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SpeakerHorror is one of the most popular fiction genres today.
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SpeakerBig names like It, Saw and The Last of Us prove over and over that many people love to be scared for entertainment.
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SpeakerThis might raise the question, what makes creepy clowns, massive sharks, and brain-eating zombies such popular topics in the world of fiction?
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SpeakerIn this video, we want to explore the psychology of horror and what draws people to being scared or terrified.
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SpeakerThe rush.
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SpeakerWhat do math finals, talking to a crush, and Slender Man have in common?
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SpeakerThey're effective in inducing fear.
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SpeakerAnd even though these experiences may all be different, your body produces very similar reactions.
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SpeakerAccording to Medical News Today, when you feel that you're in danger, your brain triggers a fight or flight response,
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Speakeryour pupils dilate, your heart beats faster, and your blood pressure increases.
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SpeakerThese are evolutionary responses that help you stay alert when the body senses danger ahead.
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SpeakerBy exposing you to scary images, horror movies and games have a way of making your mind believe that it's in danger,
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Speakerwhich creates a rush of adrenaline and feelings of fear and excitement.
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SpeakerBut of course, it's important that real danger is kept at bay which brings us to: safety net.
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SpeakerImagine being a night guard at a family pizza restaurant. Your shift starts from midnight to 6 a.m.
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SpeakerYour job is to sit in a room and monitor four animatronics that come to life and roam around the restaurant.
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SpeakerYou turn your eyes away from the camera for two seconds when suddenly the fox animatronic runs into your room and starts shrieking.
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SpeakerIf this were to happen in real life, would this situation be exciting? Probably not.
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SpeakerBut of course, if you knew that this was just a game, you would know that it's safe even though the scenario is terrifying.
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SpeakerAnd this is the main difference between real and fake danger.
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SpeakerIn his book, The Dangerous Edge, psychologist Michael Apter explores how people find excitement from extreme activities.
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SpeakerHe theorized that people raise their levels of excitement from risky activities by having just enough safety net to keep the activities from being lethal or fatal.
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SpeakerThis is how people can enjoy roller coasters, bungee jumping, or even horror movies.
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SpeakerThe fact that the terror behind the screen isn't real creates a safety net for the viewer while maximizing the level of excitement.
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SpeakerAge and gender.
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SpeakerWho do you think would be more likely to enjoy horror movies or games? Your teenage brother or your grandma?
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SpeakerResearchers Clason and Johnson attempted to answer this question in 2020.
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SpeakerThey conducted an online survey among 1070 individuals and asked them questions about their personality traits, gender age, and their feelings about horror movies.
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SpeakerSo, what did they find?
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SpeakerThey found that people who enjoyed horror movies tended to have a vivid imagination, low neuroticism, and strong belief in the paranormal.
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SpeakerThe researchers also noticed that males were more likely to enjoy horror movies than females.
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SpeakerTheir study also showed that there was a negative correlation between the enjoyment of horror and age.
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SpeakerThis means that if you're going to play a horror game, make sure you play it with your teenage brother and not with your grandma.
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SpeakerThe narrative.
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SpeakerHave you ever enjoyed a scary movie or game even if you typically don't enjoy horror? What made it enjoyable?
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SpeakerPhilosopher Noel Carroll believes that there's something far more significant than jump scares that draws people to the genre of horror.
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SpeakerIn his book, The Philosophy of Horror, Carroll argues that what ultimately draws people to horror more than anything else is curiosity.
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SpeakerWith the right narrative, the horror genre is able to raise curiosity among the audience and compel people to not only watch horror movies, but even come up with their own theories about the story.
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SpeakerWhile horror might not be your favorite, you might be surprised with the right movie or game that can play on your curiosity and draw you in with this fascinating story.
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SpeakerSo how about a good horror film for your next movie night?
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SpeakerWhat about you, are you a big fan of horror? What are your favorite horror movies or games?
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SpeakerIf not, what makes you dislike the genre? Tell us in the comments below.
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SpeakerAnd if you like this video, hit that like and subscribe button.
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SpeakerThanks for watching, until next time, and remember: you matter.