Eavesdropping on Happiness: Well-Being Is Related to Having Less Small Talk and More Substantive Conversations
Mehl, Vazire, Holleran & Clark (2010) · Psychological Science, 21(4)
We use this paper in 1 place in the academy · 1 stated limit
What the study found
Researchers recorded people's daily conversations for a week. The happiest people had about a third less small talk and about twice as many real conversations as the least happy.
What the study cannot prove
The study found a link, not a cause, in 79 university students. It does not show that deeper conversations cause well-being.
Where we use it
We use this paper in 1 place in the academy. If the paper turned out to be wrong, we would have to change everything in this list. Some of the exercise instructions below are part of Gold. You can read every finding for free.
Other papers used in the same places
These papers are used in the same topics and videos as this one. That does not mean the papers agree with each other. It only means that the same exercises use both.
The Liking Gap in Conversations: Do People Like Us More Than We Think?
Boothby, Cooney, Sandstrom & Clark (2018)Mistakenly Seeking Solitude
Epley & Schroeder (2014)It Doesn't Hurt to Ask: Question-Asking Increases Liking
Huang, Yeomans, Brooks, Minson & Gino (2017)Overly Shallow?: Miscalibrated Expectations Create a Barrier to Deeper Conversation
Kardas, Kumar & Epley (2022)Social Interactions and Well-Being: The Surprising Power of Weak Ties
Sandstrom & Dunn (2014)Research
A real study. We tell you what it found, how many people were in it, and what it can't prove.
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