Can sharing a roller coaster ride strengthen friendships, deepen relationships, or even improve well-being? A groundbreaking research initiative in Sweden aims to find out.
Photo: Liseberg (Download)
Beginning in summer 2026, Scandinavia's largest amusement park, Liseberg in Gothenburg, will become the setting for an ambitious research initiative exploring how shared experiences influence happiness, social connection, and well-being.
The initiative, The Liseberg Happiness Lab, brings together researchers from the Stockholm School of Economics, Karolinska Institutet, and the London School of Economics to investigate what happens when people experience joy together.
Rather than relying solely on traditional laboratory settings, researchers will collect data where emotions naturally occur—on roller coasters, while waiting in line, and throughout a day at one of Sweden's most visited attractions.
For more than 100 years, Liseberg has been a place where people come together to share special experiences – through laughter, anticipation and that tingling feeling in the stomach. It is incredibly exciting that we can now enable research that creates a deeper understanding of what these moments actually mean for us as human beings – both here in the park and beyond its gates”, says Andreas Andersen, CEO of Liseberg.
More Than 1,000 Citizen Researchers
More than 1,000 volunteers will participate in the project during summer 2026 as Citizen Researchers, helping researchers collect data before, during, and after their visit.
Using surveys alongside wearable technology that measures physiological responses in real time, researchers hope to better understand how moments of excitement, anticipation, and shared joy influence people.
One part of the project, The Social Sync, will explore what happens when people experience emotionally intense moments together. Can shared adrenaline strengthen social bonds? Do positive shared experiences continue to influence relationships long after the ride has ended?
The research also focuses on eustress, often described as "positive stress." Unlike harmful stress, eustress is associated with enjoyable challenges and emotionally rewarding experiences that may enhance motivation, performance, and well-being.
“Through many research projects at CWWH, we have learned that when people feel good, they do good—and that this has positive effects on individuals, organisations and society. We know a great deal about the negative effects of stress, but far less about what intense joy actually does to us as human beings. Liseberg offers a unique opportunity to study this in a real-world setting,” says Micael Dahlen, Professor at the Center for Wellbeing, Welfare and Happiness, Stockholm School of Economics.
The findings will be published in scientific journals as well as reports for a broader public audience.
Located in Gothenburg, Sweden's second-largest city, Liseberg welcomes around three million visitors each year and is Scandinavia's largest amusement park, combining world-class rides with gardens, concerts, restaurants, and seasonal events.
Notes to Editors
About The Liseberg Happiness Lab
The Liseberg Happiness Lab is a collaborative research initiative between Liseberg, the Stockholm School of Economics, Karolinska Institutet, and the London School of Economics. More than 1,000 volunteers are expected to participate as Citizen Researchers during summer 2026.
More Information
Liseberg
https://www.liseberg.se/en/
Visit Gothenburg
https://www.goteborg.com/en/
Visit Sweden – Gothenburg
https://visitsweden.com/where-to-go/southern-sweden/goteborg/
Source
Liseberg Press Release
https://www.mynewsdesk.com/liseberg/pressreleases/liseberg-and-professor-micael-dahlen-launch-research-initiative-on-happiness-3454628