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According to research conducted by the team at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, watching a movie together is one of the best ways to understand a person and learn more about them.
The École Normale Supérieure is a prestigious multidisciplinary institution in the French capital, founded back in 1794.
The researchers found that sharing tears during a sad film or laughter during a comedy can strengthen the bond with someone you feel sympathetic toward.
What Did the Researchers Discover?
The team showed the same selection of video clips to 61 pairs of strangers. During the screenings, psychologists observed the physiological and emotional reactions of the viewers, particularly focusing on the interactions between the participants within each pair.
The analysis revealed that people felt more connected to each other when they could see one another during the film and when they both experienced strong emotions at the same time. Interestingly, it didn’t matter whether those emotions were positive or negative, as reported by the Daily Mail.
According to the scientists, this study demonstrated that intense emotions can help strengthen relationships. Sharing emotions with others is a common phenomenon, they noted. They found that “shared attention and emotional intensity are the foundation of social connections between strangers.”
The results of the study were published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
What Do Other Researchers Say About This?
A survey of 1,686 British adults conducted by the polling company YouGov recently revealed that 86 percent of people consider going to the movies acceptable on a first date. Meanwhile, 7 percent of respondents claimed that it is “mostly or completely unacceptable.”
The researchers also discovered that couples in long-term relationships can rekindle the initial spark of feelings by reminiscing about their first date, particularly what happened in the cinema. Romantic nostalgia for that event can help rejuvenate relationships and foster a more optimistic outlook on future life together. Memories of how the couple first met, shared their first kiss, or went on vacation can serve as an antidote to everyday problems and disappointments, especially arguments over household chores.
