Sharing an experience might make it more intense, whether it’s good or bad

The Washington Post:

The best way to make a good movie great might be to watch it with someone else. According to new research published in Psychological Science, experiences may feel more intense — whether they’re good or bad — when someone else is there to share them.

In the small study, subjects shared chocolate with someone they thought was another study participant (in fact, it was a researcher who always played the same role). In each case, they were given two pieces of chocolate. One was eaten at the same time that the fake participant also ate a piece, while the other was eaten while the researcher pretended to work on another task. Even though the chocolate was actually from the same bar, subjects rated it as tastier and more enjoyable when someone else was eating it, too.

Read the whole story: The Washington Post