Zachary Reese is a social psychologist who studies close relationships. He also focuses on self-disclosure – meaning, what we share with others. Do you feel like you don’t know how to make friends at work? Do you wonder whether you should turn a professional experience into a more personal bond? Are you constantly wondering, “Did I say too much about myself?” and second-guessing what you tell people you just met? Listen as Meredith and Zachary talk about sharing … while sharing with each other. So meta.
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Studies, books, and research Zachary and I mention in this episode:
“Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves by Allison Wood Brooks.
Nick Epley’s work on shallowness in conversation.
Ethan Cross’s research on self-disclosure.
Work about in-person vs. written communication in Nature Communications.
Micaela Rodriguez’s work about how being single makes it possible to grow.
Reporting by Jonathan Woodward at Religion News Service.
Love Letters is a production of The Boston Globe. This short series about All Kinds of Love is brought to you in partnership with the Greater Good Science Center’s "Spreading Love Through the Media" initiative, funded by the John Templeton Foundation.
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