Experiencing Physical Warmth Promotes Interpersonal Warmth The study of Williams & Bargh (2008):Williams & Bargh (2008): Contributor© POSbase 2008 The warm-cold dimension is one of two main components of the first impressions of persons – along with competence. Physical warmth has been shown to The authors examined whether physical warmth can prime impressions of interpersonal warmth.

Experiencing Physical Warmth Promotes Interpersonal Warmth © POSbase 2008 In one experiment, a research assistant blind to the study‘s hypothesis met participants in the lobby of the psychology building, carrying a cup of coffee, a clipboard, and two textbooks. During the elevator ride, the research assistant asked the participant to briefly hold the cup of coffee. The cup of coffee was either hot, or a cup of iced coffee, which was the experimental manipulation.

Experiencing Physical Warmth Promotes Interpersonal Warmth © POSbase 2008 After arriving at the laboratory, participants first read the description of a target person whom they had to rate on ten different personality traits, among them warmth (cold = 1; warm = 7). Participants who had held a cup of hot coffee perceived the target person to be significantly warmer (M = 4.71) than did those who had held a cup of iced coffee (M = 4.25).