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Hans IJzerman

Tilburg University, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty Member

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In my dissertation work which I completed under the supervision of Gun Semin and Dov Cohen, I focused on two main subjects: the role of warmth as an interpersonal concept and the body as a ground for cultural syndromes (honor and dignity).

Broadly speaking, I am interested in close and communal relations and its social cognition. More specifically, I am interested in the embodiment of close relations. I have researched and am still researching the role of physical warmth in close relations. Furthermore, I am interested in social relations in honor cultures.

On top of these research interests, I am also interested in how social psychology can serve a societal function. We have released an international magazine which communicates social psychology to a lay audience. For more information or author guidelines, see:
English: http://www.in-mind.org
German: http://de.in-mind.org
Portuguese: http://pt.in-mind.org
Italian: http://it.in-mind.org

Please also visit my personal webpage at http://h.ijzerman.googlepages.com

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Robert Lickliter

Florida International University

Harvard University

Melissa L . Morgan

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of California, Merced

Vivian (Bohl) Puusepp

University of Tartu

Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Kansas State University

Pennsylvania State University

University of Alberta

Armando Marques-Guedes

UNL - New University of Lisbon

InterestsView All (14)

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Papers by Hans IJzerman

What we need is theory of human cooperation (and meta-analysis) to bridge the gap between the lab and the wild

Abstract This commentary seeks to clarify the potential discrepancy between lab-based and field d... more Abstract This commentary seeks to clarify the potential discrepancy between lab-based and field data in the use and effectiveness of punishment to promote cooperation by recommending theory that outlines key differences between the lab and field, such as the shadow of the future and degree of information availability. We also discuss a recent meta-analysis (Balliet et al. 2011) that does not support all conclusions outlined in Guala's target article.

Manuscript in press

Abstract Does physical warmth lead to caring and sharing? Research suggests that it does; physica... more Abstract Does physical warmth lead to caring and sharing? Research suggests that it does; physically warm versus cold conditions induce pro-social behaviors and cognitions. Importantly, earlier research has not traced the developmental origins of the association between physical warmth and affection. The association between physical warmth and sharing may be captured in specific cognitive models of close social relations, often referred to as attachment styles.

From perceptual rags to metaphoric riches—Bodily, social, and cultural constraints on sociocognitive metaphors: Comment on Landau, Meier, and Keefer (2010).

Abstract 1. What leads people to describe some of their interpersonal relationships as “close” an... more Abstract 1. What leads people to describe some of their interpersonal relationships as “close” and “warm” and others as “distant” and “cold”? Landau, Meier, and Keefer (2010) proposed that conceptual metaphors facilitate social cognition by allowing people to use knowledge from a relatively concrete (source) domain (eg, physical distance) in understanding a different, usually more abstract (target) concept (eg, love). We concur that such a notion of metaphors can greatly enrich the field of social cognition.

Manual for Data Sharing - Tilburg University

Attached is the data-sharing manual for the Department of Social Psychology at Tilburg University... more Attached is the data-sharing manual for the Department of Social Psychology at Tilburg University. This manual provides the standard practice at Tilburg University from 2012. Feel free to download and use for your own department. Please share your experiences/feedback/concerns/compliments at h.ijzerman@uvt.nl.

(please note that this is a file updated May 31, 2013)

Warmer hearts, warmer rooms: Focusing on positive communal but not agentic traits increases estimates of ambient temperature

Conceptual representations of warmth have been shown to be related to people's perceptions of amb... more Conceptual representations of warmth have been shown to be related to people's perceptions of ambient temperature. Based on this premise, we hypothesized that merely thinking about personality traits related to communion (but not agency) influences physical experience of warmth. Specifically, the three studies revealed that (a) perceptions of temperature are influenced by both positive and negative attributes within the communion but not agency dimension, (b) the effect is stronger when traits indicate sociability rather than morality sub-dimension of communion, and (c) communion activation affects temperature perceptions independently of target’s or self-perceptions.

