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2010-11-05 11:39:34
Thu Nov 4, 11:47 pm ET
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Friendly discussions with other people
can help you solve common life challenges, but conversations that are
competitive in tone aren't helpful, finds a new study.
"This study shows that simply talking to other people, the way you do when
you're making friends, can provide mental benefits," lead author Oscar Ybarra,
a psychologist and researcher at the Institute for Social Research at the
University of Michigan, said in a university news release.
In this study of 192 undergraduates, the researchers examined the effect that
brief episodes of social contact had on a type of cognition called executive
function, which includes working memory, self-monitoring, and the ability to
suppress external and internal distractions. These mental processes are
essential in dealing with day-to-day problems.
Engaging in a short, 10-minute conversation in which they got to know another
person helped boost the participants' performance on a variety of cognitive
tasks. But when the conversations had a competitive tone, the participants
showed no improvement on the cognitive tasks.
The study will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Social
Psychological and Personality Science.
"We believe that performance boosts come about because some social interactions
induce people to try to read others' minds and take their perspectives on
things," Ybarra said. "And we also find that when we structure even competitive
interactions to have an element of taking the other person's perspective, or
trying to put yourself in the other person's shoes, there is a boost in
executive functioning as a result."
The findings suggest that having a friendly talk with a colleague before a big
test or presentation may prove beneficial, according to the researchers.
More information
The U.S. National Center for Learning Disabilities has more about executive
function.