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By: Ella Withers
Watching a movie that entails a whole group of teenagers getting brutally murdered isn’t everybody's cup of tea, but why is this a genre of film that has grown increasing popular? What makes getting scared fun? To answer this question, we must dive into the appeals of horror itself from human instincts, thought process, and genuine human experiences to explain excitement, longing, and an inert need to feel prepared for any situation your body and mind might expect.
When discussing reasons a person would want to watch something of the horror genre, an article from The Scientist provides startling clarity. The author writes, “Similar to actual threatening stimuli, a horror movie activates the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in increased cardiovascular function, alertness, and shallow breathing among the audience.” This stimulation across multiple body systems creates feelings of excitement and thrills and leaves audiences waiting for that adrenaline spike.
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Scientific Theories and Hypotheses
Scientific Theories and Hypotheses
Multiple theories or hypotheses exist to define the inner workings of the responses to horror, and these next two are no different.
The Scientist describes the stimulation appeal of horror as “The Excitation Theory” or the theory in which an audience derives euphoria from the completion of fear and suspense within a film.
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A hypothesis brought up by this same source is that of the “Benign Masochism Hypothesis”, stating that the viewing of horror movies is also seen as adaptive behavior, in which audiences prepare for possible negative stimuli in the future.
What Outside Instincts?
What Outside Instincts?
Instincts alone aren’t the only thing drawing in horror fans of all kinds. Aside from adrenaline and dopamine, many people experience a drawing or curiosity to the dark side of the human psyche. An article from Harvard Business Review elaborates, explaining “ As an inherently curious species, many of us are fascinated by what our own kind is capable of..' It is this curiosity that keeps the horror industry going, as screen writers consistently ask themselves , “What if?”
The last example of an appealing factor when watching horror is in the idea of novel experiences. Novel experiences refer to the ability to gain something from watching these scary movies, whether it’s a feeling of pride, or becoming further familiarized with negative stimuli.
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Harvard Business Review comments: “Being adventurous in this way makes us feel more worldly or daring (not to mention grants us bragging rights).”
Horror provides fun for the entirety of a human’s wants and needs from dopamine spikes to satiating a hunger for the unknown. Next time, when you need a pick me up, consider watching a good old Slasher film in place of that Romcom. Who knows, you may need it in the future.
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