ABSTRACT
Knowing how to start and join conversations with others is a critical ingredient for making and keeping friends. This is the process by which we meet people. If you were to ask teens what advice they are often given by adults to meet new people, they will probably tell you that they are told to “go up and introduce yourself” or “ go up and say hi.” Sadly, these are not ecologically valid social skills used by socially successful teens. In fact, those strategies are likely to result in some form of rejection. Research suggests that successful entries into a group of teens in conversation begin with low-risk tactics such as waiting and listening until positive feedback from the conversing peers permits entry. Unsuccessful entry attempts might include disrupting an ongoing conversation by asking for information or disagreeing.
