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Warmth, Interpersonal

Interpersonal warmth is a dimension of individual differences in personality. People high on this dimension are described as warm and affectionate, whereas people low on the dimension are described as cold and indifferent. Languages around the world reflect this distinction, presumably because it is an important thing to know about people when interacting with them. This entry discusses interpersonal warmth as a dimension of personality, as a component of parent-child relationships, and as an aspect of close relationships, including romantic relationships and friendship. This entry also discusses the research on the neuropsychology of warmth, and it presents current thinking on the evolutionary functions of warmth.

Interpersonal Warmth as a Personality Dimension

Research on personality shows that people describe themselves as ranging from loving, nurturing, friendly, affectionate, agreeable, and trusting on the high end of the warmth dimension to antagonistic, cold, cruel, and suspicious on the low end. These results can be obtained by giving subjects lists of these adjectives and having them state how closely the adjective describes them; similar results are obtained if people are rated by others who know them well. People high on warmth have closer, more intimate friendships and are more likely to be trusting, cooperative, and helpful.

There is a strong sex difference in warmth, with females being higher on this dimension than are males. Girls are more prone to be involved in intimate, confiding relationships than are boys throughout development. Women also generally tend to place greater emphasis on love and personal intimacy in sexual relationships. Women are more empathic, and both sexes perceive friendships with women as closer, richer, more intimate, and more empathic. Developmentally, sex differences related to intimacy peak during the reproductive years, a finding that is compatible with the theory that a basic function of warmth is to facilitate close family relationships and nurturing children. This is consistent with the finding that later in life there is more convergence between the sexes, with men becoming more nurturing and more attracted to intimate relationships and women becoming more independent and autonomous. Nevertheless, the average sex difference in favor of women remains throughout life.

Neuropsychology of Interpersonal Warmth

Interpersonal warmth therefore is a characteristic of a wide variety of close relationships, including friendships, heterosexual or homosexual pair bonds, and relationships between parents and children. Recent work in neuropsychology shows that close relationships activate specific reward areas in the brain and the neurotransmitters oxytocin and vasopressin. People high on the warmth dimension are relatively sensitive to the reward value of close relationships. They find intimate, affectionate relationships to be highly rewarding and eagerly seek out relationships, including peer relationships of friendship, in which this stimulation is available. Because the other person in such a relationship also finds this stimulation rewarding, the relationship is characterized by reciprocal positive affective exchanges. Friends are intimate associates, and their relationships are characterized by reciprocity, commitment, cooperation, and engaging in reciprocated prosocial support, intimacy, and affection. Because of the motivating role of affection for nurturance, people high on the warmth dimension tend to be relatively empathic and altruistic, especially within friendships where these feelings and actions are reciprocated.

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