WHAT THE STUDIES FOUND

Go on,
say hello.

We expect talking to strangers to go badly. Studies suggest otherwise.

Psychology studies of commuters, students and workshop strangers point the same way: a quick hello tends to go better than we predict, and people like us more than we think after we talk.

ONE HELLO can lift the journey

See the studies

Two passengers on a commuter train chatting and smiling, seen from the side and behind, with fields passing the window — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Others want to talk too
Small chats count
You're liked more than you think
The research in three lines

THE SHORT ANSWER

Connection beats
our expectations.

Three lines of research, one message:
we are more cautious about saying hello than we need to be.

STRANGERS

Better journeys, not worse

Commuters asked to connect with a stranger had a more positive and no less productive journey. Others predicted the opposite, underestimating people's interest in talking.

See the studies

WEAK TIES

Acquaintances matter

Students felt happier and more like they belonged on days they talked with more classmates than usual. Everyday chats with acquaintances were linked to well-being.

Try it

THE LIKING GAP

They liked you more

After conversations, people underestimated how much their partner liked them and enjoyed their company, and the gap lasted for months among new dorm mates.

Why it matters

A QUICK STUDY CHECK

What happened
when people talked?

Pick a situation from the research to see what was found. The bar shows how well people knew each other.

Study check

Choose a situationA stranger on the train or busBeing talked to in a waiting roomClassmates you half knowNew flatmates over months

A stranger on the train or busNicer journey

Commuters told to connect reported a more positive and no less productive experience than those who sat in solitude (Epley and Schroeder, 2014).

Being talked to in a waiting roomJust as positive

In a laboratory waiting room, people who were talked to had experiences as positive as those told to start the conversation.

Classmates you half knowHappier days

Students reported more happiness and belonging on days they interacted with more classmates than usual (Sandstrom and Dunn, 2014).

New flatmates over monthsLiked more than they knew

The liking gap appeared as students got to know dorm mates and lasted for several months (Boothby and colleagues, 2018).

Sources: PubMed abstracts for Epley and Schroeder (2014), Sandstrom and Dunn (2014) and Boothby et al. (2018).

From abstracts of studies published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General (2014), Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (2014) and Psychological Science (2018).

TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING

Loneliness is common,
and young adults feel it most.

From the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's
social connection framework, June 2026.

Adults in England lonely often or always

The government's social connection framework gives this figure for all adults in England.

ADULTS · DCMS 2026

≈ 1 in 10

Young adults lonely often or always

The figure is higher among young people, rising to close to 1 in 10 among those aged 16 to 24.

AGED 16 TO 24 · DCMS 2026

Saying hello is not a cure for loneliness, but the studies suggest everyday contact with strangers and acquaintances adds to well-being.

FOUR WAYS TO START

Small steps,
warm results.

Ideas drawn from what the studies tested.

Assume they're open to it
The commuter studies found people underestimate others' interest in connecting, so a stranger may be keener to chat than you expect.
Talk to the people you half know
Classmates, colleagues and regulars count. More of these small interactions went with happier days.
Answer when someone talks to you
Being on the receiving end of a conversation was as positive as starting one in the waiting-room study.
Go easy on yourself afterwards
Thanks to the liking gap, the other person probably enjoyed the chat more than you think.

Two neighbours chatting by a wooden garden fence on a sunny afternoon, seen from behind — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

Two people chatting across a café counter as a cup of coffee is handed over — AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.

WHY WE HOLD BACK

A mistaken
preference for solitude.

Epley and Schroeder found that people who were not asked to talk expected solitude to be more pleasant. That mistaken preference stems partly from underestimating others' interest, which stops people discovering what conversations are really like.

The authors conclude that people who misunderstand the consequences of social interaction may not, in at least some contexts, be social enough for their own well-being.

Questions

Questions people ask

Do people really want to be talked to on the train?

In one set of experiments, commuters asked to connect with a stranger had a more positive journey, while others predicted the opposite because they underestimated people's interest in talking.

Do chats with acquaintances make a difference?

A 2014 study found students felt happier and more like they belonged on days they talked with more classmates than usual, and weak ties were linked to social and emotional well-being.

What is the liking gap?

After conversations, people systematically underestimate how much their partner liked them and enjoyed their company. Researchers found it among strangers, new dorm mates and workshop participants.

Does the liking gap go away?

Not quickly. Among college dorm mates it persisted for several months as relationships developed.

How common is loneliness in England?

The DCMS social connection framework says 7% of adults are lonely often or always, rising to close to 1 in 10 among 16 to 24 year olds.

Go on,
say hello.