Want better cooperation? Practice niceness

Close relationships, work teams and local communities... Cooperation is necessary for their proper functioning. It turns out that niceness can be conducive to it, as it strengthens bonds and the sense of satisfaction with teamwork, according to a study conducted in collaboration with researchers from SWPS University.

We spend a major part of our lives interacting with others: at meetings, in the classroom, on the street^[1]. Every social interaction, however fleeting, creates an opportunity for niceness, neutrality, or rudeness. Do these everyday choices matter? Can small acts of niceness affect our world?

Being nice and everyday functioning

Previous studies have shown that these seemingly insignificant acts of niceness have many benefits, both for the recipients and those who manifest it. They translate into improved well-being, greater satisfaction with relationships, and the perception of the meaning of life^[2]. Those who act friendly experience an increased sense of belonging, and they are less likely to struggle with loneliness or depression, says the study co-author, psychologist Olga Białobrzeska, PhD, from the Faculty of Psychology at the SWPS University in Warsaw.

In the latest study authored by Olga Białobrzeska and Aleksandra Cisłak-Wójcik from SWPS University, and Ilan Roziner from Tel Aviv University, the researchers decided to expand previous findings and investigate whether practicing niceness can build social capital, and specifically increase the propensity to cooperate by strengthening social bonds. The paper describing the study “Niceness Fosters Cooperativeness Through Social Connectedness” was published in the journal Social Psychology. 

Niceness translates into cooperation

The researchers conducted two studies. In the first of them, 463 participants aged 18-67 responded to statements such as: “When paying in a store, I make sure to use a warm tone of voice or to give sincere thanks to make things pleasant for the person who works there”, measuring their tendency to show everyday niceness, as well as to statements measuring their social connectedness (e.g. “Even around people I know, I don’t feel that I really belong”) and attitudes towards cooperation (e.g. “At work, I would usually consider the interests of both parties”).

As expected, propensity for niceness was associated with a sense of social connectedness, and this predicted the willingness to cooperate. In the second study, the researchers decided to test the causal effect of niceness on the willingness to cooperate by manipulating the behaviour of the participants.

The experiment involved 164 first-year students, divided into 52 task teams. The participants were randomly assigned to one of the conditions: niceness and control. In the first condition, they were asked to act nicely towards others during teamwork - care about the well being of others in the team by smiling, using a warm tone of voice or actively listening to other's ideas, and creating a pleasant working atmosphere so that everyone would feel comfortable. Participants in the control condition were instructed to focus on the task rather than the well being of others in the group, which could be manifested by a focused facial expression, using a neutral or assertive tone of voice, and limiting the amount of smiles and jokes.

Direct and long-term benefits

The researchers observed that niceness towards other team members resulted in greater satisfaction with teamwork, and a more positive attitude towards cooperation in general compared to just focusing on the task. This was associated with a feeling of social connectedness.

The results of both studies indicate that niceness is beneficial not only directly and in a short term perspective, but also indirectly, through enhancing social connectedness and, consequently, increasing cooperativeness.

It turns out that relatively small and simple gestures, such as smiling at others or using a warm tone of voice, may translate into larger scale effects. Thus, our research offers practical implications for educational institutions, workplaces, social, political, and business organizations, on how to enhance social capital, Białobrzeska emphasises.

While being nice is generally seen as a virtue, there are also some negative common beliefs about being nice. For example, it may be perceived as a sign of weakness, lack of confidence, and generally a trait that conflicts with assertiveness. This may lead people to neglect niceness in situations that require efficiency. We show, however, that niceness and effective performance are not necessarily at odds with each other, quite the opposite - being nice can motivate people to work toward a common goal, the psychologist adds.

^[1] Baumeister, R., & Leary, M. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 497–529. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497

^[2] Bialobrzeska, O., Baba, J., Bedynska, S., Cichocka, A., Cislak, A., Formanowicz, M., Gocłowska, M. A., Jakubik, Z., & Kozakiewicz, K. (2023). Keep nice and carry on: Effect of niceness on well-being. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 45(5), 138– 156. https://doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2023.2239410