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The Wisdom of Psychopaths
In this engrossing journey into the lives of psychopaths and their infamously crafty behaviors, the renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton reveals that there is a...
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Chen-Bo Zhong is an assistant professor at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. In recent years, he’s explored a wide variety of topics, from the benefits of relying on the unconscious to generate creative insights to the reasons people often use temperature metaphors (“icy stares,” “cold shoulders,” and so on) when describing acts of social rejection. Mind Matters editor Jonah Lehrer chats with Zhong about his latest research.
LEHRER: You recently demonstrated that being socially excluded from a group can make people feel colder, so that they believe a room is colder and prefer warm drinks and snacks, such as hot coffee and soup. What made you interested in this line of research?
ZHONG: I came across this popular 1970s song on YouTube called Lonely This Christmas written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. It goes, “It'll be lonely this Christmas, lonely and cold, it'll be cold so cold, without you to hold.” It just occurred to me that maybe what the song describes is more than a metaphor but a real psychological connection between loneliness and coldness. Indeed, my collaborator Geoffrey Leonardelli [a professor of organizational behavior at the University of Toronto] and I found that people not only use coldness-related terms to describe social rejection (for example, “cold shoulder”), but also experience rejection as physical coldness: feeling cold becomes an integral part of our experience of being socially isolated. This research is consistent with recent theories on embodied cognition as well as general research on the connection between mind and body.
LEHRER: What are some other examples of how seemingly abstract thoughts, such as feeling excluded, can have physical manifestations?
ZHONG: Another example would be the relation between morality and physical cleanliness. In my early work “Washing Away Your Sins: Threatened Morality and Physical Cleansing” in collaboration with Katie Liljenquist [a professor of organizational behavior at Brigham Young University], we discussed how metaphors such as “dirty hands” or “clean records” may have a psychological basis such that people make sense of morality through physical cleanliness.
When people’s moral self image is threatened, as when they think about their own unethical past behaviors, people literally experience the need to engage in physical cleansing, as if the moral stain is literally physical dirt. We tested this idea in multiple studies and showed that when reminded of their past moral transgressions, people were more likely to think about cleansing-related words such as “wash” and “soap”, expressed stronger preference for cleansing products (for instance, a soap bar), and were also more likely to accept an antiseptic wipe as a free gift (rather than a pencil with equal value).
Further, physical cleansing may actually be effective in mentally getting rid of moral sins. In another study, in which participants who recalled unethical behaviors were either given a chance to cleanse their hands or not, we found that washing hands not only assuaged moral emotions such as guilt and regret but also reduced participants’ willingness to engage in prosocial behaviors such as volunteering Thus physical washing can actually wash away sins. Perhaps this effect is why most world religions practice some form of washing rituals to purify souls. We should be cautious, however, knowing that if our sins are so easily “washed away” we might not be as motivated to engage in actual compensatory behaviors to make up for our mistakes.
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14 Comments
Add CommentThis is great research. Imagine all the possibilities! It could open up avenues of behavioral treatment for many kinds of psychological problems, as well as ways to speak to children that would make them grow up healthier in mind, body and spirit. Words are amazingly powerful when used in the right ways. I hope to hear more from you in the future.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI heard this statement from a wise old scientist once, "proper feelings follow proper actions."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn reading about the connection here, between moral defilement translated into a sense of physical dirtiness, I recall the ancient Mosaic law which typically prescribed sacrifice of blood for washing away sins. Not the sinner's blood, but a substitutes.
But I'm off subject a bit. Of course the real questions are, "is sin actual?" and if so, "how is it washed away?". It is incongruous to think that a physical washing erases moral, spiritual sin or guilt. If I steal a gallon of gasoline, can I make reparation with something much less valuable, like a piece of candy? Likewise, if I sin against God, can I repay this by washing my hands?
Someone should explore the possibility that God uses our sense of guilt to indicate that we need a real washing commensurate with the deep, inner defilement that we've brought on ourselves. Thank God there is a sacrifice sufficient to wash away a man's sins.
A intersting discovery! I can use these theories to realize others' mind or myself's. But, are these feelings inborn?or formed in the social life?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnd is there any research can explain that people like to talk much more when they are happy and when sad they also want to share the sadness with others?
Hmmm.... does a cold lonely winter ever gets literary felt in the tropics? What about during an Adelaide summer?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI think many of these feelings would be culturally based. For instance, Christians are often influenced to feel dirty when they sin. The words used to describe sin all indicate that it is a stain on the soul. I would be interested to see how moral transgressions effect people of all religions. Also, I would suggest looking into the emotion of color. Why do people feel blue? Green with envy? Awkward White? That last one was obviously a joke. Interesting research into racial identity as well. I too have found that people tend to align themselves to white and non-white groups. It is also interesting to note that those who feel themselves connected to an in-group by affirmation, will seek to represent the stereotypes of that in-group. It's just too bad we can't all shed the in/out groups and just be ourselves. But I think it would take an alien invasion to actually unite us. While an individual doesn't require someone to hate, a group of people seems to. Hatred/Fear/Dislike of a common enemy unites a people. I suppose that would be negation, right there. Fascinating, but unfortunate.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisClean and unclean are learned responses to belief behavior. The words have cultural, not neurological significance. Morality is a cultural assessment. Washing away sins is an expression of learned behavior.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe observation that soap and water should affect sense and emotions among those who believe in specific moral identities reveals the intensity of belief and the effect of emotions on personality development.
