3
7/28/2019 Friendships Can Depend on Who You Meet First — PsyBlog http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/friendships-can-depend-on-who-you-meet-first-psyblog 1/3 14 /1 2 Friendships Can Depend on Who You Meet First — PsyBlog ww.spring.org.uk/2008/06/f riendships-can-depend-on-who-you-meet .php Was your friend one of the first people you met in a new group? PsyBlog Friendships Can Depend on Who You Meet First I VIVIDLY REMEMBER my first day at University when I was 18-years-old: not just the terror and the excitement but also the sheer, crushing weight of people I didn't know, and who didn't know me. Of course everyone was in the same boat and it wasn't long before I had made new friends. When I think back, one of my firmest friends was a guy I met at the introductory session of my course on the very first day. I wonder if there is something special about the very first people we meet in new social surroundings? Perhaps we are so relieved to find someone to talk to - an island of acceptance in a sea of strangers - that we are more likely to form a lasting bond. Or perhaps I'm making too much of it; after all, at a new job, club or society we'll probably get to meet everyone eventually. Surely the person we just happen to meet first shouldn't be more likely to become a firm friend in the long run? Nerve-wracking first day It's this question that Dr. Mitja Back and colleagues from the University of Leipzig investigated in a new study to be published in Psychological Science (Back, Schmukle & Egloff, 2008). To find out they subjected brand new psychology students to a nerve-wracking first day. At their introductory session each student was told to sit in a random seat. Then each trembling newbie had to come up to the front and briefly introduce themselves. Immediately afterwards everyone else rated that person on two scales: how much they liked them and whether they would like to get to know them more (sounds frightening for your first day!). The results showed that people liked - and wanted to be friends with - the people who were initially sat next to them. This might not be that surprising: people have had slightly more exposure to those who they were sitting next to. Or people might have felt a certain affinity for those they were sat near... One year later Fast-forward one year. The students are well settled into the course, have probably mixed extensively and now know each other much better. Surely that day one year ago when the lecturer tortured them with random seat allocations, public introductions and instant judgements can't still have an effect, can it? It absolutely did. Even after one year students who sat on the same row as each other on that very first day liked each other better than people who sat nowhere near each other. For those who sat right next to each other the level of liking was even higher.

Friendships Can Depend on Who You Meet First — PsyBlog

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Friendships Can Depend on Who You Meet First — PsyBlog

7/28/2019 Friendships Can Depend on Who You Meet First — PsyBlog

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/friendships-can-depend-on-who-you-meet-first-psyblog 1/3

14/12 Friendships Can Depend on Who You Meet First — PsyBlog

ww.spring.org.uk/2008/06/f riendships-can-depend-on-who-you-meet .php

Was your friend one of the first people you metin a new group?

PsyBlog

Friendships Can Depend on Who You Meet FirstI VIVIDLY REMEMBER my first day at University when I was 18-years-old: not just theterror and the excitement but also the sheer, crushing weight of people I didn't know,and who didn't know me.

Of course everyone was in the same boat and it wasn't long before I had made newfriends. When I think back, one of my firmest friends was a guy I met at theintroductory session of my course on the very first day.

I wonder if there is something special about the very first people we meet in newsocial surroundings? Perhaps we are so relieved to find someone to talk to - an islandof acceptance in a sea of strangers - that we are more likely to form a lasting bond.

Or perhaps I'm making too much of it; after all, at a new job, club or society we'll probably get to meet everyone eventually. Surely the person we just happen to meetfirst shouldn't be more likely to become a firm friend in the long run?

Nerve-wracking first day

It's this question that Dr. Mitja Back and colleagues from the University of Leipzig investigated in a new study to be published in Psychological Science (Back, Schmukle & Egloff, 2008). To find out they subjected brand new psychology students to a nerve-wracking first day.

At their introductory session each student was told to sit in a random seat. Then each trembling newbie had tocome up to the front and briefly introduce themselves. Immediately afterwards everyone else rated that personon two scales: how much they liked them and whether they would like to get to know them more (soundsfrightening for your first day!).

The results showed that people liked - and wanted to be friends with - the people who were initially sat next tothem. This might not be that surprising: people have had slightly more exposure to those who they were sittingnext to. Or people might have felt a certain affinity for those they were sat near...

One year later

Fast-forward one year. The students are well settled into the course, have probably mixed extensively and nowknow each other much better. Surely that day one year ago when the lecturer tortured them with random seatallocations, public introductions and instant judgements can't still have an effect, can it?

It absolutely did. Even after one year students who sat on the same row as each other on that very first day likedeach other better than people who sat nowhere near each other. For those who sat right next to each other thelevel of liking was even higher.

Page 2: Friendships Can Depend on Who You Meet First — PsyBlog

7/28/2019 Friendships Can Depend on Who You Meet First — PsyBlog

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/friendships-can-depend-on-who-you-meet-first-psyblog 2/3

14/12 Friendships Can Depend on Who You Meet First — PsyBlog

ww.spring.org.uk/2008/06/f riendships-can-depend-on-who-you-meet .php

This study suggests that in a new social situation it really does matter who you happen to meet first. So, whenmeeting a new bunch of people, be careful who you approach first, or who you are approached by: you could bestuck with them for a long time!

[Image credit: Fanboy30 ]

How the Mind Reveals Itself in Everyday Activities

→ This post is part of a series on how the mind reveals itself in everyday activities :

Why Familiarity Really Does Breed ContemptDo You Challenge Queue-Jumpers and Line-Cutters?Weather Has Little Effect on MoodSuperstitious? Why Even Rational People Hate to Tempt FateAsk For Help: Why People Are Twice as Likely to Assist as You Think Would You Ask Someone to Pick up Their Dog’s Poop?Friendships Can Depend on Who You Meet First

Mondays Are Not As Depressing As You Think 40% Experienced Paranoid Thoughts on Virtual JourneyThe Over-Interpretation of DreamsWhy People’s Names Are So Hard to Remember Does The Weather Affect Your Mood?How Much Do You ‘Zone Out’ While Reading?

1

TweetTweet

5

How to Be Creative

45

Like

Page 3: Friendships Can Depend on Who You Meet First — PsyBlog

7/28/2019 Friendships Can Depend on Who You Meet First — PsyBlog

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/friendships-can-depend-on-who-you-meet-first-psyblog 3/3

14/12

ww.spring.org.uk/2008/06/f riendships-can-depend-on-who-you-meet .php

If we can all be creative, why is it so hard to come up with truly original ideas?

It's because creativity is mysterious. Just ask any scientist, artist, writer or other highly creative person to explainhow they come up with brilliant ideas and, if they're honest, they don't really know.

But over the decades psychologists have given ordinary participants countless tests, forms and tasks andconducted hundreds of hours of interviews. From these emerge the psychological conditions of creativity.

Not what you should do, but how you should be...

Click here to find out more...

Published: 5 June 2008

Text: © All rights reserved.

Images: Creative Commons License

PsyBlog uses Wordpress and a customised Thesis theme .