Linda Tropp Calls for 'Psychological Generosity' in 'The Conversation'
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There’s been extensive coverage on the “loneliness epidemic,” but how much (or how little) do people actually engage with others when they’re out in public? Many don’t engage at all—one need only think of commuters on public transportation, glued to their phones.
Social psychologist Linda Tropp, professor in the College of Natural Sciences's Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and a faculty associate in the School of Public Policy, started to notice similar patterns on a university campus, where students often put on headphones and check their phones even before leaving the lecture hall for their next class.
In a recent article published in The Conversation, Tropp argues that "making eye contact and small talk with strangers is more than just being polite"—these actions provide social benefits associated with what she refers to as "psychological generosity."
"It may prove valuable to reflect on how you use your limited mental resources, as a way to be more mindful and purposeful about what and who garner your attention. As I encourage my students to do, people can choose to engage in what I refer to as psychological generosity: You can intentionally redirect some of your attention toward the other people around you and expend mental resources beyond what is absolutely necessary to navigate the social world."
— Linda Tropp in The Conversation
Learn more: The Conversation, Inc., The Good Men Project, Caledonian Record.