In 2014, rapper Cardi B posted a video on her social media that went viral due to the saying "a hoe never gets cold", and it turns out she was right. Scientists from the University of South Florida and Colorado College decided to test this hypothesis by conducting a study.
To be fair in their research, the scientists focused on self-objectification rather than on how sex workers are able to withstand cold temperatures. In particular, they looked into the correlation between how women look versus how they feel.
“Objectification theory posits that when women take an outsider’s perspective of their body - so when women are highly focused on how they appear externally - it reduces the amount of cognitive resources they have available to appraise their internal states”, said Roxanne Felig, a postgraduate student in social psychology at the University of South Florida.
The scientists spent five nights surveying women who attended Florida bars when the temperature was around 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit (4-10 degrees Celsius). Besides asking how cold the women felt, the researchers also took pictures of them to see how much of their skin was exposed.
After analysing the data, the scientists realised that there was no relationship between skin exposure and how cold the participants of the survey felt. According to Roxanne Felig, one of the researchers in the study, the results showed that women who are high in self-objectification didn’t feel cold.
According to Ms Felig, this happened because women were too preoccupied with thinking about how they look rather than thinking about their internal sensations. Conversely, the sensation of coldness increased in women who were low in self-objectification.
The news triggered a torrent of comments on social media, with users praising Cardi B.
According to Ms Felig, this happened because women were too preoccupied with thinking about how they look rather than thinking about their internal sensations. Conversely, the sensation of coldness increased in women who were low in self-objectification.
The news triggered a torrent of comments on social media, with users praising Cardi B.
Many users jokingly called the rapper a scientist.
Some even suggested the Grammy laureate should choose a field of research.
Others seemed to disagree with the study and wondered what it means when a person feels cold.
Still others joked about the issue.