Measuring Temperature with the iButton – A Quick Guide

This manual can be used for temperature measurements using the iButton from Maxim. For the experi... more This manual can be used for temperature measurements using the iButton from Maxim. For the experiments we have conducted, one can use the DS1922L-F5#, DS9490B#, and the DS1402D-R8+. Please note that for the current guide, we do not describe how to use the blue-dot receptor, the DS1402D-R8+. Most people will be able to only use the DS9409B# (which is a USB-stick to read out your data), and the DS1922L-F5# (which is the actual receptor itself). You can order the materials at Maxim. Our first measurement with skin temperature was done using a slightly different device (see here for a research paper), but since we have used this solution, as this solution is cheaper, easier to conduct, and, importantly, portable. The iButton can measure every second and allows for 0.5 degrees accuracy.

Cold-blooded loneliness: Social exclusion leads to lower skin temperatures

Being ostracized or excluded, even briefly and by strangers, is painful and threatens fundamental... more Being ostracized or excluded, even briefly and by strangers, is painful and threatens fundamental needs. Recent work by Zhong and Leonardelli (2008) found that excluded individuals perceive the room as cooler and that they desire warmer drinks. A perspective that many rely on in embodiment is the theoretical idea that people use metaphorical associations to understand social exclusion (see Landau, Meier, & Keefer, 2010). We suggest that people feel colder because they are colder. The results strongly support the idea that more complex metaphorical understandings of social relations are scaffolded onto literal changes in bodily temperature: Being excluded in an online ball tossing game leads to lower finger temperatures (Study 1), while negative affect typically experienced after such social exclusion is alleviated after holding a cup of warm tea (Study 2). The authors discuss further implications for the interaction between body and social relations specifically, and for basic and cognitive systems in general.

Testosterone and Cortisol Release among Spanish Soccer Fans Watching the 2010 World Cup Final

This field study investigated the release of testosterone and cortisol of a vicarious winning exp... more This field study investigated the release of testosterone and cortisol of a vicarious winning experience in Spanish fans watching the finals between Spain and the Netherlands in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer. Spanish fans (n = 50) watched the match with friends or family in a public place or at home and also participated in a control condition. Consistent with hypotheses, results revealed that testosterone and cortisol levels were higher when watching the match than on a control day. However, neither testosterone nor cortisol levels increased after the victory of the Spanish team. Moreover, the increase in testosterone secretion was not related to participants' sex, age or soccer fandom, but the increase in total cortisol secretion during the match was higher among men than among women and among fans that were younger. Also, increases in cortisol secretion were greater to the degree that people were a stronger fan of soccer. Level of fandom further appeared to account for the sex effect, but not for the age effect. Generally, the testosterone data from this study are in line with the challenge hypothesis, as testosterone levels of watchers increased to prepare their organism to defend or enhance their social status. The cortisol data from this study are in line with social self-preservation theory, as higher cortisol secretion among young and greater soccer fans suggests that especially they perceived that a negative outcome of the match would threaten their own social esteem.

Caring for sharing: How attachment styles modulate communal cues of physical warmth

Does physical warmth lead to caring and sharing? Research suggests that it does; physically warm ... more Does physical warmth lead to caring and sharing? Research suggests that it does; physically warm versus cold conditions induce pro-social behaviors and cognitions. Importantly, earlier research has not traced the developmental origins of the association between physical warmth and affection. The association between physical warmth and sharing may be captured in specific cognitive models of close social relations, often referred to as attachment styles. In line with this notion and using a dictator game set-up, the current study demonstrates that children who relate to their friends in the manner of a secure attachment style are more generous toward their peers in warm as compared to cold conditions. This effect was absent for children who relate to friends in the manner of an insecure attachment style, but, notably, these children not just always shared less: They allocated more stickers to a friend than to a stranger. These findings provide an important first step to understand how fundamental embodied relations develop early in life. We discuss broader implications for grounded cognition and person perception.

Not by thoughts alone: How language supersizes the cognitive toolkit

We propose that Vaesen’s target article (a) underestimates the role of language in humans’ cognit... more We propose that Vaesen’s target article (a) underestimates the role of language in humans’ cognitive toolkit and thereby (b) overestimates the proposed cognitive discontinuity between chimps and humans. We provide examples on labeling, numerical computation, executive control, and the relation between language and body, to conclude that language plays a crucial role in ‘supersizing humans’ cognitive toolkit.

