ABSTRACT Dating apps are designed to facilitate partner-seeking, yet they can also expose users to various forms of social exclusion. Previous research has primarily focused on ghosting experiences (i.e., others disappearing without notice). However, little is known about the effects of more explicit forms of social exclusion, such as being removed from another user’s match list after initial selection (i.e., unmatched). Addressing this research gap, we conducted two pre-registered 2 (dating experience: dissolving vs. maintaining the match) × 2 (chat history: small talk vs. planning a date) between-subjects experiments. After selecting the most appealing profile in a simulated dating environment, participants (S1: N = 252, M age = 25.19; 49% female, S2: N = 259, M age = 25.78, 45% female) saw a chat conversation with “My Match,” who either dissolved the match at different stages or not. Receiving unmatching notifications significantly threatened fundamental needs (i.e., belonging, self-esteem, meaningful existence, and control), increased negative affect, and evoked ruminative thoughts. Moreover, being unmatched (vs. not) led to less prosocial and more withdrawal coping preferences. These findings strengthen our understanding of social exclusion in online dating and highlight that explicit rejection—despite removing uncertainty about whether the relationship has ended—elicits negative consequences.

Background: There is a Saying that “focus on how to be social, not how to do social.” Its means focusing on genuine connection, empathy, and meaningful interaction, rather than just “doing social” activities like attending parties or small talk, which often focus on performance or obligation. Usage of social media impact on people mentally and physically that drain their activity of day-to-day life. Methods: Non experimental approach with descriptive correlation survey research design was used for the study to accomplice the objectives. Social networking usage questionaries scale and social networking addiction scale on lifestyle. A sample of 120 adolescents as selected by stratified proportionate random sampling technique. The data collected and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Assessment of usage of social media among adolescents reveals that the majority (85%) of the adolescents had a moderate usage, (15%) of adolescents who had a high usage and no any adolescents had a low usage of social media. Assessment of the social media impact of the adolescents revels that majority (70.83%) have moderate impact, (25%) of adolescents who had higher impact and (4.16%) of adolescents had a low impact of social media. A negative correlation (-0.235) found between usage of social media and its impact on lifestyle. The finding regarding association between usage of social media of adolescents with their selected socio demographic variables shows that significant association was found between social media usage and sex, father of occupation (X2=0.0434), (X2=0.0358). Their is no significant association was found between social networking addiction scale on lifestyle and social networking usage questionarie with their socio demographic variables. Conclusion: The overall findings of the study revealed that there was a negative correlation found between social media usage and its impact on lifestyle among adolescents.

Abstract We show experimentally that a very brief face-to-face conversation, or small talk, with a potential trading partner can serve a contracting function by enhancing trust and strengthening cooperative norms. Specifically, participants engaged in 3-min video calls with no agenda before playing Hold Up and Stag Hunt games. Despite having no prior knowledge of the games, the calls positively impacted trust, cooperation, and efficiency: there was more investment and less stealing in the Hold Up games, and participants more frequently reached the efficient equilibrium in a second, surprise Stag Hunt game when they talked after the first game. Our findings suggest that some players who had the opportunity to hold up others changed their preferences, and some who risked being held up changed their beliefs. Beyond alleviating contractual incompleteness, these results help explain why small talk pervades human interaction—from high-stakes business deals to casual professional encounters and beyond (JEL D02, D86, D91).

ABSTRACT People living with dementia face challenges in communication and social interactions. Nursing staff play a crucial role in shaping their socialization. Understanding the components of dementia care interactions is crucial for enhancing Relationship-Centered Care (RCC). This study provides an inventory of the key components of the interaction between dyads of nursing home residents with dementia and nursing assistants. Data were collected from two dyads through observations and analyzed with thematic analysis with an inductive approach. Following the observations, one-to-one interviews with the nursing assistants took place to provide supporting material to the observation results. Thematic analysis identified 12 distinct interaction patterns between professionals and individuals with dementia such as comforting language, describing the care provided, making small talk and using elderspeak during the care interaction. Rather than being rigidly categorized, these behaviors can be understood along two overarching spectrums: Offering or Withholding Autonomy, Promoting or Impeding Relationships. The degree to which each behavior pattern is aligned with each end of the spectrum can depend on contextual factors such as timing, and the residents’ response. Training for nursing assistants needs to focus on enhancing RCC behaviors during dementia care, and work environments should prioritize flexible schedules allowing nursing assistants to create meaningful relationships with individuals with dementia living in nursing homes.

