PEOPLE LIKE SCARY MOVIESWhether it’s horror movies, haunted houses, or creepy stories, some people love to be scared. They regularly seek out darker genres and delight in their fear-inducing elements. They yearn to feel terrified and scream their hearts out. Why do people like scary movies and getting a good fright overall? Experts share four possible explanations: The excitation transfer processAccording to Glenn Sparks, PhD, a professor and associate head of the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University, one reason for the appeal is how you feel after the movie. This is called the excitation transfer process. Sparks explains how it works: When people watch frightening films, their heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing increase. After the film is over, this physical arousal lingers. This means that any positive emotions you experience, such as having fun with friends, become intensified. In a nutshell: Instead of focusing on the fright you felt during the film, you remember having a fantastic time. And you’ll want to come back for more. If we experience high levels of fright, seeing a scary movie just isn’t worth it. Negative emotions“Negative emotions are stored in the amygdala, [which] in contrast to positive emotions are particularly resistant to being extinguished,” Sparks says. Horror movies can even lead us to change our behavior if something in our current environment reminds us of a scene. After seeing “Jaws,” a movie about a great white shark terrorizing swimmers, some people stopped swimming in the ocean and felt eerie about lakes and pools, Cantor says. Others might avoid films that come too close to home. Students have told Sparks that they avoid films featuring a terrorized babysitter because they babysit. |
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