Physical Warmth Priming

Physical Warmth Priming

Reviewed by Faisal Zaidi

The proposal that a brief experience of physical warmth, such as holding a hot drink or pad, shifts social judgments and choices without the person noticing.

What it is

Williams and Bargh reported it in two experiments in 2008, and larger double-blind repeats found near-zero effects. It is drawn from work by Lawrence Williams and John Bargh (2008).

In effect

In the article on whether a warm drink makes us kinder, hot coffee and a described stranger, a hot pad and a gift for a friend.

What it does not say

Repeats with 128, 177 and 861 participants found no effect, so the claim that holding a warm drink makes people kinder is not supported by the larger tests. The related finding on closeness and concrete language is a separate line of work with its own evidence.

Sources

  1. Williams, L. E., & Bargh, J. A. (2008). Experiencing physical warmth promotes interpersonal warmth. Science, 322(5901), 606-607.
  2. Chabris, C. F., Heck, P. R., Mandart, J., Benjamin, D. J., & Simons, D. J. (2019). No evidence that experiencing physical warmth promotes interpersonal warmth. Social Psychology, 50(2), 127-132.
  3. Lynott, D., Corker, K. S., Wortman, J., Connell, L., Donnellan, M. B., Lucas, R. E., & O'Brien, K. (2014). Replication of Experiencing physical warmth promotes interpersonal warmth by Williams and Bargh (2008). Social Psychology, 45(3), 216-222.