by Thalma Lobel
I would like to see more studies employ new technologies, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, in order to view the machinery of the mind—the brain—in action, to map brain activities related to speech and action and help further confirm the links between the body and the mind.
Another way to expand the findings is to investigate the myriad influences of virtual reality that we are increasingly exposed to. Nowadays more and more activities take place in the virtual environment as we sit in rooms, sometimes without much light, gazing at the screens of our computers, tablet computers, or smartphones. A growing proportion of our social and financial activities takes place in virtual environments, a trend that is only rising. Increasingly, our retail purchases are made online,I while physical visits to the bank are becoming less and less necessary as we execute financial transactions online. These changes hold true not only for financial activities but also for our social activities. Today we interact via social networks such as Facebook, dating websites, and various social, support, and discussion groups, all via the Internet. Future studies need to investigate how the physical dimensions of these virtual environments influence our decisions, behaviors, and emotions.
Take banks, for example. The bank presents various options for investments, savings, and loans, and it uses physical characteristics, such as color and vertical positioning, to influence our decisions. When a bank wants to interest you in a particular loan or investment, it might present the information in a poster that depicts a floating balloon or a heavy metal lockbox or safe. Such a weight-related cue can work both ways. If the bank offer is for an investment, then the depiction of weight influences us to believe it is safe and sure. An investment offer depicted as floating away on a balloon is unlikely to be persuasive. An offer concerning a loan that will not weigh us down but allow us to float toward a goal might influence us to take it seriously, while a heavy image for a loan could put us off.
Our virtual environments also alter our physical behavior. For example, we enlarge the letters on our digital tablets and iPhone screens by touching the screen with two fingers of one hand and moving them apart. The growing universality of this action might create a new representation of the concepts of large and small. Just recently I saw a child looking at a book and making this movement above the page in order to try to enlarge the picture; she was surprised when her action had no effect.
We’ve only just begun to understand the tantalizing web of embodied connections that plug us into our environments. This book is a modest attempt to build upon this knowledge and open new roads into yet undiscovered territory. The findings have important implications and can help us in both our professional and our personal lives. We may use what we have learned from these studies in our interactions with our spouses, children, friends, coworkers, and bosses; and for negotiations, job interviews, first dates, and important talks with family members or our children’s teachers.
The beauty of these findings is that they apply to virtually everyone. Once you become aware of these influences and the power of metaphors, you can use them for your benefit. As you’ve learned, some are positive and helpful, but some can be misleading. Sweet-loving people can be kinder than others, for instance, but not all clean, bright, powerful people whom we look up to are worthy of our trust. Pay attention to your senses’ input and evaluate it. Your attunement to what your senses tell you will give you physical intelligence—otherwise, your senses will yield only data. Armed with this new awareness, you may avoid being swayed by previously unconscious metaphorical associations in your judgments and evaluations of others.
With new awareness of these associations, you’ll find that you pay more attention to environmental factors, such as color, temperature, and texture. You can see them with new eyes. You can even speak a new language—that of embodied metaphor. I hope that this new physical intelligence will add to your enjoyment of life.
Environmental cues are everywhere. And you are now equipped to explore them further with your new physical intelligence.
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I In 2012, U.S. e-commerce sales amounted to $289 billion, and they are projected to reach $361.9 billion in 2016 (http://www.statista.com/topics/871/online-shopping/).
Acknowledgments
I have always wanted to write a book for the general public that would help people better understand what influences our behavior, thoughts, and emotions. For thirty years I have conducted and published studies in scientific journals, but writing this book was a totally different journey that I could not have completed without the help of a number of people.
I am deeply indebted to my agent, Lindsay Edgecombe, of the Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. She is the best literary agent a writer could ever hope to work with. Talented, extremely smart, and perceptive, Lindsay offered the most valuable suggestions. This book would not have been possible without her guidance and assistance. She saw the potential in my proposal, believed in this book, fine-tuned its focus, and directed me every step of the way.
My editor at Atria, Leslie Meredith, believed in the book when she first saw the proposal, and her editorial input was enormously helpful. Leslie is a great editor with a sharp, critical eye. With her excellent editorial skills, insightful comments, and suggestions, she improved the book tremendously and gave it its final polish. I also thank Donna Loffredo, the associate editor; Ariele Fredman, my publicist; and the fine staff at Simon & Schuster who helped in so many different ways.