The face of love: Spontaneous accommodation as social emotion regulation

The present research investigated whether accommodation, typically formulated as the tendency to ... more The present research investigated whether accommodation, typically formulated as the tendency to deliberately inhibit a destructive reaction in response to a partner’s destructive behavior, could also occur spontaneously. Supporting this notion, results of the first study revealed that participants respond to their partner’s angry face with a spontaneous smile, whereas strangers’ angry faces are mimicked and thus lead to a spontaneous frown. Importantly, the facial EMG data are moderated by participants’ daily interaction styles: Only people experiencing themselves in a communal relationship show spontaneous acts of accommodation, whereas this is not the case for people in exchange relationships. The moderation occurred in our first (spontaneous) and third study (forced accommodation). The results of the second study replicated the first experiment in that participants in communal relationships frowned less towards partner’s subliminally presented angry faces, but more to their sad faces. The authors discuss their findings as spontaneous social emotion regulation.

What we need is theory (and meta-analysis) to bridge the gap between the lab and the wild life

This commentary seeks to clarify the potential discrepancy between lab-based and field data by re... more This commentary seeks to clarify the potential discrepancy between lab-based and field data by recommending theory that outlines key differences between the lab and field, such as shadown of the future and degree of information availability. We also discuss a recent meta-analysis (Balliet, Mulder, & Van Lange, 2011) that does not support all conclusions outlined in Gualo’s target article.

Grounding cultural syndromes: Body comportment and values in Honor and Dignity cultures

The body is a carrier of relatively complex cultural values. Three experiments examined links bet... more The body is a carrier of relatively complex cultural values. Three experiments examined links between body comportment and honor (a cultural syndrome prizing female chastity, familial loyalty, and reputation). We put participants from nonhonor (Anglo Americans; Experiment 1) and Honor (Latinos; Experiment 2) cultures in upright versus slouched postures and primed them with honor versus control words. In our third experiment, we surveyed participants from nonhonor (native Dutch) and Honor (Arab and Turkish Dutch) cultures about their attitudes toward honor-related violence and then measured posture change. Concerns with honor were embodied by men from honor cultures bi-directionally. For persons from nonhonor cultures, body posture can be connected to honor concerns, if participants are appropriately primed. However, all else equal, the rejection of honor in such cultures is embodied in much the same way that men from honor cultures embody honor. Links between body comportment and values are not arbitrary but not simple either: ways embodiments are conditioned by culture and gender are discussed.

From perceptual rags to metaphoric riches: Bodily, social, and cultural constraints on socio-cognitive metaphors

What leads people to describe some of their interpersonal relationships as “close” and “warm” and... more What leads people to describe some of their interpersonal relationships as “close” and “warm” and others as “distant” and “cold”? Landau, Meier, and Keefer (2010) proposed that conceptual metaphors facilitate social cognition by allowing people to use knowledge from a relatively concrete (source) domain (e.g., physical distance) in understanding a different, usually more abstract (target) concept (e.g., love). We concur that such a notion of metaphors can greatly enrich the field of social cognition. At the same time, we believe it is important to devote greater theoretical attention to the nature of metaphorical representations in social cognition. We believe that Landau et al. place too much emphasis on socio-cognitive metaphors as top-down knowledge structures and pay too little attention to the constraints that shape metaphors from the bottom up. In the present contribution, we highlight important bottom-up constraints, imposed through bodily constraints and social scaffolds. Socio-cognitive metaphors do not exist just for mental representation but for action as well. We discuss the relevance of grounding socio-cognitive metaphors for broader motivational purposes.

Temperature perceptions as a ground for social proximity

Literature in interpersonal relations has described the sense of intimacy towards others in terms... more Literature in interpersonal relations has described the sense of intimacy towards others in terms of physical closeness and warmth. Research suggests that these descriptions should be taken literally. Past work (IJzerman & Semin, 2009) revealed that temperature alterations affect the construal of social relations. Lakoff and Johnson (1999) suggest that such findings are unidirectional. However, recent research indicates that the recollection of social exclusion induces perceptions of lower temperature (Zhong & Leonardelli, 2008). In this work, we elaborate on these findings to provide new insights into processes central to interpersonal relations. In four studies, we hypothesized and found that actual physically induced experiences of proximity not only increase feelings of social proximity but more importantly perceptions of higher temperature. Moreover, we show that verbally induced social proximity also induce perceptions of higher temperature. The broader implications of these findings for interpersonal relations are discussed.

