What unites us: Investigating the power of social talk and shared meals on shared basis, cooperation and trust in ephemeral interactions. University of Antwerp
Many societies today are characterized by ephemeral interactions. We communicate with many, yet with most we no longer have a shared basis, which leads to lower levels of cooperation and trust. Previous research and literature suggests that celebrity gossip and sharing food may have the power to connect people, even within this context of ephemeral interactions. This will be tested by means of social experiments.