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June 14, 2013

Strange But True!

Q. On a job interview, should you prefer the interviewer be holding a cold bottle of cola or a hot cup of coffee?

A. The principle of “sensory interaction” may come into play here, as when the smell of food influences its taste, says David G. Myers in “Exploring Psychology: Ninth Edition.” Our brains can even blend our tactile and social judgments: “After holding a warm drink rather than a cold one, people are more likely to rate someone more warmly, feel closer to them, and behave more generously. Physical warmth promotes social warmth” — and just maybe your own job opportunities. In other experiments, people given the cold shoulder wound up judging the room as colder than did those treated warmly. “Social exclusion literally feels cold.” Even just holding a heavy rather than a light clipboard can make job candidates seem more important. Make it a rough object and the social interactions can seem more difficult.


 
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