Epley Reveals the Power of Friendship in New Documentary
Professor Nicholas Epley has spent his career exploring a paradox at the heart of social life: humans have evolved to connect and cooperate, doing so consistently makes us happier and healthier, yet too often we choose solitude.
In the new documentary, Friendship - A Superpower?, Epley and fellow experts explore role that friendships play in our lives, the ways we undervalue these relationships, and how modern technologies designed to connect us may actually drive us apart.
The film premiered at the Silbersalz Science and Media Festival on October 30, 2025 with a special video introduction from Professor Epley. German and French audiences can watch online now, though the film is not currently available in the U.S. However, you can watch the trailer here.
Deep Conversations Make Deep Connections
Scenes featuring Epley were filmed in January 2025 at Chicago Booth’s Harper Center, Mindworks, and around the Loop. University of Chicago students and staff also appeared as extras in a depiction of Epley’s Deep Talk demonstration, which encourages strangers to go beyond mere small talk to form real connections quickly.
In Deep Talk, participants first predict measures like how much they would enjoy having a deep conversation with a stranger, how awkward the believe it will be, and how much the other person will like them. They then actually have that conversation, prompted by probing questions such as: “Can you tell me about one of the last times you cried in front of another person?” or “For what in your life do you feel most grateful? Please tell me about it.” Afterward, they rate how the conversation actually went.
The exercise is simple yet powerful experience for participants. After facilitating thousands of these conversations with people from all walks of life, Epley consistently finds near-universal results: the conversations are less awkward and more enjoyable than people expect.
The Myriad Benefits of Social Connection
Epley has replicated these findings in formal research as well. Across a variety of domains, he finds that people underestimate the benefits of social connection—whether with close relations or total strangers —and that this systematic undervaluation leads us to isolate and miss out on meaningful opportunities.
Despite our epidemic of loneliness, there’s room for optimism and improvement. Whether it’s asking a stranger to take your photo instead of taking a selfie, striking up conversation with a stranger on public transit, writing a thank you note, or giving a compliment, Epley’s research shows that small behavior changes can have unexpectedly positive impacts for both you and the other person.
Epley’s forthcoming book, A Little More Social: How Small Choices Can Make Us Happier, Healthier, and Better Connected, delves even deeper into the benefits of and barriers to prosocial behavior, empowering readers to put science into practice and build better habits. A Little More Social will be available May 2026 in the U.S. from Penguin Press and is now available for pre-order.
Special Thanks
Thank you to the filmmakers at Bilderfest GmbH who traveled all the way from Germany to create Friendship - A Superpower?, the staff members who helped secure locations, and the UChicago community members who appeared in the film alongside Professor Epley.
About Nicholas Epley
Nicholas Epley is the John Templeton Keller Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Neubauer Family Faculty Fellow, as well as the Faculty Director of the Roman Family Center for Decision Research. He studies social cognition—how thinking people think about other thinking people—to understand why smart people so routinely misunderstand each other. He teaches an ethics and wellbeing course to MBA students called Designing a Good Life.
- By
- February 23, 2026
- Roman Family Center for Decision Research