This study explores small talk in modern British and American fictional discourse, focusing on the ways in which communicative strategies and tactics shape the interaction of characters. The aim of the research is to identify the communicative strategies of fictional small talk, with special attention to the strategy of self-presentation. The objectives are: (1) to determine the strategic guidelines that govern small talk; (2) to identify the communicative tactics employed by characters to implement the strategy of self- presentation; and (3) to describe the linguistic resources that verbalize these tactics. To meet these objectives, the study applies both general scientific and linguistic methods. Observation was used to identify characteristic features of phatic communication, while the descriptive method enabled their systematic classification. Within special linguistic methods, conversational and contextual analysis were employed, which made it possible to determine intentions of fictional characters engaged in small talk. In addition, stylistic and hermeneutic methods were used to examine the literary text. The empirical material consists of 340 episodes of fictional small talk drawn from contemporary English-language novels and films. The results reveal that participants in fictional small talk maneuver between two main strategic guidelines: (a) politeness, aimed at protecting the interlocutor’s “face,” and (b) self-presentation, aimed at portraying oneself favorably. Ten key communicative tactics of self-presentation have been identified: expressing opinion, platitude, advice, bragging, joke, quip, evasion, changing the subject, reporting news and rumours, and gossip. Each tactic is associated with specific linguistic markers. Expressing opinion relies on evaluative language, hedges, and rhetorical questions; platitudes are characterized by concise generalizations and formulaic expressions; advice is implemented through imperatives, modal verbs, and interrogatives; bragging employs hyperbole, intensifiers, and humble-brags; jokes exploit alogism, irony, and periphrasis; quips use sarcasm, emphatic structures, and rhetorical questions; evasion employs vagueness, hedges, and reformulations; topic change is facilitated by parenthetical words and imperatives; reporting news and rumours frequently involves verbs like hear or know in general �ues- general ques- tions; gossip relies on formulaic openers (If you ask me, Have you heard), evaluative lexis, and in-group alignment. The carried out conversational analysis shows that these tactics implement the strategy of self- presentation: some highlight individuality and competence (opinions, advice, jokes, bragging, quips), others underscore solidarity and cooperation (platitudes, gossip, news-sharing), while still others preserve tact and harmony (evasion, topic change). Thus, small talk in fictional discourse emerges not as “empty talk,” but as a strategic practice where language is mobilized to construct identity, maintain relationships, and balance personal distinctiveness with social harmony.

Despite the urgent need to improve social connection, practical evidence-based recommendations on how to do so during daily interactions are lacking. One key behavior theorized to facilitate social connection is high-quality listening, yet behavioral evidence is limited. Across two pre-registered studies, we tested whether observed high-quality listening behaviors during conversations between strangers are associated with behavioral and subjective markers of social connection, and whether listening behaviors account for the effectiveness of simple interventions aimed at increasing social connection. Pairs of strangers conversed in either a 10-minute semi-structured conversation (“deep talk”; Study 1) or a brief, “small talk” opportunity (Study 2) following a randomized social connectedness intervention (total N = 646). In Study 1, we found that the frequency of verbal listening behaviors (i.e., verbal validation, follow-up questions) predicted faster conversational response times and other markers of social connection (i.e., 3rd party observers and self- and partner-reports). Additionally, people randomized to a social connectedness intervention (vs. active control) asked their partner more follow-up questions (i.e., displayed high-quality listening behavior), which in turn, predicted increased social connection. We replicated and extended Study 1 to small talk conversations and found global listening behaviors also predicted behavioral and partner-reported social connection. Verbal listening indicators, however, were less consistently linked to markers of social connection and no evidence emerged that the intervention increased listening behaviors during small talk. Findings suggest observable high-quality listening behaviors may be a promising route to fostering social connection and may enhance the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving social connection.

Discursive psychologists have shown how food assessments serve a variety of functions during mealtime interactions. Anthropological studies attest to the cultural significance of food and eating practices as reported through interviews and ethnographies. This study extends these literatures by studying food assessment in small talk on a social media platform. The data comprised 53 posts selected from an extended discussion on Twitter of a traditional south Indian dish which provoked a furore of media responses. Conversation and discursive psychological analysis showed how the initial food assessment was warranted and challenged by mobilising category-related knowledge and entitlement. In addition, cultural categories and humour were used to dismiss the permissibility of making an assessment. We conclude that the cultural significance of a particular food and the entitlement to assess it are practically accomplished, and that online small talk provides a useful context to study how and thereby make a novel contribution to the literature.

