Tall tales make fast friends: Exaggerating when retelling previous experiences fosters relational closeness

Abstract

This research explores the possibility that exaggerating in order to entertain the listener while sharing previous experiences can increase interpersonal closeness in new relationships. It is hypothesized that adding exaggerations about previous experiences will increase the quality of the story, which will lead to increased interpersonal closeness, and that even listeners who are provided with the actual facts will show this effect. Three studies with 592 total participants investigated the impact of exaggerating when sharing a story about a previous experience on feelings of closeness to the storyteller. In Study 1, participants read scenarios of a person telling a story about a previous experience. Results indicate a preference for exaggerated stories and a concomitant feeling of closeness to the storyteller. In Study 2, participants retold the events of a video to another participant who was a stranger. Participants instructed to give an entertaining recalling used more exaggerations, and listeners felt closer to them. In Study 3, participants watched a video of a confederate retelling events accurately or with clear exaggerations. Participants reported feeling closer to the confederate when exaggerations were included, even when they knew the facts the storyteller was retelling. Discussion centers on reasons why being entertaining was more beneficial in creating relationship closeness than being honest.

How parents can shape what children remember: Implications for the testimony of young witnesses.

“…For instance, an embellished story can be more engaging to listeners than a precisely accurate account. In fact, listeners feel closer to their conversational partners when they tell exaggerated stories as opposed to giving accurate accounts, even when listeners know the facts of the past (Cole & Beike, 2018). Likewise, parents may offer fabricated knowledge or a differing appraisal of the past to prompt a revision in memory that serves to help children repair an injured sense of self or decrease their emotional distress (Bluck & Alea, 2009; Pillemer, 2009).…”