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Fear is considered aversive, yet people often seek it recreationally.

Psychologists have long speculated about the bonding effects of shared fear experiences.

A recent study set out to examine this phenomenon.

Findings suggest that changes in closeness post fear experience depend in part on post-experience processing.

Human beings are social creatures, and the presence of others often defines or augments the meaning and pleasure we derive from our activities. This would not be surprising regarding positive events, such as concerts or moviegoing, yet psychological research has shown that the rule holds true for negative events as well. In fact, In a classic early demonstration of this, Schachter (1959) found that participants who were anticipating painful electric shocks overwhelmingly chose to wait with other anxious individuals rather than alone. Anxiety and fear, it appears, may serve to increase our affiliation motivation. Misery, in other words, doesn’t just love company, it also loves miserable company. This finding has since been replicated several times.

Yet the social impact of fear appears to extend beyond mere affiliation. Another classic study found that men who were made to cross a shaky, fear-inducing suspension bridge rated a female interviewer who approached them at the other side as more attractive than men who crossed a stable bridge. Fear has also been shown to be susceptible to social contagion processes—we can catch others’ fear, and in doing so feel closer to them.

These findings point to a seeming paradox: While fear is generally considered aversive, it is nevertheless sought after recreationally—think: haunted houses,........

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