While some kids may try to act like their friends, socializing may be helping them boost brain power. According to a new study, talking with other people in a friendly manner can help boost cognitive ability.

Researchers from the University of Michigan suggest that talking with friends makes it easier to solve common problems. On the opposite end of the spectrum, having a discussion in a competitive tone has no cognitive benefits.

"We believe that performance boosts come about because some social interactions induce people to try to read others' minds and take their perspectives on things," researcher Oscar Ybarra said.

The authors examined the impact that brief interactions had on one's mental activity, including working memory, self-monitoring and the ability to suppress internal distractions. The researchers noted that these were all essential for solving common problems in life.

Researchers then compared these findings to previous results and found that these studies had supported their theory.

"Taken together with earlier research, these findings highlight the connection between social intelligence and general intelligence," Ybarra said.

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