%A Schneider,Iris K. %A Parzuchowski,Michal %A Wojciszke,Bogdan %A Schwarz,Norbert %A Koole,Sander L. %D 2015 %J Frontiers in Psychology %C %F %G English %K weight,embodiment,importance,Judgment,relevance,metaphor,social cognition,Digital data %Q %R 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01536 %W %L %M %P %7 %8 2015-January-08 %9 Original Research %+ Dr Iris K. Schneider,Mind and Society Center, University of Southern California,Los Angeles, CA, USA,schneider.ik@gmail.com %+ Dr Iris K. Schneider,Department of Psychology, University of Southern California,Los Angeles, CA, USA,schneider.ik@gmail.com %+ Dr Iris K. Schneider,Department of Clinical Psychology, VU University Amsterdam,Amsterdam, Netherlands,schneider.ik@gmail.com %# %! Importance Information Influences Estimated Weight %* %< %T Weighty data: importance information influences estimated weight of digital information storage devices %U https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01536 %V 5 %0 JOURNAL ARTICLE %@ 1664-1078 %X Previous work suggests that perceived importance of an object influences estimates of its weight. Specifically, important books were estimated to be heavier than non-important books. However, the experimental set-up of these studies may have suffered from a potential confound and findings may be confined to books only. Addressing this, we investigate the effect of importance on weight estimates by examining whether the importance of information stored on a data storage device (USB-stick or portable hard drive) can alter weight estimates. Results show that people thinking a USB-stick holds important tax information (vs. expired tax information vs. no information) estimate it to be heavier (Experiment 1) compared to people who do not. Similarly, people who are told a portable hard drive holds personally relevant information (vs. irrelevant), also estimate the drive to be heavier (Experiments 2A,B).