I don't like small talk or talking to strangers as much as the next person reading this comment – but since I dove into this research, I've made an effort to include more human interactions in my everyday, and it's not as terrifying as you may think! From networking events to parties or even hanging out at a cafe, there are lots of places where you either *have to* or have the opportunity for conversation. I hope these how to tips give you a little more to work with. Go forth and communicate wisely.
REFERENCES 📚
The Liking Gap
Boothby, E. J., Cooney, G., Sandstrom, G. M., & Clark, M. S. (2018). The liking gap in conversations: do people like us more than we think?. Psychological science, 29(11), 1742-1756.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30183512
Speed-Dating Study
Huang, K., Yeomans, M., Brooks, A. W., Minson, J., & Gino, F. (2017). It doesn’t hurt to ask: Question-asking increases liking. Journal of personality and social psychology, 113(3), 430.
https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=52115
Small talk leads to a boost in happiness:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1948550613502990
Sandstrom, G. M., & Dunn, E. W. (2014). Is efficiency overrated? Minimal social interactions lead to belonging and positive affect. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 5(4), 437-442.
You may like it more than you think:
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-28833-001
Mimicry:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1348/000712609X465424