Idle chit chat can make you unhappy

To have a deep conversation can increase happiness levels, but trivial chatter can be depressing, scientists say. Psychologists studied the happy and unhappy people are different because of the types of conversations they participate in. Volunteers wore an unobtrusive recording device to monitor conversations with friends and colleagues in four days.

Researchers then listened to the recordings and identified them as banal smalltalk or substantive discussions.

In addition, volunteers completed personality and wellness assessments.

Reporting of results in the journal Psychological Science, the researchers said the footage revealed some startling results.

Increased welfare was related to spending less time alone and more time talking to others. Happiest participants spent 25 percent less time alone, and 70 percent more time talking than the unhappiest.

But scientists were surprised to discover that the kind of conversations people attended also affected their happiness levels.

Happiest participants had twice as many deep and meaningful conversations and one third as much small talk as the unhappiest.

Matthias Mel, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, said: "These results suggest that the happy life is socially and conversationally deep rather than solitary and superficial."

The researchers conclude that deep conversations may have the potential to make people happier.

They said: "Just as self-disclosure can provide a feeling of intimacy in a relationship can be deep conversations inspire a sense of meaning in interaction with partners."