David Angeloff and Ben Ehrlich made invaluable contributions to the book. They are both extremely talented and intelligent, and offered insightful and valuable suggestions as well as comments that sharpened the writing. Thank you, David and Ben.
I was fortunate to have two terrific students, Lior Kalay-Shahin and Allon Cohen. They are the best students a professor could ever wish for—talented, intelligent, creative, and enthusiastic. The three of us became a team and held countless lengthy discussions about the ideas and studies presented in this book. Lior helped me in so many different ways, read the book, and offered extremely valuable feedback. Both Lior and Allon brought creativity and joy into our work. Thank you both.
Ofri Katz, Harvey Frenkiel, Nina Davis, Uri Yariv, and Danny Yagil helped in many different ways.
I wish to thank the researchers who conducted many of the creative and interesting studies I report in the book. I have met some of them and have corresponded with others, or have simply read their work. I also wish to thank the many students who took my courses in recent years and contributed their insights and suggestions.
I am grateful to my late parents, Dora and Hillel Jacobson. My mother inspired me; she always encouraged me to follow my dreams and conveyed this message very clearly. My father was forever supportive of me in every possible way.
Special thanks to my friends Ruli Arnon, Irit Shavit, Debbie Morag, Anat Savidor, and Nira Preiskel. Loyal and close to my heart, all were keenly interested in the process of writing this book. I also wish to thank my colleagues and friends who worked with me for years and were always a source of support—Yona Teichman, Amiram Raviv, Danny Algom, and Dov Shmotkin.
I want to conclude with the most important people in my life, my family, for their unwavering support. My amazing children Orly and Dory encouraged me to fulfill my dream to write this book, and provided advice when I needed it. Each of them has achieved greatness and success in their respective careers while managing to raise beautiful families. They inspire me and are a continuous influence and light in my life. While I was writing this book, I often imagined what my son Dani would have said about various ideas.
My son-in-law On Amir, my daughter-in-law Keren Kohen-Lobel, my brother Raffi Jacobson, and his partner Rick Sylvester were always wonderfully supportive.
My granddaughters Danielle, Elinor, Natalie, and Dean are endless sources of joy. Their childlike innocence and sense of wonder motivates me to write and explore.
Last but not least, I want to thank my husband, David Lobel, for al
ways believing in me, supporting me, and being there for me. For understanding my passion for my work, for tolerating and never complaining about the long hours I spent in front of the computer—including the times I should have been relaxing with him. Thank you, David.
—Thalma Lobel
December 2013
THALMA LOBEL, PhD, is an internationally recognized psychologist and director of the child development center at Tel Aviv University, where she was previously a member of the executive board of Tel Aviv University and chair of the psychology department. She has been a visiting professor at Harvard and a visiting scholar at Tufts, the University of California at San Diego, and New York University. She divides her time between Tel Aviv and Southern California.
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Notes
Introduction: The Tangled Web Our Senses Weave
1. L. E. Williams and J. A. Bargh (2008). Experiencing physical warmth promotes interpersonal warmth. Science, 322 (5901), 606–7.
Chapter 1. Wanna Grab a Drink? How Temperature Affects Us
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9. Williams and Bargh. Experiencing physical warmth promotes interpersonal warmth.
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Chapter 2. Smooth Operators and Rough Customers: Texture
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7. J. M. Ackerman, C. C. Nocera, and J. A. Bargh (2010). Incidental haptic sensations influence social judgments and decisions. Science, 328 (5986), 1712–15.
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Chapter 3. Don’t Take This Lightly: The Importance of Weight
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5. M. L. Slepian, E. J. Masicampo, N. R. Toosi, and N. Ambady (2012). The physical burdens of secrecy. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 141 (4), 619–24.
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Chapter 4. Slow Down, Red Ahead: Red and Performance
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6. M. J. Attrill, K. A. Gresty, R. A. Hill, and R. A. Barton (2008). Red shirt colour is associated with long-term team success in English football. Journal of Sports Sciences, 26 (6), 577–82.
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9. A. Ilie, S. Ioan, L. Zagrean, and M. Moldovan (2008). Better to be red than blue in virtual competition. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 11 (3), 375–77.