A report in the “Science Daily” speaks of researchers in the United States carrying out a study and finding that spending 10 minutes talking to another person helps improve the memory.
“In our study, socialising was just as effective as more traditional kinds of mental exercise in boosting memory and intellectual performance,”lead researcher Oscar Ybarra was quoted as saying. Ybarra is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan.
According to Ybarra ” Short-term social interaction lasting for just 10 minutes boosted participants’ intellectual performance as much as engaging in so-called ‘intellectual’ activities for the same amount of time. The higher the level of participants’ social interaction, researchers found, the better their cognitive functioning. This relationship was reliable for all age groups, from the youngest through the oldest. ”
He went on to say “To our knowledge, this experiment represents the only causal evidence showing that social interaction directly affects memory and mental performance in a positive way.”
That’s good news for all of us who socialise.
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