Warm fuzzies in a cup

A hot cup of joe generates warm fuzzy feelings.

Starbucks was onto something when they handed out free cups of java on election day. The outcome certainly generated a worldwide wave of bonhomie.

In a small way, coffee may have had something to do with it. Yale University psychologists reporting in the journal Science say that just holding a hot cup of coffee is enough to generate goodwill towards others.

The researchers randomly assigned undergrads to hold either a cup of hot coffee or iced coffee and then review a packet of information about an individual to assess that person’s personality traits. Students who had clutched a warm cup of joe deemed the individual “warm”  (i.e., more generous and caring) while those who had held iced coffee were less magnanimous. 

In a follow-up study to gauge the effect of temperature on behavior, the researchers asked volunteers to hold either a hot or cold therapeutic pack and then choose between a gift certificate for a friend or a token for themselves. Sure enough, volunteers who had cuddled up to a heated pad were far more likely to opt for the gift certificate.

Hmmm…I know a cup (or three) of Peets Arabian Mocha-Java (sorry, Starbucks, it’s my fave) sets me up for a good day. Of course, if tea is your brew, you’ll still reap the feel-good benefits of holding a hot cup as opposed to the iced version.