Whether it is laughing at a classic comedy or watching a horror film from behind a cushion, movies can generate myriad feelings. Now researchers say experiencing intense emotions alongside others makes people feel more connected – provided you can see them.
It has long been known that experiencing emotional events together can strengthen bonds between people, with a previous study finding that watching emotional films with another person makes people feel more connected.
But it has been unclear whether individuals needed to experience intense emotions, similar emotions or both to produce a greater bond. It has also been unclear whether the effect is seen when people watch both joyful and sad films, and whether it occurs only when individuals can see each other.
Writing in the journal Royal Society Open Science, Victor Chung of the École Normale Supérieure in France and colleagues report how they probed the matter by inviting strangers to watch videos together in same sex pairs.
