High-quality listening behaviors linked to social connection between strangers.

ABSTRACT: Despite the urgent need to improve social connection, practical evidence-based recommendations on how to do so during daily interactions are lacking. One key behavior theorized to facilitate social connection is high-quality listening, yet behavioral evidence is limited. Across two pre-registered studies, we tested whether observed high-quality listening behaviors during conversations between strangers are associated with behavioral and subjective markers of social connection, and whether listening behaviors account for the effectiveness of simple interventions aimed at increasing social connection. Pairs of strangers conversed in either a 10-minute semi-structured conversation ("deep talk"; Study 1) or a brief, "small talk" opportunity (Study 2) following a randomized social connectedness

SUBMITTER: West TN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12638239 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature