Stanford Psychology Podcast 173 - Juliana Schroeder: Mistakenly Seeking Solitude (REAIR)
Apr 3, 2026
Juliana Schroeder, Berkeley Haas professor who studies how we misread others, talks about undersociality and why people avoid helpful interactions. Short discussions cover how conversations quickly build connection, why starting chats feels harder than it is, how listening often helps more than solving, and simple tips and design ideas to nudge more social contact.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Talking To Strangers Boosts Mood In Transit
- Brief conversations with strangers reliably improve momentary mood across contexts like trains, buses, and planes.
- Schroeder's field experiments randomly assigned passengers to talk or not and found talkers reported better moods after trips.
Introverts Also Gain Mood From Socializing
- Introverts and extroverts report similar mood gains from brief social interactions.
- Schroeder and other studies (e.g., Will Flees) show even introverts feel happier short-term when acting more sociably, though long-term energy costs are less clear.
Neuroticism Shapes Solitude Versus Social Benefit
- Neuroticism predicts worse solitude experiences more than extraversion predicts social gains.
- Highly neurotic people may actually benefit from social situations that buffer their negative internal states.