Psychologists from the University of Sussex have found a way to get rid of the fear of talking to strangers. Research results published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
286 volunteers participated in the study. Participants were required to complete 29 tasks over five days in a specially designed game – in each task, participants were asked to find a player matching the definition given in the application. So the volunteers were forced to talk to strangers. They also had to do a poll before and after the match.
The results showed that with each passing day, participants became less awkward, more confident, and less likely to expect rejection from strangers. These results were maintained for at least one week after the end of the study.
“A growing number of scientists are sounding the alarm about rising levels of loneliness with dire health consequences. Repeated experiences with strangers can reduce people’s fear of interacting with other people and make them safer,” the researchers said.