Small talk reveals our key personality traits

Do you like small talk or is chit-chat meaningless and often awkward? Well, these traits could give away your personality

A quick search on Twitter shows many people hate small talk and complain it is surface level and a waste of time.

But a new study found four minutes of small talk gives away our personality, leaves a lasting impression, and affects subsequent social interactions.

Researchers recruited 338 people and paired them with each other. 

The participants were divided into two groups, either engaging in a four minute conversation by text or not communicating at all.

The results show people who chatted before the games performed better in understanding their partner’s personality.

Prof. Daniel Sgroi from the University of Warwick, co-author of the study said, “chit-chat might seem like a drain on time, but our research suggests it is an important way to learn about the personality of others and helps us better predict how they will behave in the future.”

And continued, “in other words, small talk matters.”

Researchers note, the study is an exploratory step toward future study into the links between personality impressions and strategic decision making in real-world contexts.