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Being shunned makes us feel cold
We all know what it’s like to be ‘left out in the cold’ or ‘given the cold shoulder’. But psychologists at the University of Toronto have found that these chilly phrases may be more than just metaphors – social exclusion may actually make us feel colder.
In one of their experiments participants played a computerised game of catch. However, the game was rigged so some players were thrown the ball lots of times and others were left out. Afterwards, the people who were snubbed in the game were more likely to choose warming drinks than the popular people.
In another test, the scientists split participants into two groups and asked one group to think about times when they had been rejected. When they asked everyone to estimate the temperature of the room, people in this group thought it was colder than the other group.
source: focusmag.co.uk
We all know what it’s like to be ‘left out in the cold’ or ‘given the cold shoulder’. But psychologists at the University of Toronto have found that these chilly phrases may be more than just metaphors – social exclusion may actually make us feel colder.
In one of their experiments participants played a computerised game of catch. However, the game was rigged so some players were thrown the ball lots of times and others were left out. Afterwards, the people who were snubbed in the game were more likely to choose warming drinks than the popular people.
In another test, the scientists split participants into two groups and asked one group to think about times when they had been rejected. When they asked everyone to estimate the temperature of the room, people in this group thought it was colder than the other group.
source: focusmag.co.uk