horror movie psychology

Watching horror movies is a very popular form of entertainment for some people. Studying horror movies can tell you which elements are particularly scary, and it can reveal which people are attracted to horror movies and who tend to avoid them.

What’s scary about horror movies?

• fear of death. this is the ultimate human fearBoth existentially and psychologically. There are very few horror movies where people don’t get killed, or at least face the possibility of death.
• dark. When we are young, we develop a fear of the dark, but it is not the darkness itself, but what is hidden in the darkness. Most horror movies take place at night and are even scarier if you watch them in a dark theater or dark living room.
• Suspense. The best horror movies are full of suspense (think Alfred Hitchcock movies). Suspense creates a sense of expectation that something bad will happen, but it is seemingly unpredictable. Some of the most shocking horror films subvert the audience’s expectations (e.g., the main character gets killed and the culprit the audience most suspects is the culprit).
• sudden movement or noise. The appearance of loud noises or sudden movements or lights after a period of silence is called a jump scare. This creates a startle response and an adrenaline rush. These are the mainstays of horror movies.
• Disfigurement or cutting. Many horror films feature grotesquely deformed antagonists (such as Frankenstein’s monster, zombies, and the Phantom of the Opera). early studies child development Researchers have found that even young infants are fearful of asymmetrical or disordered faces.
• creepy music. A hallmark of horror films is the effective use of music to create atmosphere, with intense bursts of music enhancing the sense of suspense and shock. Remember the infamous “shower scene” in “The Shower Scene”? psycho Along with the explosion of music that accompanies the slicing knife.

Who likes horror movies and who avoids them?

According to research, people personality dimensions seek sensation Like horror movies and enjoy them. Interestingly, there appears to be a negative relationship between empathy and watching horror movies. empathetic People who don’t have much fun, especially those who feel the pain of others and whose emotions are easily contagious.

Not surprisingly, men tend to be more attracted to horror movies than women. Social psychology research may suggest that taking a horror movie on a date can stimulate physical emotions. attractionbecause your date incorrectly interprets the excitement from a scary movie as an emotion. sexual attraction.

Although there is some research on the psychology of horror films, there are many unresolved (unresearched) questions (Martin, 2019).