How asking the right questions can deepen relationships

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published October 13, 2025 at 8:56 AM PDT

Two people engage in conversation.
(Tom Werner/Getty Images) — Two people engage in conversation. (Tom Werner/Getty Images)

Studies show that asking the right kind of questions can deepen a connection between two people. Those questions get at people’s values and fears, or get them to open up about their challenges and what brings them joy.

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks to science writer and author David Robson. He talks about the many ways this topic has been studied and why it can forge closer bonds between parents and children or even between strangers who then become friends.

Robson’s most recent book is “The Laws of Connection: 13 Social Strategies That Will Transform Your Life.”

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This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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