Morality is not a reality standard. It is an accepted cultural standard believed to real.
No doubt about it, the body-mind is intricate and experiential. If you want a consistent, tried & true way of exploring your own, unique mind-body interface then I suggest you try Focusing. Focusing is an easy to learn, 6 step process which is scientifically proven to provide insight, therapeutic healing, and stress relief. For more info go to: www.focusing.org
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTry it. Focusing has brought more self-acceptance, growth, personal insight and self-respect into my life than any other personal development or inner awareness practice and I can do it with a friend of Focusing Partner so I don't need a therapist for outcomes that change my life in the direction of actualisation. Focusing is a sure-fire way to self-actualisation. I have written about Focusing on my blog www.transformative-living.blogspot.com
Enjoy ~ Leona www.transformative.com.au
Well, I think repentance as the Word of God speaks of it is still in effect for some. Or I better pray that it will be for me. I believe the Lord Jesus Christ is still the most Holy blessed one in Israel, no matter where that might be. Or where He might be. If we feel the Holy Spirit, doesn't that prove that the need to put away our sins and pray to serve the most Holy One of Isreal is the wisest choice to make? Or @ least consider. Also, @ BYU surely it is still common knowledge that he was a true prophet and had miracles from Heaven, a.k.a. as Kolob, another planet, to help build up Salt Lake City, etc. Well, I do want to pray for forgiveness of my sins and pray to have them washed away from Kolob a.k.a. Heaven and to keep the Holy Spirit which I have had since my birth, I pray. Kolob is a planet that has recieved it's paradisicial glory, well, like the scriptures say the earth will eventually. Thanks and in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is what hypnotherapy is all about... the art of language in communicating an intention. It's not science, magic, or spiritual... it's literal. Such is how the subconscious mind interprets your world.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAMAZING!! I truly LOVE this and am SO happy you shared it with us. I have come to realize after reading this that I am one of those people who is CONSTANTLY buying anti-bacterial hand soaps and body wash and scrubs and never really realized when it all started and what had triggered it but you have TRULY enlightened me. You are a VERY bright and gifted person. Thank you for your insight.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisit would seem logical to associate feelings with temperature,maybe its simply primal,being engaged by someone physically does transmit warmth between each individual,perhaps its the heart organ really doing the talking in conjunction with the brain,perhaps they are so indelibly linked that people express there emotion in direct relation to the subtle state of their heart at any given interaction.its fascinating and theres something in it .maybe more than can be evaluated.very subtle energies.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisit would seem logical to associate feelings with temperature,maybe its simply primal,being engaged by someone physically does transmit warmth between each individual,perhaps its the heart organ really doing the talking in conjunction with the brain,perhaps they are so indelibly linked that people express there emotion in direct relation to the subtle state of their heart at any given interaction.its fascinating and theres something in it .maybe more than can be evaluated.very subtle energies.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisit would seem logical to associate feelings with temperature,maybe its simply primal,being engaged by someone physically does transmit warmth between each individual,perhaps its the heart organ really doing the talking in conjunction with the brain,perhaps they are so indelibly linked that people express there emotion in direct relation to the subtle state of their heart at any given interaction.its fascinating and theres something in it .maybe more than can be evaluated.very subtle energies.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisi think that to isolate the brain as the only platform for thought is missing the point here,every cell of us humans has a capacity for thought in conjunction with the whole and the feeling im getting from this is that at the centre of us as emotional beings is our heart,mental images and computations are only one part of the sensory perception,i believe the whole body thinks,including the heart,we make sense of it with our brains,but the brain does not account for the whole,its like a processor for every part or cell of us,that can be very finely tuned depending on the individual,so the descriptions such as feeling hot for a mate,or cold towards your ex,express a deeper level of consciousness that has at its centre the emotional foundation of the heart and brain in conjunction,as well as the rest to lesser or more degrees,and basically its primal in essence,with survival at the core.as for the idea of washing away your sins,thats the sort of symbolism that the higher consciousness has as its core language,were talking about infinately complex very finely tuned creatures called humans,god help us?why do we describe each other with sometimes words for our organs,like 'hes liverish'-'vent your spleen'-'heartless bastard'-'no backbone'-'spineless'etc etc.perhaps the act of washing your hands to remove guilt gives physical substance to your thoughts,that then grounds the consciousness with a physical form rather than only a thought.it creates an actual association that can be constructed as more real to you than just feelings.
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