Culture, psyche, and body make each other up

The commentaries make important points, including ones about the purposeful uses of embodiment ef... more The commentaries make important points, including ones about the purposeful uses of embodiment effects. Research examining such effects needs to look at how such effects play themselves out in people's everyday lives. Research might usefully integrate work on embodiment with work on attribution and work in other disciplines concerned with body-psyche connections (e.g., research on somaticizing versus psychologizing illnesses and hypercognizing versus hypocognizing emotions). Such work may help us understand the way positive and negative feedback loops operate as culture, psyche, and body make each other up.

The thermometer of social relations: Mapping social proximity on temperature

"Holding warm feelings toward someone" and "giving someone the cold shoulder" indicate different ... more "Holding warm feelings toward someone" and "giving someone the cold shoulder" indicate different levels of social proximity. In this article, we show effects of temperature that go beyond these metaphors people live by. In three experiments, warmer conditions, compared with colder conditions, induced (a) greater social proximity, (b) use of more concrete language, and (c) a more relational focus. Different temperature conditions were created by either handing participants warm or cold beverages (Experiment 1) or placing them in comfortable warm or cold ambient conditions (Experiments 2 and 3). These studies corroborate recent findings in the field of grounded cognition revealing that concrete experiences ground abstract concepts with which they are coexperienced. Our studies show a systemic interdependence among language, perception, and social proximity: Environmentally induced conditions shape not only language use, but also the perception and construal of social relationships.

Just world and the emotional defense of self

This research examines how individuals with different affect regulation strategies cope with just... more This research examines how individuals with different affect regulation strategies cope with just-world threats. Our study demonstrated that individuals who poorly downregulate negative affect (a state-oriented style) more avidly attempt to defend a just world after this opportunity is offered via an authority figure when that belief of a just world was threatened than do individuals who successfully downregulate negative affect (an action-oriented style), after a filler task. Sizable differences thus exist in how individuals defend their just-world beliefs as a function of how people deal with their affective states.

A bumpy train ride: a field experiment on insult, honor, and emotional reactions.

The present research examined the relationship between adherence to honor norms and emotional rea... more The present research examined the relationship between adherence to honor norms and emotional reactions after an insult. Participants were 42 Dutch male train travelers, half of whom were insulted by a confederate who bumped into the participant and made a degrading remark. Compared with insulted participants with a weak adherence to honor norms, insulted participants with a strong adherence to honor norms were (a) more angry, (b) less joyful, (c) less fearful, and (d) less resigned. Moreover, insulted participants with a strong adherence to honor norms perceived more anger in subsequent stimuli than not-insulted participants with a strong adherence to these norms. The present findings support a direct relationship among insult, adherence to honor norms, and emotional reactions.

What we need is theory of human cooperation (and meta-analysis) to bridge the gap between the lab and the wild

Abstract This commentary seeks to clarify the potential discrepancy between lab-based and field d... more Abstract This commentary seeks to clarify the potential discrepancy between lab-based and field data in the use and effectiveness of punishment to promote cooperation by recommending theory that outlines key differences between the lab and field, such as the shadow of the future and degree of information availability. We also discuss a recent meta-analysis (Balliet et al. 2011) that does not support all conclusions outlined in Guala's target article.

Manuscript in press

Abstract Does physical warmth lead to caring and sharing? Research suggests that it does; physica... more Abstract Does physical warmth lead to caring and sharing? Research suggests that it does; physically warm versus cold conditions induce pro-social behaviors and cognitions. Importantly, earlier research has not traced the developmental origins of the association between physical warmth and affection. The association between physical warmth and sharing may be captured in specific cognitive models of close social relations, often referred to as attachment styles.

From perceptual rags to metaphoric riches—Bodily, social, and cultural constraints on sociocognitive metaphors: Comment on Landau, Meier, and Keefer (2010).

Abstract 1. What leads people to describe some of their interpersonal relationships as “close” an... more Abstract 1. What leads people to describe some of their interpersonal relationships as “close” and “warm” and others as “distant” and “cold”? Landau, Meier, and Keefer (2010) proposed that conceptual metaphors facilitate social cognition by allowing people to use knowledge from a relatively concrete (source) domain (eg, physical distance) in understanding a different, usually more abstract (target) concept (eg, love). We concur that such a notion of metaphors can greatly enrich the field of social cognition.

