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.
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.
“The usual age for the target audience of a horror film is 15- 25. The most common reason for this is that young adults and teenagers enjoy thrills. These thrills are more likely to excite a younger audience rather than an older one.”
This is what our results stated: 47% of those who responded were male, while 53% were female. 87% of people were between the ages of 15-17, while 6% were between the ages of 18-25, and 7% were over 25.
The audience for horror films is more diverse than many people seem to assume. The genre appeals to women and men, young and old, thrill seekers and neurotics alike.
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.
One survey found that, on average, younger individuals tend to be more attracted to this scary genre; men are more likely to be fans of horror than women; and women versus men may like different aspects of a horror experience.
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.
Horror novels have become increasingly popular among adult audiences as well as young adult audiences. Books intended for an adult audience have in tum attracted young adults as well.
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.
Developmentally, teens can handle dramatic and psychological suspense, but kids under 16 still shouldn't see slasher horrors, especially those that feature kids in dire danger or that have lots of gore.
Horror entertainment can trigger the fight-or-flight response, which comes with a boost in adrenaline, endorphins, and dopamine. The brain can then process surroundings and conclude that the experience is not a genuine threat. This knowledge of personal safety is one reason horror fans habitually watch scary movies.
So, they turn to escapism, particularly with horror, which allows them to deal with things that they cannot understand. Lindsay Knight of Random House Australia wrote, “Scary stories play an important role in children's emotional education, allowing them to identify and control their darker feelings.”
Finding comfort in manufactured fear, darkness, and shared trauma might seem counterintuitive. But, with Gen Z experiencing arguably more horrors and crises in their young adult years than any other recent generation, they turn to the horror genre for catharsis.
“Fear” is an essential element in horror genre, which is why we consistently crave the adrenaline rush in scary films. Neuroscientists, psychologists, and filmmakers constantly study viewers' fear responses to see which techniques can terrify audiences.
These long-ago experiences have granted people a highly responsive, albeit mostly unconscious, threat detection system. Because horror movies do such a good job of simulating threatening situations, this means our emotional responses to them are similar to those we'd experience if we encountered a real-life threat.
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Called the "King of Horror", he has also explored other genres, among them suspense, crime, science-fiction, fantasy and mystery.
As of October 2022, approximately 35 percent of men surveyed in the United States said they had watched a horror movie in theaters between one and 12 months preceding the survey. Among female respondents, that share added up to 21 percent.
What does psychology say about people who like horror movies?
According to science findings, people may seek out horror movies for all sorts of reasons, such as triggering chemicals in their brains, to help them plan for worst case scenarios, or to practice coping strategies and control.
In general, though, Analysts' combination of Intuitive Energy and Thinking Nature is ideal for enjoying scary movies. Intuitive personality types love to look for hidden meaning and tend to let their imagination run wild, and horror films stimulate those impulses in a way no other genre can.
Gender differences in terms of social withdrawal tend to emerge in late childhood and early adolescence. This has been supported with a recent research finding, wherein girls were found to be shier and more inhibited than boys beginning in late childhood and early adolescence.
Some people find scary movies a big turn-on. It's not that they're hot for Freddy Krueger or the gore he brings, it's biology. So if you feel aroused after watching a frightening film, you're not alone.
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.
