A theory of social thermoregulation in human primates

Abstract

Beyond breathing, the regulation of body temperature—thermoregulation—is one of the most pressing concerns for many animals. A dysregulated body temperature has dire consequences for survival and development. Despite the high frequency of social thermoregulation occurring across many species, little is known about the role of social thermoregulation in human (social) psychological functioning. We outline a theory of social thermoregulation and reconsider earlier research on people’s expectations of their social world (i.e., attachment) and their prediction of the social world. We provide support and outline a research agenda that includes consequences for individual variation in self-regulatory strategies and capabilities. In our paper, we discuss physiological, neural, and social processes surrounding thermoregulation. Emphasizing social thermoregulation in particular, we appeal to the economy of action principle and the hierarchical organization of human thermoregulatory systems. We close with future directions of a crucial aspect of human functioning: the social regulation of body temperature.

Helping Others, Warming Yourself: Altruistic Behaviors Increase Warmth Feelings of the Ambient Environment

“…This has been supported by earlier studies on development and attachment (e.g., Harlow, 1958) as well as by a recent model of thermoregulation (IJzerman et al, 2015a). Feeling of warmth could be a source of security (Harlow, 1958) and individuals could use feeling of warmth as an indicator of social resources (IJzerman et al, 2015a). Research on winter depression implied that lack of warmth could be a threat to mental health (e.g., Molin et al, 1996).…”

“…In the current research, we explored the effects of altruistic behaviors on individuals’ physical feelings, focusing in particular on warmth. Warmth is a fundamental need to humans and other primates (e.g., Harlow, 1958; IJzerman et al, 2015a). Moreover, warmth perception of the ambient environment is a typical variable that links the psychological and physical worlds.…”

“…Recently, IJzerman et al (2015a) proposed a social thermoregulation model. According to this model, thermoregulation is costly for a single individual; therefore, social interactions (e.g., bodily contact) are vital and economic for animals to maintain proper body temperatures.…”

Relationships and Health: The Critical Role of Affective Science

“…Indeed, an economy of scale applied to the regulation of core body temperature may have resulted in the evolution of endothermy-"warm bloodedness"-via the sharing of body heat during social huddling (IJzerman et al, 2015). Recent research even hints at a neural mechanism: the brain's ability to construe familiar others as if those others are extensions of the self .…”

Augmenting Smart Buildings and Autonomous Vehicles with Wearable Thermal Technology

“…Thermal sensations, however, can offer occupants much more meaningful interactions than just notifications. For example, experiencing localized thermal sensations can influence the experience of emotions [6,8,9] and personal comfort (See Section 4). [5] Integrating wearable thermal technology with smart environments unlocks new potential value through these relationships between temperature and human psychophysiology.…”