Make your network happy, solicit it!
Author: Sophie Pellegrin, PhD
Many more information and advice for PhD career development on www.abg.asso.fr
Did you know that an experiment with very young children can encourage you to network?
Researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver conducted this experiment with children under the age of two.
In a warm-up phase, these children are introduced to the puppets. They learn that the puppets really appreciate the treats. Then the actual experiment begins. Each toddler is introduced to a pupped, but this time there is no treat, as it is a limited nature of resource. After that the experimenter leads the child into different situations with a random order:
- he finds sweets and gives them to the child or the puppet;
- he finds sweets and invites the child to give them to the puppet;
- he proposes to the child to give one of his sweets to the puppet.
Throughout the experiment, a research assistant codes the toddlers’ facial expressions and evaluates their happiness thanks to an in advance calibrated scale.
The researchers found out that children exhibit greater happiness when giving a treat to the puppet instead of receiving treats themselves. Even more interesting: toddlers were happier when their gift to the puppet demands a sacrifice, what means, when giving away their own treats.
This article points out that this phenomenon is not only due to our education and socialization: giving, especially when it is costly, is a source of positive emotions. This phenomenon persists into adulthood, is deeply rooted in us and fosters our socialization. It helps to explain why humans have survived and flourished under poor conditions, because of their ability to work together.
What does this have to do with the network approach? When a professional gives you time to share his or her experience and give you advice, it gives him or her emotional reward. He is happy to help you, in a word, you make him happy!
So no more hesitations, feel completely at ease when you’re asking someone. Do it professionally. Introduce yourself briefly and clearly, say what you are looking for. This will help your contact person to help you. Give your child a good time by being curious and enthusiastic. And don’t forget to thank him or her and keep him or her informed about what you become. This will always bring back the pleasure he had in helping you.
Make nice encounters and don’t hesitate to share them with us. We look forward to hearing from you.
