William Atkins
Friday, 24 October 2008 21:24
Science -
Biology
Page 2 of 3
The researchers then performed another experiment on 53 volunteers in which each one held either a hot therapeutic pad or a frozen therapeutic pad.
After answering questions about the pad, the researchers offered each volunteer a gift: a choice of beverage or a gift certificate for a friend.
The volunteers holding the hot pad were more likely to give the gift certificate to their friend than to give themselves a beverage. On the other hand, the volunteers holding the frozen pad were more likely to ask for the beverage.
The researchers contend that physical warmth (hot beverages, warm hands) and mental warmth (warm emotions and soul) are linked.
U.S. psychologist John Bargh, from Yale University, stated,
“When we ask whether someone is a warm person or cold person, they both have a temperature of 98.6 [Farenheit, 37 Celsius]. These terms implicitly tap into the primitive experience of what it means to be warm and cold." [BBC News: “
Hot drinks promote warm feelings”]
He added,
"Physical warmth can make us see others as warmer people, but also cause us to be warmer, more generous and trusting as well.”
The researchers added that warmth relates to trust and other “warm” feelings.
The abstract to the Bargh paper is found on page three.
