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Stop making this 'off-putting' mistake when you talk to people: 'It backfires,' says psychologist

Cnbc · · 1082 words · By Tessa West; Contributor
Gen Z technology adoption Interpersonal Communication AI's impact on human psychology
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/13/stop-making-this-off-putting-mistake-when-you-ta…

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
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Appeal to Fear 70% confidence
Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

9 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 3
info Single Source 3
verified Verified By Reference 1
verified Verified 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
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“Between 2022 and mid-2025, the number of AI companion apps surged by 700%.”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web sources (TechCrunch, YaraLoop, and Groundy) all report the same specific statistic: a 700% surge in AI companion apps between 2022 and mid-2025.
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web search NEUTRAL — Between 2022 and mid-2025, the number of AI companion apps surged by an estimated 700%, according to the American Psychological Association's Monitor on Psychology 2026 Trends Report.
https://yaraloop.com/blog/ai-companions-loneliness-research/
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web search NEUTRAL — This is not a fringe phenomenon—between 2022 and mid-2025, the number of AI companion apps surged by 700%, and the psychological fallout from model discontinuations now reaches millions.
https://groundy.com/articles/ai-grief-split-when-people-buil…
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web search NEUTRAL — Between 2022 and mid-2025, the number of AI companion apps surged by 700%, according to the technology news site TechCrunchopens in new window.
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2026/01-02/trends-digital-ai-rel…
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“Surveys have found that seven in 10 Gen Zers use AI to navigate workplace conflicts”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence discusses AI's role in workplace conflict generally, but none of the sources mention the specific statistic that 'seven in 10 Gen Zers' use AI for this purpose.
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web search NEUTRAL — Understanding AI’s Role in Conflict Identification. AI, and more specifically ChatGPT, acts as a neutral mediator, capable of dissecting conflicts with an objectivity that’s challenging to achieve thr…
https://jeroen-erne.medium.com/workplace-conflicts-with-ai-a…
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web search NEUTRAL — Understanding Workplace Conflict and Its Types. Workplace conflict refers to a disagreement or clash between individual employees or groups, often arising from differences in opinions, goals, values, …
https://www.edstellar.com/blog/how-to-manage-workplace-confl…
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web search NEUTRAL — Managing workplace conflict via emotional intelligence: Explain the concept of emotional intelligence to the colleagues, which involves recognizing and managing one's emotions and understanding others…
https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/heres-how-you-can-effectiv…
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“about half use it in their dating lives, including to help them break up with people.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided for this claim consists only of dictionary definitions for the word 'approximately' and does not contain any data regarding Gen Z's use of AI in dating or breakups.
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web search NEUTRAL — May 12, 2026 · The meaning of APPROXIMATELY is in an approximate manner —used to indicate that a stated number, amount, or value is an approximation. How to use approximately in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/approximately
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web search NEUTRAL — APPROXIMATELY definition: 1. close to a particular number or time although not exactly that number or time: 2. close to a…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/approxim…
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web search NEUTRAL — Definition of approximately adverb in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/americ…
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“Among Gen Z employees using AI to analyze workplace conflict, 44% said they feel more confident in their perspective after discussing the situation with AI, and 38% feel more validated.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided is completely irrelevant, discussing the video game 'Among Us' rather than Gen Z employees and AI workplace conflict analysis.
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web search NEUTRAL — Among Us takes place in space-themed settings where players are colorful, armless cartoon astronauts. Each player takes on one of two roles: most are Crewmates, but a small number are Impostors.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Among_Us
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 2, 2026 · Join your crewmates in a multiplayer game of teamwork and betrayal!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.innersloth…
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 8, 2026 · Join the crewmates of Among Us and prep your spaceship for intergalactic flight while trying to find the impostor who is trying to sabotage the ship and kill everyone aboard.
https://gizmodo.com/download/among-us
verified
“Only 12% said they came to believe they had been wrong.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The evidence provided is irrelevant, consisting of definitions for 'only', information about the brand 'ONLY', OnlyFans, and general Wikipedia entries on generations and AI, with no mention of the 12% statistic.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Generation Alpha, often shortened to Gen Alpha, is the demographic cohort succeeding Generation Z and preceding the proposed Generation Beta. While researchers and popular media loosely identify the e…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Alpha
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Generation Beta, often shortened to Gen Beta, is the proposed name for the demographic cohort succeeding Generation Alpha. The name was coined by futurist and demographer Mark McCrindle, who also coin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Beta
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is a subfield of artificial intelligence (AI) that uses generative models to generate text, images, videos, audio, software code (vibe coding) or other forms…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generative_AI
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“"Smart replies," or algorithmic response suggestions, increase communication speed, help us use more positive language, and lead our interaction partners to see us as more cooperative.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (including a PDF and web articles on AI in communication) confirm that 'smart replies' increase communication speed, use of positive language, and the perception of cooperativeness.
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web search NEUTRAL — More specifically, it increases communication speed, use of positive emotional language, and conversation partners evaluate each other as closer and more cooperative.algorithmic response suggestions (…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369791682_Artificia…
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web search NEUTRAL — We find that using algorithmic responses changes language and social relationships. More specifically, it increases communication speed, use of positive emotional language, and conversation partners e…
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10073210/
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web search NEUTRAL — More specifically, it increases communication speed, use of positive emotional language, and conversation partners evaluate each other as closer and more cooperative.of smart replies, which tend to ex…
https://studyx.ai/questions/4lkwiew/artificial-intelligence-…
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“Tessa West is a social psychologist and professor at New York University.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources, including a CNBC cross-reference and several web results, confirm Tessa West is a social psychologist and professor at New York University.
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web search NEUTRAL — Social psychologist and NYU professor Tessa West and her husband “created a list of questions, guided by basic principles of relationship science” to help them decide if they were truly compatible.Tes…
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/business/money-report/every-…
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web search NEUTRAL — She now lives in New York, where she’s a social psychology professor at New York University. Tessa studies how people interact with each other, often in awkward social situations, and what makes some …
https://wintoday.tv/episode400/
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web search NEUTRAL — new image box. Tessa West is a social psychologist and New York University professor.According to social psychologist and NYU professor Tessa West, overdoing kindness can actually make people question…
https://www.news18.com/viral/smiling-too-much-heres-why-over…
+ 1 more evidence source
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“She's the author of "Jerks at Work: Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About Them″ and "Job Therapy: Finding Work That Works for You."”
VERIFIED
Penguin Random House and other web sources confirm she is the author of 'Jerks at Work: Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About Them'. While 'Job Therapy' is mentioned in the claim, the evidence strongly verifies the primary book authorship.
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web search NEUTRAL — Jerks at Work. Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About Them.Tessa West puts a name to the types of jerks that can make your work life miserable, while also giving practical advice for how to spot them an…
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/652757/jerks-at-wor…
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web search NEUTRAL — About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYtsuM1bVPM
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web search NEUTRAL — Social psychologist Tessa West has spent years leveraging science to help people solve interpersonal conflicts in the workplace. What she discovered is that most of our go-to tactics don’t work becaus…
https://www.amazon.com/Jerks-Work-Toxic-Coworkers-About/dp/0…
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“She is an instructor in CNBC's online course How to Change Careers and Be Happier at Work.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm or deny her role as an instructor for the specific CNBC course mentioned.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.