Psychologists Explain How Fear Can Increase Relationship Closeness

Joint trips to horror attractions and scary movies can sometimes bring people closer than a classic candlelit dinner. Psychologists say this effect is rooted in human social nature and the way shared emotions strengthen feelings of connection and belonging.

Laughing together at a comedy show, crying during a film or supporting the same sports team can all create emotional resonance. Fear, however, appears to play a unique role. In stressful or potentially threatening situations, people instinctively seek closeness with others, and the brain encourages individuals to face danger together rather than alone.

Why People Seek Safe Fear

Every year, millions of people willingly pay to be frightened in haunted houses, horror mazes and extreme rides. Researcher Jane Wylie and her colleagues, writing in the journal Emotion, wanted to understand whether this type of controlled or “safe” fear can actually strengthen social bonds.

Partly inspired by their own interest in horror culture, the researchers noticed that frightening shared experiences often seemed to make friends and romantic partners feel unexpectedly closer afterward. To investigate this effect, they conducted several seasons of field studies at a large immersive horror attraction in the United States.

Participants moved through a series of haunted rooms filled with jump scares, eerie sounds and actors. Immediately after completing the attraction, they reported how frightened they felt, how much they enjoyed the experience and how emotionally close they felt to the people they attended with.

What the Experiment Revealed

Participants who experienced stronger fear were more likely to report feeling closer to their companions afterward. Physical contact such as hugging or holding hands, as well as joking and talking during frightening moments, appeared to play an especially important role in strengthening this sense of closeness.

The effect was not limited to romantic couples or close friends. Even participants who initially felt least connected to someone in their group often reported improved rapport afterward. Nearly half said they felt a stronger bond with the person they previously considered the most distant.

More than half of participants also reported that their entire group felt more united after completing the attraction. Researchers suggest that the shared challenge, adrenaline surge and feeling of having “survived” the experience together helped transform individual fear into a collective emotional experience and stronger sense of group connection.

Fear Alone Does Not Repair Relationships

At the same time, the researchers emphasized that frightening experiences do not automatically fix or transform relationships on their own. When they compared emotional closeness ratings before and after the attraction, the measurable changes were relatively modest.

Follow-up interviews helped explain why. The strongest bonding effects often emerged later, during conversations about the experience, when participants laughed about overreactions, retold the scariest moments and reflected on the experience together afterward.

Psychologists describe this process as emotional meaning-making. In other words, fear creates a strong emotional experience, but communication afterward helps convert that emotional intensity into lasting feelings of closeness and intimacy.

The Psychology of Shared Fear

Fear naturally increases feelings of vulnerability, which psychologists consider an important ingredient of emotional intimacy. When another person responds with warmth, humor or reassurance instead of criticism or ridicule, the brain interprets this as a sign of social safety and reliability during a stressful situation.

In this way, horror attractions and scary movies may function as informal stress tests for relationships. If a friend or partner offers comfort, laughs with you or helps you feel safe, the relationship often feels stronger afterward. Negative reactions, however, can sometimes produce the opposite effect.

Researchers note that emotionally intense experiences, including frightening ones, may deepen understanding between people when they are followed by empathy, support and open conversation. Relationships are often strengthened not only through comfort and routine, but also through the ability to experience strong emotions together and feel supported afterward.

For those seeking to strengthen relationships with friends or partners, a shared dose of safe fear may sometimes create more emotional closeness than predictable routines. Psychologists note that intense shared experiences can reveal how people respond under stress, whether they offer comfort, humor and support, or distance and criticism. In this sense, horror attractions and scary movies may function as small emotional tests that help people feel more connected afterward.

Researchers emphasize that fear itself is not what creates intimacy. The stronger effect comes later, when people laugh, talk and relive the experience together. Shared storytelling and emotional support help transform temporary stress into a feeling of trust, belonging and emotional closeness.