Porsches are worth big money. The “costs” for hugs are more of a social calculation.
I expect that the act of taking a small social good that would not normally be available, or even allowed, but is being offered for free, feels subtly wrong.
“Why would this person give me X for free?” Makes us feel uncomfortable. We feel we are not seeing something, or perhaps freeloading. Which prompts a subconscious threat or status calculation, not a simple cost calculation.
But being able to pay for it suddenly fits a common pattern, even if the “product” (hug or conversation) is novel.
Well with that mentality this whole conversation is useless. You can't argue any perspective on a faulty premise.
Yes, it very well might be. Let’s look at the post I’m replying to:
>> If it's free, people are suspicious and judge the cost to be something implicit, generally with a higher expected cost than $1. On the other hand if you make the cost explicit, people are more comfortable.
That’s some deep psychological explanation for something when the simplest explanation could be “it was staged.” I hate to be cynical but it’s not exactly uncommon in show business!
Likewise, "free car" can come from a family or friend. So I might trust it more than a $500 beater that I'd immediately take to shop.
> If it's free, people are suspicious and judge the cost to be something implicit, generally with a higher expected cost than $1. On the other hand if you make the cost explicit, people are more comfortable.
To address your point explicitly, if someone believes the cost of a hug is higher than $1 ("higher than expected cost"), then offering one for $1 should trigger a similar suspicion in your head.
Think about it, if a stranger offered you a free Porsche, you'd rightly be suspicious. Would you be less suspicious if they offered that same car for $500?