Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it...
Transcript of Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it...
![Page 1: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Talking to Strangers: Why you don’t do it, and why you should
Gillian M. Sandstrom
University of Essex @GillianSocial
![Page 2: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Negative → Positive
![Page 3: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Negative → Positive
![Page 4: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Need to belong
• Fundamental need (Baumeister & Leary, 1995)
– Lack of belonging has negative impact on health, adjustment and well-being
• Elevated blood pressure
• Alienation
• Aggression
![Page 5: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Need to belong
• “First, there is a need for frequent, affectively pleasant interactions with a few other people”
• “Second, these interactions must take place in the context of a temporally stable and enduring framework of affective concern for each other's welfare”
![Page 6: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
6
![Page 7: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
• 6 daily measures
– Counted all interactions with clickers
– Reported # interactions, well-being (online survey)
7
Daily weak tie interactions
![Page 8: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
8
Daily weak tie interactions
• Weak tie interactions matter
– People with higher average # of weak tie interactions reported
• Greater happiness
• Greater belonging
– On days when people interacted with more weak ties than usual
• Greater happiness
• Greater belonging
![Page 9: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Talking to the barista
9 Sandstrom & Dunn (2014), SPPS
Social Have a genuine interaction with the cashier – smile, make eye contact to establish a connection, and have a brief conversation
Efficient Make your interaction with the cashier as efficient as possible – have your money ready, and avoid unnecessary conversation
![Page 10: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
5.5
Positive affect Negative affect Satisfaction withexperience
Belonging
SocialN=29
EfficientN=31
Talking to the barista
10
**
*
+
*
Sandstrom & Dunn (2014), SPPS
![Page 11: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
11
![Page 12: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
12
![Page 13: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Fear categories
• Fears involving the self
– Fears about how they will behave
– Fears about how they will feel
• Fears involving the partner
– Fears about how their partner will behave
– Fears about how their partner will perceive them
• Fears involving the conversation
– Fears about the mechanics of having a conversation
– Fears about how the conversation will go
13
![Page 14: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Fear categories
14
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
How I willbehave
How I willfeel
Howpartner will
behave
Howpartner will
perceiveme
Convomechanics
Convo flow
WorkshopN=38
Fears lab studyN=87
Dialogue,competenceN=56
Dialogue,similarityN=50
![Page 15: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Individual differences
• Social curiosity
• Openness
• Conscientiousness
• Extraversion 15
• Interaction anxiety
• Neuroticism
![Page 16: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Top 5 Fears
1. Conversation will be awkward/mechanical/ forced
2. They will feel awkward/embarrassed/ nervous/self-conscious
3. They don’t know how to keep a conversation going
4. Their partner will talk too little
5. They will talk too little
16
![Page 17: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Next steps
• Understand how common these fears are across different situations:
– Talking to a similar stranger
– Talking to a stranger who is a different ethnicity
– Talking to a stranger who is a wheelchair user
– Talking to a friend who has been diagnosed with cancer
– Talking to a friend who has lost their spouse
17
![Page 18: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Are their fears accurate?
18
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
How I willbehave
How I willfeel
How theywill behave
How theywill perceive
me
Convomechanics
Convo flow
Before
AfterN=223
![Page 19: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Do their fears decrease?
19
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
How I willbehave
How I willfeel
How theywill behave
How theywill
perceiveme
Convomechanics
Convo flow
Before talkingPredicted
After talkingActual
After talkingPredictedN=79
![Page 20: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Do their fears decrease?
20
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
How I willbehave
How I willfeel
How theywill behave
How theywill
perceiveme
Convomechanics
Convo flow
Before talkingPredicted
After talkingActual
After talkingPredictedN=79
![Page 21: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Do their fears decrease?
21
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
How I willbehave
How I willfeel
How theywill behave
How theywill
perceiveme
Convomechanics
Convo flow
Before talkingPredicted
After talkingActual
After talkingPredictedN=79
![Page 22: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
22
Talking at an art exhibit
![Page 23: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
23
Talking at an art exhibit
Babs Thea
![Page 24: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
24
Talking at an art exhibit
**
**
n.s.
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
Positiveaffect
Negativeaffect
Connection:exhibit
Connection:Tate
Connection:others at the
exhibit
Connection:people, in
general
TalkN=346
No talkN=344
+
+
**
![Page 25: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
25
Talking at an art exhibit
**
**
n.s.
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
Positiveaffect
Negativeaffect
Connection:exhibit
Connection:Tate
Connection:others at the
exhibit
Connection:people, in
general
TalkN=346
No talkN=344
+
+
**
![Page 26: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
Talking at an art exhibit: Volunteers
• Time 1 survey: before training
– Personality: social curiosity, interaction anxiety
– Expectations about conversations
• Time 2 survey: after study ended
– Personality: social curiosity, interaction anxiety
– Reflections about conversations
26
![Page 27: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
Talking at an art exhibit: Volunteers
27
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
Socialcuriosity
Interactionanxiety
Competent/capable
Inadequate Conversationinteresting
Enjoyconversation
Pre-study
Post-studyN=10+
![Page 28: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
Talking at an art exhibit: Volunteers
28
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
Meta-perception:Conversation interesting
Meta-perception:Enjoyed talking
Pre-study
Post-studyN=10
+
*
![Page 29: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
Next steps
• British Academy small research grant
• Use a scavenger hunt app to gamify talking to strangers
• Test whether people’s fears decrease over time (and remain lower)
29
![Page 30: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
Counteracting fears
• Field study asking people to talk to a stranger
• Before the interaction, do an intervention that targets fear
• Test whether the intervention:
– Reduces worries before the interaction
– Increases enjoyment of the interaction
30
![Page 31: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
Counteracting fears
31
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Fears before Fears after
InstructionsN=30
No instructionsN=30
**
![Page 32: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
32
Next steps
• Are people less worried before an interaction, and do they enjoy an interaction more, when:
• They are asked to approach someone similar vs. dissimilar (undergrad project)
• They are prompted to notice something distinctive about the person vs. not (Masters project)
• They are provided with social support vs. not (Masters project)
![Page 33: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
Acts of Kindness
33
![Page 34: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
Acts of Kindness
34
![Page 35: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
Acts of Kindness
• Make someone feel welcome
• Put someone at ease
• Listen to someone
• Show someone that they matter
35
![Page 36: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/36.jpg)
Next steps
• Provide a selfish or a prosocial motivation for talking to strangers
– Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger
– Test whether it changes the experience of talking to a stranger (e.g., more enjoyable?)
– Test whether it makes people more likely to talk to strangers
36
![Page 37: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/37.jpg)
37
![Page 38: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/38.jpg)
38
![Page 39: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/39.jpg)
Acknowledgements
39
Study Awesome collaborators
Starbucks Liz Dunn Too many research assistants to mention!
How to Talk to Strangers workshops Talk to Me (Ann Don Bosco, Polly Ackhurst) ESRC Festival of Social Science
Tate Louise French, Frances Robinson, Annie Bedford
Counteracting fears Hajra Hussain
Lots of fantastic undergraduate volunteers via the Research Experience Scheme
![Page 40: Talking to Strangers - Campaign to End Loneliness · talking to strangers –Test whether it reduces fears/improves expectations before talking to a stranger –Test whether it changes](https://reader033.fdocuments.net/reader033/viewer/2022052018/6031c7d70d1263113c4a13b9/html5/thumbnails/40.jpg)
Thank you!
40
I’d love to talk about: - ways to apply this research - research that you’d like to see done - collaboration ideas etc.