While it might seem really traditional, heading to the cinema to watch a movie for a first date could be a really great way to get to know a stranger, according to new research out this week.  

The study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science found that laughing during a comedy or crying together over a sad film was powerful in strengthening social bonds. 

The study took pairs of strangers and measured their emotional and physiological responses as they watched emotionally charged videos together.   

In addition to asking the participants to rate their emotional experiences they also measured their heart activity with an electrocardiogram, their respiratory activity and their skin conductance. 

They found: 

Positive Emotions Foster Connection

Participants who watched positive videos felt a stronger sense of connection and social identification with each other, suggesting that positive emotions enhance feelings of mutual understanding and affiliation. 

Impact of Negative Emotions

Even with negative emotional videos, an increase in positive feelings during the experience correlated with greater bonding. This suggests that while negative emotions capture attention, it’s positive emotional responses that most reliably foster connection. 

Joint Attention Matters

Watching the same video with a shared focus boosted prosocial attitudes and feelings of connection, especially in highly emotional contexts. This shared attention helped participants feel more connected, highlighting the power of collective emotional experiences. 

Physiological Synchrony Enhances Bonding

The study also found that participants’ physiological responses, such as heart rate and respiratory patterns, tended to synchronize during emotionally intense videos. This alignment was linked to a stronger sense of connection between individuals. 

The study illustrates that both positive and negative emotions can enhance social bonds, with positive emotions being particularly influential in creating a sense of connectedness. Shared attention and synchronised physiological responses amplify these effects, making emotionally charged experiences powerful catalysts for social bonding.

So if you have a first date scheduled for this weekend - find a comedy and head to the movies to test how well you bond with your date. 

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