@felixthehauskat.bsky.social

The Recreational Fear Workshop explores why humans sometimes enjoy fear—and what it does to our minds and bodies.

This year, we have a fantastic lineup of speakers, covering everything from PTSD, psychopaths, true crime consumption and the Paradox of Horror.

Come join us at @aiasdk.bsky.social !

@profhelendodd.bsky.social

Our results align with prior research showing that shared experiences can enhance physiological and emotional responses. Heart rate synchrony was higher among socially close individuals, though whether this reflects pre-existing alignment or emerges during shared fear remains unclear.

🧟‍♂️❤️🧟‍♀️

5/5🧵

We found that participants who synchronised their HRs with others in their group reported higher arousal. This synchrony was more pronounced among socially
close dyads, suggesting that social closeness may facilitate physiological alignment during shared emotional experiences of fear. 4/5🧵

We recruited 347 guests at Denmark's scariest haunted attraction (Dystopia.dk). People go through this haunted house in groups of 4–5, often combining friends and strangers.

Participants reported 1) who they knew and 2) who they felt emotionally close to. Everyone wore heart rate monitors.
3/5🧵

It’s curious that we seek out fear for fun - and even more curious that we almost always do it together. We watch horror films in groups, visit haunted houses with friends, and tell ghost stories around the campfire.

But how social dynamics shape our experience of fear remains largely unknown. 2/5🧵