Manual for Data Sharing - Tilburg University

Attached is the data-sharing manual for the Department of Social Psychology at Tilburg University... more Attached is the data-sharing manual for the Department of Social Psychology at Tilburg University. This manual provides the standard practice at Tilburg University from 2012. Feel free to download and use for your own department. Please share your experiences/feedback/concerns/compliments at h.ijzerman@uvt.nl.

(please note that this is a file updated May 31, 2013)

Warmer hearts, warmer rooms: Focusing on positive communal but not agentic traits increases estimates of ambient temperature

Conceptual representations of warmth have been shown to be related to people's perceptions of amb... more Conceptual representations of warmth have been shown to be related to people's perceptions of ambient temperature. Based on this premise, we hypothesized that merely thinking about personality traits related to communion (but not agency) influences physical experience of warmth. Specifically, the three studies revealed that (a) perceptions of temperature are influenced by both positive and negative attributes within the communion but not agency dimension, (b) the effect is stronger when traits indicate sociability rather than morality sub-dimension of communion, and (c) communion activation affects temperature perceptions independently of target’s or self-perceptions.

Measuring Temperature with the iButton – A Quick Guide

This manual can be used for temperature measurements using the iButton from Maxim. For the experi... more This manual can be used for temperature measurements using the iButton from Maxim. For the experiments we have conducted, one can use the DS1922L-F5#, DS9490B#, and the DS1402D-R8+. Please note that for the current guide, we do not describe how to use the blue-dot receptor, the DS1402D-R8+. Most people will be able to only use the DS9409B# (which is a USB-stick to read out your data), and the DS1922L-F5# (which is the actual receptor itself). You can order the materials at Maxim. Our first measurement with skin temperature was done using a slightly different device (see here for a research paper), but since we have used this solution, as this solution is cheaper, easier to conduct, and, importantly, portable. The iButton can measure every second and allows for 0.5 degrees accuracy.

Cold-blooded loneliness: Social exclusion leads to lower skin temperatures

Being ostracized or excluded, even briefly and by strangers, is painful and threatens fundamental... more Being ostracized or excluded, even briefly and by strangers, is painful and threatens fundamental needs. Recent work by Zhong and Leonardelli (2008) found that excluded individuals perceive the room as cooler and that they desire warmer drinks. A perspective that many rely on in embodiment is the theoretical idea that people use metaphorical associations to understand social exclusion (see Landau, Meier, & Keefer, 2010). We suggest that people feel colder because they are colder. The results strongly support the idea that more complex metaphorical understandings of social relations are scaffolded onto literal changes in bodily temperature: Being excluded in an online ball tossing game leads to lower finger temperatures (Study 1), while negative affect typically experienced after such social exclusion is alleviated after holding a cup of warm tea (Study 2). The authors discuss further implications for the interaction between body and social relations specifically, and for basic and cognitive systems in general.

Testosterone and Cortisol Release among Spanish Soccer Fans Watching the 2010 World Cup Final

This field study investigated the release of testosterone and cortisol of a vicarious winning exp... more This field study investigated the release of testosterone and cortisol of a vicarious winning experience in Spanish fans watching the finals between Spain and the Netherlands in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer. Spanish fans (n = 50) watched the match with friends or family in a public place or at home and also participated in a control condition. Consistent with hypotheses, results revealed that testosterone and cortisol levels were higher when watching the match than on a control day. However, neither testosterone nor cortisol levels increased after the victory of the Spanish team. Moreover, the increase in testosterone secretion was not related to participants' sex, age or soccer fandom, but the increase in total cortisol secretion during the match was higher among men than among women and among fans that were younger. Also, increases in cortisol secretion were greater to the degree that people were a stronger fan of soccer. Level of fandom further appeared to account for the sex effect, but not for the age effect. Generally, the testosterone data from this study are in line with the challenge hypothesis, as testosterone levels of watchers increased to prepare their organism to defend or enhance their social status. The cortisol data from this study are in line with social self-preservation theory, as higher cortisol secretion among young and greater soccer fans suggests that especially they perceived that a negative outcome of the match would threaten their own social esteem.

