Talking to Strangers: Increasing Sociality Among Strangers at Radboud University
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2023-07-07
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en
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Abstract
Minimal social interactions, such as conversations with strangers, have previously been
shown to improve well-being (Sandstrom & Dunn, 2014). The goal of the current research
was to encourage Radboud University students to initiate more conversations with strangers
on campus by means of an intervention. Study 1 (N = 74) of this paper focussed on
identifying predictors of the frequency that students interact with strangers on campus by
means of a survey. As hypothesised, flawed affective forecasting and positive mood
significantly predicted this self-reported behaviour. These results were used as a basis for
Study 2, where we designed an intervention with the goal of changing the above-mentioned
behaviour (N = 30). It was expected that the intervention would decrease worries related to
affective forecasting, self-efficacy and pluralistic ignorance and, in turn, increase the
frequency with which students initiated interactions with strangers on campus. Moreover, it
was expected that changes in interaction frequency would be associated with changes in wellbeing.
The results of Study 2 did not support these hypotheses. Thus, while the current
research identified certain factors determining how frequently RU students initiate
conversations with strangers, an intervention targeting these factors did not significantly alter
the desired behaviour. Several explanations and limitations of the current findings are
discussed.
Keywords Minimal Social Interactions, Flawed Affective Forecasting, Pluralistic
Ignorance, Self-Efficacy, Intervention
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen