Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society

How do people start conversations with someone they have never met before? In this project, we investigate the hypothesis that good starting topics facilitate transitions to many different topics. To test this, we leverage a dataset of unstructured, 10-minute conversations between pairs of strangers. Using natural language processing (NLP) and network approaches, we show that strangers begin their conversations with topics that are centrally located in a network of topic transitions. These “launch pad” topics are useful starting points because they are well-connected to other topics, potentially increasing the likelihood of finding common ground. These findings underscore the fact that it is not the semantic meaning of a topic that makes it an effective starting point, but rather its transition properties. This insight paves the way for future research to identify conversational launch pads in different populations, where common starting topics may differ widely but nonetheless hold similar network positions. When people start conversations, they begin the process of trying to understand and connect with another person's mind. Here, we examine how this important process unfolds.