Caring for sharing: How attachment styles modulate communal cues of physical warmth

Does physical warmth lead to caring and sharing? Research suggests that it does; physically warm ... more Does physical warmth lead to caring and sharing? Research suggests that it does; physically warm versus cold conditions induce pro-social behaviors and cognitions. Importantly, earlier research has not traced the developmental origins of the association between physical warmth and affection. The association between physical warmth and sharing may be captured in specific cognitive models of close social relations, often referred to as attachment styles. In line with this notion and using a dictator game set-up, the current study demonstrates that children who relate to their friends in the manner of a secure attachment style are more generous toward their peers in warm as compared to cold conditions. This effect was absent for children who relate to friends in the manner of an insecure attachment style, but, notably, these children not just always shared less: They allocated more stickers to a friend than to a stranger. These findings provide an important first step to understand how fundamental embodied relations develop early in life. We discuss broader implications for grounded cognition and person perception.

Not by thoughts alone: How language supersizes the cognitive toolkit

We propose that Vaesen’s target article (a) underestimates the role of language in humans’ cognit... more We propose that Vaesen’s target article (a) underestimates the role of language in humans’ cognitive toolkit and thereby (b) overestimates the proposed cognitive discontinuity between chimps and humans. We provide examples on labeling, numerical computation, executive control, and the relation between language and body, to conclude that language plays a crucial role in ‘supersizing humans’ cognitive toolkit.

The face of love: Spontaneous accommodation as social emotion regulation

The present research investigated whether accommodation, typically formulated as the tendency to ... more The present research investigated whether accommodation, typically formulated as the tendency to deliberately inhibit a destructive reaction in response to a partner’s destructive behavior, could also occur spontaneously. Supporting this notion, results of the first study revealed that participants respond to their partner’s angry face with a spontaneous smile, whereas strangers’ angry faces are mimicked and thus lead to a spontaneous frown. Importantly, the facial EMG data are moderated by participants’ daily interaction styles: Only people experiencing themselves in a communal relationship show spontaneous acts of accommodation, whereas this is not the case for people in exchange relationships. The moderation occurred in our first (spontaneous) and third study (forced accommodation). The results of the second study replicated the first experiment in that participants in communal relationships frowned less towards partner’s subliminally presented angry faces, but more to their sad faces. The authors discuss their findings as spontaneous social emotion regulation.

What we need is theory (and meta-analysis) to bridge the gap between the lab and the wild life

This commentary seeks to clarify the potential discrepancy between lab-based and field data by re... more This commentary seeks to clarify the potential discrepancy between lab-based and field data by recommending theory that outlines key differences between the lab and field, such as shadown of the future and degree of information availability. We also discuss a recent meta-analysis (Balliet, Mulder, & Van Lange, 2011) that does not support all conclusions outlined in Gualo’s target article.

Grounding cultural syndromes: Body comportment and values in Honor and Dignity cultures

The body is a carrier of relatively complex cultural values. Three experiments examined links bet... more The body is a carrier of relatively complex cultural values. Three experiments examined links between body comportment and honor (a cultural syndrome prizing female chastity, familial loyalty, and reputation). We put participants from nonhonor (Anglo Americans; Experiment 1) and Honor (Latinos; Experiment 2) cultures in upright versus slouched postures and primed them with honor versus control words. In our third experiment, we surveyed participants from nonhonor (native Dutch) and Honor (Arab and Turkish Dutch) cultures about their attitudes toward honor-related violence and then measured posture change. Concerns with honor were embodied by men from honor cultures bi-directionally. For persons from nonhonor cultures, body posture can be connected to honor concerns, if participants are appropriately primed. However, all else equal, the rejection of honor in such cultures is embodied in much the same way that men from honor cultures embody honor. Links between body comportment and values are not arbitrary but not simple either: ways embodiments are conditioned by culture and gender are discussed.

