Imperial College researcher defines ‘boomerasking’ conversational habit

Researchers have identified a conversational habit known as ‘boomerasking’, where individuals pose questions primarily as a way to steer the discussion back to themselves. Dr. Michael Yeomans, an Associate Professor of Behavioural Science at Imperial Business School, helped coin the term to describe the tendency to ask a question, provide only a brief moment for a response, and then immediately pivot the focus back to one's own experiences.

Dr. Yeomans warns that this behavior can appear calculated and insincere, potentially making the speaker less likable than if they had simply shared their own stories without the pretense of a question. To combat this, he suggests several practical strategies:

• Asking questions that the speaker cannot answer themselves to curb the impulse to redirect the conversation. • Practicing genuine curiosity through thoughtful follow-up questions and active listening. • Implementing a ‘one more round’ rule, where the speaker commits to one additional turn of dialogue focused on the other person before introducing their own perspective.