To get closer, take turns answering a set of questions that go from light to deep; don't learn lines

Moderate value
Evidence B
Saves time
Free
Takes minutes
No willpower

In plain words

Two strangers took turns answering 36 questions that go from light to deep, and after 45 minutes they felt much closer than people who just chatted for the same time. What works is taking turns telling the truth and going a layer deeper each time, not clever lines. This shows only that they felt closer at that moment, not that it grows into a long-term relationship.

Cost: Free. It takes 45 minutes.
What you get: Two people who did not know each other were paired and took turns answering three sets of questions that go progressively deeper, 36 questions in all. The questions ran from "who would you most like to have dinner with" to "when did you last cry in front of another person." After 45 minutes, the closeness was significantly higher than in a control group that made small talk for the same length of time. It was also higher than the college students' average rating of the closest relationship in their own lives in that study
Notes: It was run only once, on college students, and measured only closeness over a short time, not whether it could grow into a long-term relationship. The closeness in the experiment came from two people taking turns, going a layer deeper each time into their real circumstances, not from lines, tricks or one-sided performance. So in conversation you can say "I'll share something real, and ask one just as deep," with both sides taking turns
Evidence grade: B : Supported by research but without a precise number, or based on small or single studies.
Sources: Aron A, Melinat E, Aron EN, Vallone RD, Bator RJ (1997). The experimental generation of interpersonal closeness: a procedure and some preliminary findings. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23(4), 363-377. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167297234003

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 10, tip 5. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer