Metaphor priming: How basic perceptual experiences nonconsciously shape evaluations, decisions, and emotional experiences

The present research examines the extent to which basic sensory and perceptual processes can nonconsciously influence people's higher-level evaluations, decisions, and behaviors. This research focuses on how two fundamental aspects of human life, namely physical space and temperature, affect the ways in which people construe behaviors, form impressions of others, and make choices. The first four studies examine the impact of spatial distance cues on people's judgments. The final three studies examine the effect of exposure to warm versus cold temperatures on people's evaluations and decisions in both basic and applied contexts. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the emerging area of embodied social cognition.