This article draws on fine-grained analyses of video recordings of service interactions at the cafe counter to revisit the notion of rapport and conceptions of the customer in interactive service. We examine customers’ agency in building rapport and how it shapes interactions with staff. The article contributes to three areas of research. For the sociology of work and employment, it sheds light on customers’ agency and pro-active contribution to service through rapport. Second, for interactive service scholarship it shifts the perspective on rapport from solely the service employees’ task, to a collaborative accomplishment, and one that customers establish as much as employees do. Lastly, the article revisits service work in third places, emphasising the staff–customer encounter’s role in the creation and maintenance of sociability. The article thereby recasts the enjoyment of conviviality in service encounters against a utilitarian backdrop.

The Introvert’s Toolkit is a practical resource designed to help passive speakers, especially introverts and non-native speakers, engage confidently in small talk. Small talks can be particularly challenging for individuals with speaking anxiety, especially introverts or non-native speakers who may feel self-conscious or overwhelmed in casual conversations. Unlike traditional modules, it recognizes diverse communication styles and offers tailored tools to support learners at different comfort levels. This makes it highly relevant to language learning and education, as it builds pragmatic competence which is the ability to use language effectively in social contexts. The module teaches key skills like turn-taking, polite expressions, intonation, and cultural awareness, all essential for real-world communication. It also supports social-emotional learning by fostering confidence, empathy, and self-awareness, while accommodating different learning styles. This inclusivity makes it especially effective for ESP courses, where professional, cross-cultural communication is key. The toolkit includes self-awareness activities, scripted conversation starters, gradual exposure tasks, and cultural sensitivity guidance. These features help reduce speaking anxiety, build soft skills, and promote emotional intelligence that supports both personal and professional growth. Aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the project promotes Quality Education (SDG 4) through inclusive learning, Decent Work (SDG 8) by preparing learners for the workforce, Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10) by empowering marginalized voices, and Peace and Strong Institutions (SDG 16) through respectful, cross-cultural dialogue. Overall, The Introvert’s Toolkit enhances communication in diverse educational and workplace settings, making it a valuable tool for inclusive, effective language education.

University students face rising mental health pressures, making restorative environmental perception (REP) in campus forests critical for psychological recovery. While environmental factors are recognized contributors, Socio-Ecological Systems (SES) theory emphasizes that environmental and social processes are interdependent. Within this context, informal social interaction (ISI)—low-effort encounters such as greetings or small talk—represent a key social dimension that may complement environmental restoration by fostering comfort and embedded affordances. However, most studies examine these factors separately, often using coarse measures that overlook heterogeneity in restorative mechanisms. This study investigates how environmental-exposure and social–environmental context dimensions jointly shape REP in campus forests, focusing on distributional patterns beyond average effects. Using a Public Participation Geographic Information Systems (PPGIS) approach, 30 students photographed 1294 tree-dominant scenes on a forest-rich campus. Environmental features were quantified via semantic segmentation, and ISI was rated alongside REP. Quantile regression estimated effects across the REP distribution. Three distributional patterns emerged. First, blue exposure and ISI acted as reliable resources, consistently enhancing REP with distinct profiles. Second, green exposure functioned as a threshold-dependent resource, with mid-quantile attenuation but amplified contributions in highly restorative scenes. Third, anthropogenic and demographic factors created conditional barriers with distribution-specific effects. Findings demonstrate that campus forest restoration operates through differentiated socio-ecological mechanisms rather than uniform pathways, informing strategies for equitable, restoration-optimized management. More broadly, the distributional framework offers transferable insights for urban forests as socio-ecological infrastructures supporting both human well-being and ecological resilience.

Purpose One of the most emerging concepts in the field of accounting knowledge, which in recent years has become a factor for connecting the public sector to achieve sustainable development in the private sector, is generational accounting, which was created to measure the relative financial burden on future generations. The purpose of this study is to draw the future scenarios of generational accounting drivers at the level of capital market companies. Design/methodology/approach This study is considered applied in terms of the type of result and from the point of view of the goal, it is placed in the hands of exploratory studies that have been carried out using quantitative and qualitative models. The present study does not follow one type of research method, but uses a separate method to answer the formulated questions according to each department. Therefore, based on the nature of collection, this study can be classified as mixed method research. The statistical population in the qualitative section includes 14 academic experts and accounting professors with professional experience in the field of accounting and financial reporting and in the quantitative part, 25 people from managers of brokerage companies and experts from vice-chancellors of different capital market sectors participated in this study. Findings The result of this study in the qualitative part indicated the existence of three categories, eight components and 38 themes as drivers of generational accounting, which was confirmed based on Delphi analysis. Then, by choosing two factors out of 8 identified components as the basis of scenario creation, nine themes identified as subfactors of scenario creation were examined. The result of the acquisition in a small part talk about the existence of four scenarios with a favorable situation, which shows that the scenario of the second quarter with the metaphorical title of “Subsidence” is the most effective suffix of generational accounting at the level of Iran’s capital market prospects. In fact, the result obtained in this study shows that the strengthening of generational accounting drivers can strengthen the possibility of increasing government support to the industry sector through transfer payments. Because the government is trying to reduce the impact of international sanctions on the industry by supporting the industry and thus strengthen the business cycle of liquidity in the economic field and prevent the stagnation of the industry and help increase the gross domestic product. Originality/value Depending on how policies are financed, the results of this study can reduce the financial burden by current or future generations, affecting future generations’ net wealth and, as a consequence, they entail intergenerational distribution. Because the results of this study can change the direction of future policies toward sustainability in resource protection and provide a more legitimate level of accounting functions in responding to the needs of stakeholders.

