The next time you think you don’t have time to catch up with a friend or family member, you might want to keep these findings in mind. According to a new study being published in the February 2008 issue of the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, spending just 10 minutes talking to another person can help improve your memory and your test performance. According to psychologist Oscar Ybarra, a psychologist at the University of Michigan and the lead author of the article, “socializing was just as effective as more traditional kinds of mental exercise in boosting memory and intellectual performance.”

Ybarra and colleagues conducted two types of studies surrounding the effects of social interactions and mental functioning. The first was a national, stratified area sample of nearly 4000 people, ages 24- 96. After asking participants to take a mini mental exam they inquired on the frequency of their phone and in-person interactions with friends, neighbors, and relatives. Those with a higher level of social interaction had better mental functioning. These results held after controlling for a wide range of variables (including age, income, education, and the like). Of course, they didn’t ask teenagers for their input, so it’s possible spending hours on the phone or online may not have the same result.

The second study used college-aged students participating in a certain 10-minute group task: they either participated in a conversation on a social issue, watched a TV clip, or completed “intellectual activities” such as a crossword puzzle and reading test. After which all participants completed two tests that measured their working memory and processing speed.

Turns out, those who engaged in the 10-minute conversation scored just as well as those who engaged in the intellectual activities. It seems that participating in social situations with others, for as little as ten minutes, can still provide a positive boost in memory and mental performance. Ybarra mentioned that the findings suggest “that visiting with a friend or neighbor may be just as helpful in staying sharp as doing a daily crossword puzzle.”

I’m wondering if participating in online social interactions such as instant-messaging or social networking sites provide the same memory and performance boosts. The study highlights the importance of a well-rounded social environment; those that suffer from social isolation may be compounding the problem by experiencing memory and intellectual deficits. Can chatting online with a friend living in another state provide the same benefits?

Portions of this blog were adapted from University of Michigan’s news release page. For more on this study or Professor Ybarra, visit his online profile here.

Further Reading:

Ybarra, O., Burnstein, E., Winkielman, P., Keller, M.C., Manis, M., Chan, E., & Rodriguez, J. (In press). Mental exercising through simple socializing: Social interaction promotes general cognitive functioning. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.