From perceptual rags to metaphoric riches: Bodily, social, and cultural constraints on socio-cognitive metaphors

What leads people to describe some of their interpersonal relationships as “close” and “warm” and... more What leads people to describe some of their interpersonal relationships as “close” and “warm” and others as “distant” and “cold”? Landau, Meier, and Keefer (2010) proposed that conceptual metaphors facilitate social cognition by allowing people to use knowledge from a relatively concrete (source) domain (e.g., physical distance) in understanding a different, usually more abstract (target) concept (e.g., love). We concur that such a notion of metaphors can greatly enrich the field of social cognition. At the same time, we believe it is important to devote greater theoretical attention to the nature of metaphorical representations in social cognition. We believe that Landau et al. place too much emphasis on socio-cognitive metaphors as top-down knowledge structures and pay too little attention to the constraints that shape metaphors from the bottom up. In the present contribution, we highlight important bottom-up constraints, imposed through bodily constraints and social scaffolds. Socio-cognitive metaphors do not exist just for mental representation but for action as well. We discuss the relevance of grounding socio-cognitive metaphors for broader motivational purposes.

Temperature perceptions as a ground for social proximity

Literature in interpersonal relations has described the sense of intimacy towards others in terms... more Literature in interpersonal relations has described the sense of intimacy towards others in terms of physical closeness and warmth. Research suggests that these descriptions should be taken literally. Past work (IJzerman & Semin, 2009) revealed that temperature alterations affect the construal of social relations. Lakoff and Johnson (1999) suggest that such findings are unidirectional. However, recent research indicates that the recollection of social exclusion induces perceptions of lower temperature (Zhong & Leonardelli, 2008). In this work, we elaborate on these findings to provide new insights into processes central to interpersonal relations. In four studies, we hypothesized and found that actual physically induced experiences of proximity not only increase feelings of social proximity but more importantly perceptions of higher temperature. Moreover, we show that verbally induced social proximity also induce perceptions of higher temperature. The broader implications of these findings for interpersonal relations are discussed.

Culture, psyche, and body make each other up

The commentaries make important points, including ones about the purposeful uses of embodiment ef... more The commentaries make important points, including ones about the purposeful uses of embodiment effects. Research examining such effects needs to look at how such effects play themselves out in people's everyday lives. Research might usefully integrate work on embodiment with work on attribution and work in other disciplines concerned with body-psyche connections (e.g., research on somaticizing versus psychologizing illnesses and hypercognizing versus hypocognizing emotions). Such work may help us understand the way positive and negative feedback loops operate as culture, psyche, and body make each other up.

The thermometer of social relations: Mapping social proximity on temperature

"Holding warm feelings toward someone" and "giving someone the cold shoulder" indicate different ... more "Holding warm feelings toward someone" and "giving someone the cold shoulder" indicate different levels of social proximity. In this article, we show effects of temperature that go beyond these metaphors people live by. In three experiments, warmer conditions, compared with colder conditions, induced (a) greater social proximity, (b) use of more concrete language, and (c) a more relational focus. Different temperature conditions were created by either handing participants warm or cold beverages (Experiment 1) or placing them in comfortable warm or cold ambient conditions (Experiments 2 and 3). These studies corroborate recent findings in the field of grounded cognition revealing that concrete experiences ground abstract concepts with which they are coexperienced. Our studies show a systemic interdependence among language, perception, and social proximity: Environmentally induced conditions shape not only language use, but also the perception and construal of social relationships.

Just world and the emotional defense of self

This research examines how individuals with different affect regulation strategies cope with just... more This research examines how individuals with different affect regulation strategies cope with just-world threats. Our study demonstrated that individuals who poorly downregulate negative affect (a state-oriented style) more avidly attempt to defend a just world after this opportunity is offered via an authority figure when that belief of a just world was threatened than do individuals who successfully downregulate negative affect (an action-oriented style), after a filler task. Sizable differences thus exist in how individuals defend their just-world beliefs as a function of how people deal with their affective states.

A bumpy train ride: a field experiment on insult, honor, and emotional reactions.

The present research examined the relationship between adherence to honor norms and emotional rea... more The present research examined the relationship between adherence to honor norms and emotional reactions after an insult. Participants were 42 Dutch male train travelers, half of whom were insulted by a confederate who bumped into the participant and made a degrading remark. Compared with insulted participants with a weak adherence to honor norms, insulted participants with a strong adherence to honor norms were (a) more angry, (b) less joyful, (c) less fearful, and (d) less resigned. Moreover, insulted participants with a strong adherence to honor norms perceived more anger in subsequent stimuli than not-insulted participants with a strong adherence to these norms. The present findings support a direct relationship among insult, adherence to honor norms, and emotional reactions.