Small Talk

Internet-mediated communication (IMC) is an important means of communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, IMC is used in various areas, including e-commerce. Since IMC does not allow physical contact, online sellers develop communicative strategies verbally by performing phatic speech acts to maintain social bonds with their customers and avoid communication problems. The discussion of phatic speech acts as a communicative strategy in live e-commerce programmes within the cyberpragmatic approach is interesting to investigate. The study aimed to describe the types and functions of phatic speech acts performed by online sellers in live e-commerce programmes. Data were collected by observing 10 sessions of the live women's fashion sales programme on the e-commerce platform Shopee. All utterances of online female sellers that contained phatic speech acts were transcribed for textual analysis. The analysis was conducted within the framework of the cyberpragmatic approach introduced by Yus (2011). The types of phatic speech acts used by online saleswomen were categorised as greetings, familiarisers, camaraderie intensifiers, and persuasive force. Each type has a specific function. Greetings are those that introduce and close the show, while familiarisers are a strategy for building intimacy with customers. Camaraderie intensifiers such as compliments, jokes, and small talk are significant to maintaining rapport. Persuasive force functioned to intensify customers' trust in the product. The aim of the study was to formulate a model for effective communication strategies in e-commerce for online sellers. Keywords: Phatic, communicative strategies, cyberpragmatics, online sellers, e-commerce.

To explore aspects of interpersonal relationships in palliative care nursing, focusing on confidential conversations between patients and registered nurses (RN). A qualitative study employing focused ethnography. Data were collected through unstructured participant observations, field notes and interviews with patients and RN in specialist palliative care. Data were analysed using reflective thematic analysis. Confidential conversations in palliative care are founded on trust that is fragile and develops dynamically through consistent interactions. Small talk, presence and silence are essential for initiating and maintaining trust and the interpersonal relationship. The environment, patient condition and RN emotional presence and competence shape these conversations. As the relationship evolves, conversations adapt to the patient's changing needs. Missed signals or interruptions can disrupt flow, but the potential for repair remains, allowing for restoration and strengthening of trust and connection. Confidential conversations in palliative care are grounded in fragile, dynamic trust, necessitating ongoing presence, sensitivity and adaptability from RN. To support these interactions, healthcare environments must prioritise privacy, relational continuity and communication training. Future research should investigate how organisational structures and clinical settings influence confidential conversations. Healthcare environments should facilitate confidential conversations by ensuring relational continuity and minimising distractions. Communication training that emphasises presence and management of silence can strengthen nurse-patient relationships, enhancing patient care and emotional support. This study explores key aspects of confidential conversations in palliative care, emphasising trust and emotional sensitivity. It addresses a research gap in palliative care using rare observational methods to deepen understanding of nursing relational aspects. The findings offer practical guidance for enhancing communication and relational skills, informing training and policy development and ultimately, improving emotional support and care. Findings are reported in accordance with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines. This study did not involve patient or public participation in its design, conduct or reporting.

The article discusses approaches to the description of the phatic communication domain and the connection between the concept of phatics and the theory of speech genres. The proposed consideration of the concept of phatics is based on the fundamental difference between the approaches to phatics by B. Malinowski and by R. Jakobson. Reliance on the function of contact maintenance makes it possible to identify a separate group of linguistic means that formalize speech subgenres of microdialogue. These means are considered as the domain of phatics 1 (F1). They serve exclusively to maintain the process of communication and are “superimposed” on the informative component of the microdialogue. The means of F1 are subdivided into linguistic units and rhetorical devices. The area of phatics 2 (F2) includes small talk, i. e. discursive structures that are fundamentally different from the linguistic means of area F1. The article focuses on the typology of linguistic units of phatics 1. Alongside the already well-known and well-described units, such as vocatives and etiquette formulas, the group of F1 units also includes dialogic discursives (introductory words marking the speech act and increasing the impact on the interlocutor, such as: would you be so kind, don’t be silly, I’m telling you, etc.), tag questions (isn’t it?, okay?) and communicatives (short stereotyped responses: sure, no way, you bet, deal, not a chance, etc.). All these units have special discourse-pragmatic properties that are strictly connected with the speech subgenres they formalize. Due to their properties, F1 linguistic units can become the object of specialized lexicographic description.

