A recent study has a soothing message for everyone who has ever been hesitant to text or email pals they haven't seen in a while: They'll probably enjoy it more than you think.
In a series of studies involving close to 6,000 adults, researchers discovered that, generally speaking, respondents underestimated the benefits of "reaching out" to a friend they hadn't spoken to in a while.
It turns out that recipients valued the little act—often just a message to say hello—more than the sender had anticipated.
The results, according to experts, aren't very surprising:
Knowing that someone is considering you and cares enough to check in is comforting, after all.
But according to researcher Peggy Liu, it's interesting how frequently the individual who is reaching out underestimates the effect that can result from doing so.
Why don't we engage in social interactions more frequently if we know that they improve our wellbeing?
Professor Liu, an adjunct at the University of.
She mentioned that there might be a variety of factors, including busy schedules. Liu added, "But one reason might be that we underappreciate how much it will be valued.
According to the study, when a text or email truly surprises the recipient—say, when it comes from a more casual friend—it may be most appreciated.
Liu believes the lesson of the tale is simple: If a friend or acquaintance comes to mind, why not let them know?
"Sending a text message to say, "I was just thinking about you," is not that expensive. What's up? "She spoke.
The results came from 13 research involving American people of varying ages, which were published online on July 11 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
In the majority, participants were instructed to identify a friend they were friendly with but had not spoken to in person or online and to reach out to them. That required either sending a brief note or a message together with a small present, such as a bag of cookies or coffee.
Senders rated how much they thought the gesture would be appreciated, and researchers followed up with recipients to find out how much they actually did.
Liu's team discovered a recurring pattern: Senders typically overestimated the significance of their gesture. Liu noted that this was especially true.
According to James Maddux, a senior researcher at the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, the findings are consistent with research on other forms of social connection.
He noted that research has shown that people frequently underestimate the response they will receive if they make small talk with an unfamiliar person.
Take a chance, is what I think these results mean, he added. It's likely to be highly accepted.
The study did focus on a particular scenario: people in healthy relationships who have simply lost touch, as opposed to partnerships that broke down due to a disagreement. Liu noted that a text message might not be properly received in the latter scenario.
People have always lost touch with merely acquaintances as a result of duties and life changes. However, according to Liu, the epidemic has changed a lot of people's schedules, so they might still be missing out on friends and acquaintances they used to see frequently.
She asserted, "I believe these findings may now be much more pertinent."
How significant are these brief instances of positivity connection?
They can serve as "emotional sustenance," according to Maddux, and other study suggests they improve wellbeing.
We frequently underestimate the effect they also have on us, he observed.
But even these brief encounters with total strangers have the power to uplift us.