Casual Social Contacts: A Qualitative Study of the Experience and Reaction

Introduction There is a growing concern in the field of public health about the rise in social isolation in the United States. Given the prevalence and the associated adverse outcomes of loneliness and social isolation, the need for effective interventions is critical. Emerging research demonstrates that "casual contacts" may be a valuable approach to curbing the effects of loneliness and social isolation. Casual contacts, also referred to as "weak ties," reflect interactions and relationships with others who are neither family nor friends. The purpose of this study was to examine five variables associated with casual contacts: (i) who the contact is with, (ii) the impact's valence (i.e., positive or negative), (iii) the duration of the impact, (iv) the nature of the positive impact/type of support received, and (v) the nature of the negative impacts. Methods Our study examines qualitative data from a recent survey of 547 community-dwelling adults about their casual contacts. We recruited a convenience sample of English-speaking adults living in the United States, using the online platform SurveyMonkey (http://www.surveymonkey.com). There were no selection criteria beyond (a) language and location and (b) the sample being generally balanced for age and gender. To identify themes, one researcher thoroughly examined the responses and noted recurring issues, then reexamined the responses with these preliminary themes in mind, and either eliminated or verified and defined them. Preliminary themes and their definitions were sent to a second researcher for review and revision. These two researchers developed coding instructions and then independently coded the first 25 responses to test interrater reliability (IRR) and establish agreement using the theme definitions. The final percent agreement was 96% across the five themes. Results Five themes were identified: (1) who was the casual contact with, (2) the valence of the impact, (3) the duration of the impact, (4) the nature of positive contacts, and (5) the nature of negative contacts. The results indicate that casual contacts are common and typically involve interactions with acquaintances who are coworkers, neighbors, cashiers/clerks, and mail/delivery persons. Respondents reported that these contacts typically have a positive impact on self-worth and/or sense of belonging and rarely involve instrumental or material support. The majority of respondents report a positive reaction to casual contacts that typically lasts for hours. A minority of respondents commented on negative experiences with casual contacts, some of which involved reports of disrespectful behavior by others, reactions related to their own social anxiety, or that involved feeling sad or anxious about the problems described by the other person. Conclusions These results suggest that casual contacts can be a powerful source of positive social interaction and support but that intervention development should be informed by the potential for negative impacts.