Introduction: Depression has a significant impact on a person's interpersonal relationships. Individuals experiencing symptoms of depression report fewer close relationships and meaningful interactions. One model for understanding the development of close relationships is the Interpersonal Process Model of Intimacy (IPM). The IPM suggests that closeness develops when one member of a dyad engages in a vulnerable self-disclosure, and the other member responds to that disclosure in a way that is viewed as responsive. Little is known about how depression impacts the process of engaging in the IPM. Methods: One hundred twenty undergraduate participants were randomly assigned to a 45-minute semistructured small talk condition or a semi-structured condition that called for personal disclosure. During each condition, the participant answered questions with a trained research assistant. Before the experimental task and every 15 minutes, participants completed self-report scales assessing feelings of connection, vulnerable self-disclosure, and provided responsiveness. Results: Findings suggested that individuals reporting higher levels of depression experienced less connection over time than non-depressed individuals, based on condition. A similar pattern emerged in self-reported responses to the research assistant. Discussion: Based on these findings, it is indicated that depression impacts feelings of connection and effective responding but that the impact of depression on willingness to engage in vulnerable disclosure is multiply controlled, and further research is needed.

ABSTRACT This field experiment and action research examines whether and how a public bench intervention strategy can promote social interaction and connection among community members by nudging phatic communication, such as small talk, in response to the growing issue of loneliness. To achieve this, the study implemented ‘Happy to Chat Benches’ at a mid-sized public university in southeastern Massachusetts and evaluated their impact on fostering in-person social interaction, social connections, and psychological well-being, including feelings of inclusion. Data were collected through online surveys, with descriptive statistics used for quantitative analysis and content analysis for qualitative insights. The findings indicate that the Happy to Chat Benches successfully created a welcoming space where participants felt comfortable engaging in both casual and meaningful conversations within the university setting. The study highlights potential societal benefits, including advancing community engagement strategies, influencing urban design practices, and addressing social isolation. Additionally, the project’s interdisciplinary nature offers opportunities for collaboration among scholars in urban planning, communication, and community development, contributing to more inclusive and connected urban environments.

People can foster social connection in new relationships through intimate conversation comprised of reciprocal self-disclosure and responsiveness, but the limited affordances of text-based communication may hinder this process. The present study examined the effectiveness of intimate conversation in promoting social connection during texting and in-person interactions. Two hundred and eighty-six unacquainted dyads ( N = 572) were randomly assigned to have an intimate or small talk conversation that occurred face-to-face or via text messaging on a smartphone. Afterward, participants reported how socially connected they felt to their conversational partner, including their self-disclosure, perceived partner responsiveness, and interpersonal closeness. Participants reported greater social connection after intimate (vs. small talk) and face-to-face (vs. texting) conversations, but the effect of intimate conversation did not differ across the two mediums. Exploratory mediation analyses revealed a serial indirect effect of conversation medium on social connection, such that texting (vs. face-to-face) interactions led to lower self-disclosure, which was then associated with lower perceived responsiveness and closeness. These findings suggest people can connect over texting through intimate conversation, but they may be less likely to self-disclose over texting than in face-to-face interactions, which can have downstream consequences for interpersonal closeness.

IntroductionSmall talk, an informal social interaction in workplaces, has been overlooked in research on safety performance, which traditionally focuses on organizational factors (e.g., safety climate, leadership). Grounded in Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study explores its dual effects on employees’ safety performance, proposing that small talk may enhance safety performance via resource gain (psychological availability) and undermine it via resource loss (work absorption).MethodsData was collected from 136 full-time employees in China through self-reported questionnaires, measuring small talk, psychological availability, work absorption, and safety performance. Path analysis and bootstrapping approach were conducted to test for the direct and indirect effects of small talk.ResultsThe results confirmed the dual effects of small talk on safety performance: small talk positively predicted safety performance through increasing psychological availability, while negatively predicted safety performance by reducing work absorption.DiscussionThis study advances safety research by highlighting small talk as a micro-level determinant of safety performance, and enriches COR theory by illustrating resource gain/loss mechanisms in social interactions. Practically, it offers insights for managing informal communication to balance relational benefits and task focus, optimizing workplace safety.

Social media: Fueling small talks in B2B sales conversations for performance gains