In this lecture, John Bargh describes several lines of research in which physical experiences directly influence analogous, or metaphorically related, psychological experiences. Physical warmth, spatial dimensions, and haptic experiences all are found to influence the corresponding social-psychological domains (i.e., social warmth and trust, emotional and psychological distance, being ‘soft’ on crime). Brain imaging studies will be described showing that at least some of these effects are ‘hard wired’ and not based on semantic priming or extensive experience.

Dr. John Bargh is a professor of psychology and cognitive science at Yale University.