Ever felt too embarrassed about contacting an old friend not spoken to for many years after finding their name on Facebook?
In fact, that one extra step to make contact could be appreciated greatly by your old friend or even a former love more than you would imagine, according to a new study.
US research led by Peggy J. Liu, from the Marketing and Business Economics Area at the University of Pittsburgh indicates the more of a shock a message or small gift is, the greater it is appreciated by the recipient.
“Many people have lost touch with others in their lives, including many friends. Despite wanting to reconnect, I think many people are hesitant about doing so,” Dr Liu told The Guardian.
“These findings suggest that their hesitations may be misplaced, as others are likely to appreciate being reached out to more than people think.”
The research was published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and perhaps will inspire you to make contact with an old friend you have not reached out to since school days.
“One reason this underestimation of appreciation occurs is that people considering reaching out do not think about how positively surprised others would feel upon being reached out to,” said Dr Liu.
A good reason to make someone’s day and reach out to an old friend.
