Talking to strangers might make you happier, a study on 'relational diversity' finds

Next time you consider striking up a conversation with a stranger in line at the grocery store or while waiting at the laundromat, keep in mind that it might be beneficial for your well-being.

A recent study by a group of researchers found that there is a link between happiness and a term that the researchers coined called "relational diversity."

Using public data from sources like the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the World Health Organization, the researchers were able to analyze data sets and survey responses from people who had shared their daily habits, schedules and interactions. They noticed a clear relationship between relational diversity and overall levels of satisfaction.

Hanne Collins, a Harvard Business School doctoral student who co-authored the study, says that relational diversity is composed of two elements: richness and evenness.

Richness measures relationship categories, or how many kinds of people you interact with in a day. That could be your romantic partner, a family member, a neighbor or a stranger.

"The more relationship categories they talk to in a day and the more even their conversations are across those categories, the happier they are. And we find this in a large sample across many countries," Collins said.

Evenness relates to the distribution of conversations among those different relationship categories. Some people may find themselves interacting with colleagues at work more than, say, their family members.

"If you have a few conversations with colleagues, a few with friends, a few with a romantic partner or a couple chats with strangers, that's going to be more even across these categories," Collins explained.

Ultimately, Collins says, the study gives insight to the idea that humans are social creatures at heart. Having a support system is important, but it goes beyond your inner circle.

"It's about this mix. It's about connecting with people who are close to you, who are maybe less close to you, who connect you with other people, who provide different kinds of support," she said.

"Essentially, the idea is that the more diverse your social portfolio, the happier you are and the higher your well-being."

For New York City residents, the findings of the study ring true to their daily lives.

"One thing I love about living in our neighborhood is [that] you can go to a grocery store and have a conversation with someone, talk to someone at the coffee shop, on the sidewalk," said Ashley Bice, who lives in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenpoint.

"I think especially after the few years that we've all been through, it's nice just to have interactions with people or to talk to someone in the park or meeting someone when you're walking your dog."

For Mike Jones, those interactions are like second nature.

"I go to the corner store, and I talk to somebody, and we'll be talking about basketball, talking about Bud, tequila, drinks. It don't even matter. We just spark a conversation," he said. "Then the next time I see them at a corner store, from there, we run into each other. It just goes from Point A to Point B, and you just end up chilling, you know, just vibing."

And what about Collins? Did her research impact her social habits?

"I'm definitely an introvert. I spend a lot of time with my cat. I joined an adult guitar class because I was, like, I'll see people. And I'll chat with them, and that will be nice. They don't have to be my best friends. But at least they're acquaintances, and they'll kind of add this diversity to my social life."

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