We know that most people say they enjoy horror, but there's still a sizeable chunk of the population — somewhere between a quarter and a third — who say they don't like the stuff (Clasen et al., 2020).
As of October 2022, almost two-thirds (64 percent) of adults aged 30 to 44 surveyed in the United States said they either liked or loved the horror movie genre. Among respondents aged 18 to 29, that share was 10 percentage points lower, at 54 percent.
Not everyone enjoys horror movies. In fact, there are many who stay away from the genre as much as possible. Psychology has provided some insight into the individual differences that make someone more likely to enjoy horror films.
Why do people like horror or why do they dislike it?
Not surprisingly, some research indicates that people with a higher sensation-seeking trait and those who are more open to new experiences tend to seek out and enjoy horror-related experiences more. Additionally, if you have more empathy, you tend to react more negatively to what happens in horror shows.
No genre stands out in the lead-up to Halloween like horror, but its popularity has grown well beyond the arrival of the season. As of Oct. 10, 2023, the 43 horror films released theatrically this year had already generated more revenue than the genre's total box office in 20221.
The findings reveal that favorability of the horror genre reduced with age, with 68 percent of 18 to 29 year olds saying that they found horror movies very or somewhat favorable, compared to just 30 percent of adults aged 65 or above. Conversely, the drama genre was more popular among older generations.
We know that most people say they enjoy horror, but there's still a sizeable chunk of the population — somewhere between a quarter and a third — who say they don't like the stuff (Clasen et al., 2020). A few months later, I was riding on a train to Copenhagen. I was sitting next to a woman who was contentedly knitting.
October is the month to celebrate the spooky and the scary, but watching scary movies isn't for everyone. About half of Americans surveyed in a recent CBS News poll said they enjoy watching scary movies, but half say they do not.
Key points. Some people avoid horror movies because of genre prejudice. Some people avoid horror movies because they dislike the stimulation. There may be individual variation in “the sweet spot of fear,” but more research is needed on this topic.
What does psychology say about people who like horror?
Excitation transfer: This theory states that people who experience an emotional response to horror also experience more enjoyment when threats are resolved. Individual empathy: People who are less empathetic enjoy horror films more, according to Professor Ron Tamborini.
People seek horror entertainment for thrill and adventure, but studies have found mental health benefits in viewing scary movies, including stress release, managing real-life fears, and gradually reducing the impact of stressors through exposure to danger and fear in a controlled environment.
Horace Walpole wrote the first Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto (1764), initiating a new literary genre. The 18th century saw the gradual development of Romanticism and the Gothic horror genre.
For those suffering from anxiety, it can sometimes feel like there is no way out. Perhaps this is why many struggling with anxiety disorder look to escape their troubles with distractions like horror movies.
A big survey on horror movie preferences revealed some interesting gender differences: men are slightly more likely to say that they like horror, want their horror to be slightly more frightening, watch horror movies slightly more often, and are less likely to be easily scared by horror.
Filmmakers have customarily relied on gore to frighten and disturb audiences. However, in recent years, increasingly gory movies seem more and more prevalent. The first movies made truly in an attempt to unnerve their audiences date back to the silent films of the 1920s.
The poll asked Americans to say whether they love, like, dislike, or hate 10 genres. Of these, horror has the smallest number of people who collectively love or like it (49%) as well as the largest share of people who hate or dislike it (45%).
Horror fans can be classified along three dimensions: Adrenaline Junkies, White Knucklers, and Dark Copers. Dark copers are a newly-identified type of horror fans, who use horror to cope with problems like feelings of anxiety. Adrenaline junkies get a mood boost from the intense experiences of horror.
The tendency to fear intrusive thoughts and images can be triggered and increase levels of anxiety or panic. Viewing horror images can lead to unwanted thoughts and feelings. Thus, people who experience anxiety sensitivities often have a need to avoid those experiences.
Watching horrific images can trigger unwanted thoughts and feelings and increased levels of anxiety or panic, and even increase our sensitivity to startle-eliciting stimuli, making those of us who are anxious more likely to respond negatively and misinterpret the sensations as real threats.
Current CivicScience data show that nearly 60% of Americans say they enjoy watching at least one type of horror subgenre, rising to 83% among Gen Z adults. However, just 10% of U.S. adults 18+ consider horror to be their favorite movie genre.
Horror movies have become less scary and more focused on psychological thrills, losing the classic bone-chilling scares of the past. Directors like Jordan Peele sometimes try to be too clever with convoluted plots, taking away from the simple and terrifying pleasure of seeing a deranged killer in action.
Holly Richmond, a somatic psychologist and certified sex therapist explains it like this. Something called “horror-induced horniness” has a lot to do with the body's physiological response to fear. When we're scared, our bodies typically have some natural and hormonal responses reports Refinery 29.
“When kids are exposed to excessively scary movies, images, or even haunted houses, they tend to have some of the symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” Dr. Scanlon explained. The phenomenon of being scared is an experience that all humans can relate to, according to Dr. Scanlon.
The term is a portmanteau of the words cinema and philia, one of the four ancient Greek words for love. A person with a passionate interest in cinema is called a cinephile (/ˈsɪnɪfaɪl/ SIN-ih-fyle), cinemaphile, filmophile, or, informally, a film buff (also movie buff).
