Warmth, spatial proximity, and social attachment: The embodied perception of a social metaphor

Recent experiments in embodied social cognition suggest a fundamental link between physical warmth and social affiliation. Findings from two experiments support the hypothesis that physical warmth serves as a symbolic cue signaling the close proximity of a source of affiliation. In Experiment 1, participants perceived a warm object as being physically closer than a cold object. In Experiment 2, being primed with warmth led participants to display higher levels of self-reported social affiliative motivation. In both studies, effects were moderated by individual differences in attachment style; priming effects were pronounced among those low in attachment avoidance and those high in attachment anxiety. These findings contribute to a growing literature suggesting deep connections between perception, physical experience, and social cognition.

► We explore the physical grounding of the warmth–social affiliation metaphor. ► We argue that this association is based in close physical interactions with others. ► Findings suggest that people judge warm objects as closer than cold objects. ► Findings suggest that warmth increases people's affiliative motivation. ► These effects are moderated by attachment-style, consistent with predictions.