Lynott, Dermot, Corker, Katherine S., Connell, Louise and O'Brien, Kerry S. (2017) The effect of haptic and ambient temperature experience on prosocial behavior. Archives of Scientific Psychology, 5 (1). pp. 10-18. ISSN 2169-3269
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Abstract
Temperature is an ever-present feature of the environment, but we are still unsure how changes in temperature experience affect
human behavior. On the one hand, some studies have shown that higher temperature experience is linked with more prosocial
behaviors (e.g., greater gift giving, altruism), while on the other hand, some studies have shown that higher temperatures are
associated with less prosocial behavior (e.g., more violence, aggression). In this study we investigated whether higher
temperatures are associated with more or less prosocial responding. At different ambient temperatures, participants took part in
a “product evaluation” study of hot or cold therapeutic gel packs. At the end of the study, each participant could choose between
taking a reward for themselves (the self-interested option) or giving the reward to someone else (the prosocial option). While the
pack temperatures did not influence the choices people made, we found a weak relationship between the ambient temperatures
at the time of the study and whether the participant responded prosocially or not; as temperatures increased, participants were
more likely to choose the prosocial option. However, further analysis suggests that this finding should be considered inconclusive
and we urge caution in interpreting these results.
Item Type: | Article |
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Keywords: | temperature; embodiment; prosocial; ambient; haptic; |
Academic Unit: | Faculty of Science and Engineering > Psychology |
Item ID: | 15648 |
Identification Number: | 10.1037/arc0000031 |
Depositing User: | Dermot Lynott |
Date Deposited: | 09 Mar 2022 12:11 |
Journal or Publication Title: | Archives of Scientific Psychology |
Publisher: | American Psychological Association |
Refereed: | Yes |
Related URLs: | |
URI: | https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/15648 |
Use Licence: | This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here |
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