.

Lawrence E Williams1, John A Bargh

  • 1Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado at Boulder, UCB 419, Boulder, CO, 80309-0419, USA. lawrence.williams@colorado.edu

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|October 25, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Physical warmth influences social judgment. Holding a warm object, like coffee, can make individuals perceive others as warmer and act more generously, demonstrating an unconscious link between physical and interpersonal warmth.

More Related Videos

Thermal Imaging to Study Stress Non-invasively in Unrestrained Birds
10:07

Thermal Imaging to Study Stress Non-invasively in Unrestrained Birds

Published on: November 6, 2015

Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations
09:07

Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations

Published on: September 16, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Using Facial Electromyography to Assess Facial Muscle Reactions to Experienced and Observed Affective Touch in Humans
04:27

Using Facial Electromyography to Assess Facial Muscle Reactions to Experienced and Observed Affective Touch in Humans

Published on: March 15, 2019

Thermal Imaging to Study Stress Non-invasively in Unrestrained Birds
10:07

Thermal Imaging to Study Stress Non-invasively in Unrestrained Birds

Published on: November 6, 2015

Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations
09:07

Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations

Published on: September 16, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Social Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Attachment theory emphasizes the role of physical warmth in infant care for adult relationships.
  • Neuroscience research suggests the insula processes both physical temperature and interpersonal warmth (trust).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether physical warmth experiences unconsciously influence perceptions of interpersonal warmth and prosocial behavior.
  • To test the hypothesis that tactile warmth increases feelings of interpersonal warmth and generosity.

Main Methods:

  • Study 1: Participants held either a hot or iced coffee cup and then rated a target person's personality.
  • Study 2: Participants held a hot or cold therapeutic pad and then made a choice between a gift for themselves or a friend.

Main Results:

  • Participants holding a hot coffee cup rated the target person as significantly warmer (more generous, caring) than those holding an iced coffee.
  • Individuals who held a hot therapeutic pad were more likely to choose a gift for a friend, indicating increased prosocial behavior compared to those holding a cold pad.

Conclusions:

  • Experiencing physical warmth can unconsciously enhance perceptions of interpersonal warmth and promote prosocial behavior.
  • This suggests a direct, non-conscious link between sensory experiences of temperature and social cognition.