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).
Some research indicates that people with a higher sensation-seeking trait (i.e., a stronger need for experiencing thrill and excitement) tend to seek out and enjoy horror-related experiences more. Those with a lower sensation-seeking trait may find those experiences unpleasant and avoid them.
Just like there are many reasons for enjoying horror, there are many reasons for not enjoying horror. If you tend to ruminate; have a tendency to overthink; or you're simply less sensation-seeking.” I encompass all of these traits.
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%).
We have a brain that processes information very deeply and feels emotions very vividly, compared to other people. This trait is linked with many good qualities — empathy, creativity, and giftedness among them — but it also means we experience unsettling scenes very differently than other people.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Research indicates that people lower in the trait of empathy tend to enjoy horror movies because they are less impacted by the suffering depicted onscreen.
Our bodies can react as though we're facing an actual threat, making our heart beat faster and flooding our system with adrenalin and hormones like norepinephrine and cortisol, which can cause increased heart rate and muscle tension.
Individual empathy: People who are less empathetic enjoy horror films more, according to Professor Ron Tamborini. He suggests that “viewers with high levels of empathy should dislike horror films because they react negatively to the suffering of others.”
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.
“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.
“dark copers”: people who report that “watching scary movies helps them control negative emotions of anxiety and depression that might arise from thinking about the more difficult aspects of life”.
Scary shows, movies, and books gave me an element of control in the face of sensations that usually invoked feelings of helplessness. I think a lot of enjoyment of horror for everyone, not just trauma survivors, has to do with being able to feel fear in a controlled environment.
The science is pretty consistent. Study after study finds that males are slightly more likely than females to enjoy horror. For example, a recent study—conducted by myself, the media researcher Jens Kjeldgaard-Christiansen, and the personality psychologist John A. Johnson—found such a slight difference.
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.
Conclusion: To conclude, after analyzing all the data and looking at many different stats and graphs it is clear that about 48% of people watch horror movies. Data was collected across multiple different age groups and multiple different platforms in order to come to this conclusion.
Horror has become increasingly popular among younger people, with 32% of Gen Z adults and 20% of millennials saying they saw a horror movie within the past month, according to a 2022 Statista survey. Many would say the answer is the thrill, the rush of adrenaline they get every time a killer bursts from the shadows.
Horror and scary tales have long been intertwined with the history and cultural identity of humanity. In the modern moment, horror as a genre has been co-opted by Gen Z fans, many of whom enjoy the stimulation of frightening content and how it effectively communicates experiences of crisis.
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.
While there is no chapter and verse in Scripture saying horror movies are sinful for Christians to watch; it would be incredibly unwise and even dangerous for believers to partake in films that make light of the demonic and make it look entertaining.
The Dark Triad traits of psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism were hypothesized as having a positive correlation with horror movie enjoyment and a lower physiological response during the viewing of a horror movie because of past research showing that low empathy and high senastion seeking are consistently ...
