The Social Memory Gap
Why we meet people, mean to stay in touch, and then don’t.
This study began with a familiar experience: meeting someone, wanting to continue the conversation, and then letting the connection fade. I wanted to understand the gap between that intention and what happens afterward.
I’m bringing together research on memory, weak ties, and how people interpret social interactions. The study looks at what we remember about someone, how context helps us recall it, and what affects the decision to follow up.
The work informs Cicero. I want the product decisions to come from a better understanding of the behavior, and I’m keeping the research questions open as that understanding develops.
Questions in the study
- Remembering a person
Which details survive a first meeting, and what helps us bring them back?
- The context around a conversation
How do place, emotion, and distinctiveness affect what we retain?
- Interpreting the interaction
How accurately do we judge whether someone enjoyed meeting us?
- Following through
What makes an intention to reconnect turn into an actual conversation?