article_snippet: The act of verbally opening up to someone is a crucial building block that helps to form new relationships and intensify social bonds.
article_snippet: Such self-disclosure can be of a highly sensitive nature - like sharing one's religious convictions or personal fears - or a superficial scrap of information such as a favourite type of food.
article_snippet: Together with Alan Gray of University College London (UCL colleagues, Alan Gray of University College London (UCL observed the behaviour of 112 students from Oxford University, who did not known each other and were divided into groups of four.
article_snippet: They watched a 10-minute video together, without chatting to one another.
article_snippet: Each group member also had to write a message to another participant to help the volunteers get to know each other better.
article_snippet: Scientists believe that the person who disclosed information, was seldom aware of what Scientists had done, and it was only the listener who realised it had happened.
highlights_snippet: Act of verbally opening up to someone helps form friendships .
  
highlights_snippet: University College London explored the effect using video clips .
  