AP31976

Science Prompt: Why talking to strangers more often can be good for you

Experiments conducted by behavioral scientists, Nicholas Epley and Juliana Schroeder, have led to the belief that most people actually feel more happy and accomplished when having conversation with individuals they have never met. The experiment involved one hundred participants and were divided into three different groups. The first group was told the strike up conversation, the second was told to be silent, and the third was told to carry on like they normally would and everyone was told to predict what mood these aspects would put them in beforehand. The first group said conversing with strangers would put them in a bad mood but after the experiment they claimed to feel happy and more energetic and the second group claimed to feel unproductive. So why doesn't everyone converse with strangers? This is because of pluralistic ignorance: when most people privately reject a norm but assume everyone else still accepts it. (Engelking). This experiment seems plausible but I don't believe this applies to everyone. For instance, some people feel more pleasure from not talking to strangers. It will vary based on the individual's cognitive abilities (Wood 218).

References:

Wood, Samuel E. and Ellen Green Wood. "Mastering the World of Psychology". Pearson. Second Custom Edition. 2011. Print

Engelking, Carl. "You'd be happier if you talked to strangers more often". Discover. July 16, 2014. Web

Only graders edit below this line!

Grader #1: 1406235889] Grader #2: [sign here]1406318118 Grader #3: 1406319003] Grader #4: 1406387577 Grader #5: 1406389260 =Grading Form= media type="custom" key="25032734"