Deep Questions

A second study replicated the first — only this time, half of the pairs of participants had shallow conversations about TV, lifestyles, and haircuts while half responded to the meaningful questions. Again, participants overestimated how awkward the conversation would be and underestimated how connected they would feel. Those who answered deep questions overestimated the awkwardness significantly more than those who had shallow conversations — and ultimately felt more connected than pairings in the shallow condition.