Scared together: Heart rate synchrony and social closeness in a high-intensity horror setting

Humans frequently seek fear-inducing entertainment in social settings, yet the influence of social dynamics on physiological and emotional responses to shared fear remains underexplored. In this field study, we examined physiological synchrony and subjective responses to a high-intensity horror setting at a haunted house attraction. Groups of visitors (N = 347, aged 18-63 years) wore heart rate (HR) monitors and reported their emotional experiences (N = 347 for self-reports; N = 254 for HR analyses). HR synchrony emerged during the haunted house experience across timescales from short (25 s) to long (∼55 min), and greater HR synchrony was associated with increased subjective arousal. Additionally, socially close dyads exhibited higher HR synchrony compared with less close pairs. These findings indicate that physiological synchrony is linked to subjective arousal during shared frightening experiences and is more pronounced among socially close individuals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).