1-s2.0-S0022103122000750-main.pdf (3.54 MB)
Talking to strangers: a week-long intervention reduces psychological barriers to social connection
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-10, 04:00 authored by Gillian M Sandstrom, Erica J Boothby, Gus CooneyAlthough people derive substantial benefit from social connection, they often refrain from talking to strangers because they have pessimistic expectations about how such conversations will go (e.g., they believe they will be rejected or not know what to say). Previous research has attempted but failed to get people to realize that their concerns about talking to strangers are overblown. To reduce people’s fears, we developed an intervention in which participants played a week-long scavenger hunt game that involved repeatedly finding, approaching, and talking to strangers. Compared to controls, this minimal, easily replicable treatment made people less pessimistic about the possibility of rejection and more optimistic about their conversational ability—and these benefits persisted for at least a week after the study ended. Daily reports revealed that people’s expectations grew more positive and accurate by the day, emphasizing the importance of repeated experience in improving people’s attitudes toward talking with strangers.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Journal of Experimental Social PsychologyISSN
0022-1031Publisher
ElsevierExternal DOI
Volume
102Page range
1-12Department affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2022-06-23First Open Access (FOA) Date
2022-08-18First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2022-06-20Usage metrics
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