Research shows that engaging in short friendly conversations boosts people’s performance on a variety of cognitive tasks.
A study in 2011 by researchers at the University of Michigan tested 192 undergraduates to determine which types of social interaction helped and which didn’t.
The researchers concluded that engaging in short conversations where participants were instructed to get to know one another boosted their performance on various cognitive tasks.
When participants engaged in competitive conversations, their performance on cognitive tasks showed no improvement.
Are you surprised? I am a little, but it tallies with my gut feeling in my Knowledge Cafés.
We must establish a personal connection with each other.
Connection before content.
Without relatedness, no work can occur.
The implication? At the start of any meeting or workshop, it makes sense to spend a little time in friendly conversation.
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Detailed Resources
- Article: Embodied Cognition by Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2021)
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