The perception we have of others at a certain moment may depend on something as simple as carrying a hot drink or a cold drink in hand, according to a study published in the journalScience.
The results of the experiments show thatsubjects holding a cup of hot coffeefor a few minutesthey judgeat first sightto a stranger as a kinder and more generous person, and exhibitmore confidencetowards her, than those who hold a glass of iced coffee. Lawrence Williams, co-author of the study and professor of Marketing at the University of Colorado (USA), assures that this newlink between the physical and psychological worldcould have implications when it comes to targetingconsumers. For example, he concludes, the best way to establish a relationship with a prospect on a cold day would be to offer him a hot drink or cookie.
As if this were not enough, Williams and the psychologist John Barg have found thatthe temperature of the hands can alsoalter our behavior. In a second trial, researchers gave a series of subjects hot or cold therapeutic bandages to hold in their hands and evaluate the product. As a reward for participating in the study, they could choose between a gift for a friend or for themselves. The results showed that those who hadheld hot bandagesthey used tochoose a gift for others. “Physical heat can make us see others as warmer, but it also makes us more generous,” Bargh explains.
The power of temperature on our behavior has aneuroscientific basis. Recent neuroimaging studies, Bargh recalls, reveal that both the sensation of physical heat and cold and certain personality disorders that prevent us from cooperating and trusting them activate the same area of the brain: theinsular crust.
