12 Facts About Small talk

Small talk is an informal type of discourse that does not cover any functional topics of conversation or any transactions that need to be addressed.

Phenomenon of small talk was initially studied in 1923 by Bronislaw Malinowski in his essay "The Problem of Meaning in Primitive Languages", who coined the term "phatic communication" to describe it.

The ability to conduct small talk is a social skill.

In spite of seeming to have little useful purpose, small talk is a bonding ritual and a strategy for managing interpersonal distance.

Small talk is closely related to the need for people to maintain a positive face and feel approved of by those who are listening to them.

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The following example of small talk is between two colleagues who pass each other in a hallway:.

Need to use small talk depends upon the nature of the relationship between the people having the conversation.

In workplace situations, small talk tends to occur mostly between workers on the same level, but it can be used by managers as a way of developing the working relationships with the staff who report to them.

Topics of small talk conversations are generally less important than their social function.

In either case, someone initiating small talk will tend to choose a topic for which they can assume a shared background knowledge, to prevent the conversation from being too one-sided.

Small talk suggests that politeness in small talk is maximised by responding with a more substantial answer.

Topics for small talk are more likely to include compliments about some aspect of personal appearance.