Mall of America study: Why people love haunted houses
During holiday season, malls and shopping centers bring people closer together with joy. But during Halloween season, they bring them together with fear.
In collaboration with the University of Minnesota, Mall of America placed cameras inside its Onionhead’s Revenge haunted house to study the behavior and reactions of some 300 participants in the project. They were recorded gasping, laughing, and even stopping to catch their breath.
Surveying the subjects following their experiences, MOA and the university learned that the fear people encountered inside the hair-raising attraction brought them closer together once they exited it.
“Partnering with the University of Minnesota gave us a unique opportunity to dive into the science behind why people love haunted houses,” said Jill Renslow, chief business development & marketing officer at Mall of America. “The University has been an incredible partner in helping us learn the psychology behind this popular phenomenon and the results were fascinating.”
Key findings:
- Seventy-three percent of participants reported feeling more satisfied with their relationships after experiencing the haunted house together.
- Even among strangers, feelings of fear led to increased social bonding, with many reporting a greater sense of connection after the shared experience.
- Seventy-seven percent of attendees felt moderate to high levels of relief after finishing the haunt, with many expressing amazement and awe at conquering their fears.
“This study sheds light on how shared fearful experiences, like haunted houses, can bring people closer,” said William Hedgcock, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota. “We tend to think of fear as self-focused, but it could play an important role in bonding us to others – especially when we experience it together.”
The key finding of the study, said Hedgcock, is that fear, typically regarded as a negative emotion, can actually strengthen social relationships when experienced in groups.
