Warm judgements: Can Coffee Change How We See People

Can something as simple as holding a warm cup of coffee change how we feel about another person?

In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we explore the Hot Coffee Experiment — research investigating the surprising connection between physical warmth and our social judgments. We look at how subtle sensations in our environment may influence the way we perceive others, often without us noticing.

But how much of what we feel about someone comes from the person themselves — and how much might be shaped by something as small as a temperature? Discover how physical sensations can influence our impressions, and what this reveals about the hidden factors behind our everyday judgments.

Studies and links

• Does Physical Warmth Prime Social Warmth? | John A. Bargh and David Melnikoff
• Hot Drinks Equal Warm Feelings, as Scientists Link Physical and Emotional Warmth | pbs.org
• https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/science-july-dec08-warmth_10-24