New Study Shows Audience's Hearts Synchronize At The Theatre

Researchers at The University College London Division of Psychological and Language Sciences have found in a new study that audiences hearts synchronize watching live theatre.

In a post on their website the College writes "The research was conducted by Dr Joe Devlin, Dr Daniel C. Richardson, John Hogan (all Department of Experimental Psychology) and Dr Helen Nuttall (Lancaster University). The team monitored the heart rates and electro dermal activity of 12 audience members at a live performance of the West End musical Dreamgirls. The team found that as well as alongside individuals' emotional responses, the audience members' hearts were also responding in unison, with their pulses speeding up and slowing down at the same rate."

Dr. Devlin was quoted in the post explaining "Usually, a group of individuals will each have their own heart rates and rhythms, with little relationship to each other. But romantic couples or highly effective teammates will actually synchronise their hearts so that they beat in time with each other, which in itself is astounding."

The study even found that audience members who knew each other would remain synchronized through intermission, likely as they were engaging with each other and discussing the show.

The same research team also previously reported that a live theatre performance could stimulate your cardiovascular system equally as a 28 minute workout.

Read the full post here!