primary reading flashcard
people are happier when they treat a stranger like…
a weak tie
previous studies on social interactions and happiness have focused on and overlooked
on interactions with close friends and family, largely overlooking minimal interac- tions such as the one with the barista.
after a delay, people are more likely to remember interactions with?
close others
weak ties
relationships involving less frequent contact, low emotional intensity, and limited inti- macy, such as the ones with acquaintances
Minimal social interactions, in addition to providing a hidden source of enjoyment, might provide…
cues of belonging
when humans struggle to fill the need to belong, they
experience lower physical and emo- tional well-being
minimal cues on belonging
In the same way that minimal cues can lead to people feeling excluded, it is possible that minimal cues can also lead people to feel a greater sense of belonging.
hypothesis?
- customers who treated the service provider like a weak tie, rather than a stranger, would experience more PA, and be more satisfied with their overall experience.
- social interaction would trigger feelings of belonging, which would mediate the effects of socializing on PA and satisfaction.
how were participants randomly assigned
to make their interaction with the barista either social or efficient.
‘‘social’’ condition,
participants were instructed to ‘‘have a genuine interaction with the cashier
- smile, make eye contact to establish a connection, and have a brief conversa- tion.’
‘efficient’’ condition
- make your interaction with the cashier as efficient as possible
- have your money ready, and avoid unnecessary conversa- tion.’’
what did participants complete after making their purchase
the Scale of Positive and Negative Emotions
adapted it to measure state-level affect, asking participants to ‘‘tell us how intensely you are experi- encing each of the following feelings right now’’
results
taking the time to have a social interaction with a barista at Starbucks increases people’s sense of belonging
- decreased NA
- increasing PA
- satisfaction with the Starbucks experience
- evidence that these effects were mediated by belonging.
limitations
- effects may have been driven by a decrease in belonging among those in the efficient condition, who may have felt uncomfortable with fore- going the usual social niceties
alternative explanation
- peo ple could guess that we expected them to feel greater belonging after being instructed to connect with the barista,
- creating a demand characteristic
- however, participants did not foresee that having an interaction with the barista would influence their satisfaction with their Star- bucks experience or contribute to feelings of belonging
