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).
What percent of the population likes horror movies?
Horror movies have gotten more popular. And in one survey of more than 1,000 Americans, conducted by Clasen, 55 percent described themselves as horror fans.
“They are fun to experience as a group and get scared with my friends,” Rohrich said. If you don't enjoy horror films, (an average of 64 percent of the U.S population doesn't, according to the website, correlated.org), typically are highly sensitive, can be overwhelmed by their surroundings and more empathetic.
Other personalities avoid slasher flicks because they have intense and negative reactions to stress. "They often have a really strong startle response, so when something scares them, psychologically and physiologically, they react very strongly," Sherry says. "That's in their biology, that's in their brain.
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.
10 Horror Movies Where The Victim Is More Dangerous Than The Villain
Is it ok to not like horror movies?
And then there are those select few people who absolutely despise scary movies. Fortunately, if you're one of them, we have good news for you: it's totally normal. There are a few different factors contributing to why someone might hate the same scary movie that someone else might love.
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.
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).
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.
No, enjoying horror movies is not a red flag that someone is a "nutjob." People have a wide range of interests and preferences when it comes to entertainment, and enjoying horror movies is just one of many possible tastes.
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.
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.
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 reason why the horror genre is growing popular amongst this generation is that it accurately anticipates and showcases themes that these young adults are interested in.
Horror followed close behind, with 32% of Gen Zers selecting it among their favorite genres — 10 percentage points higher than the general population did.
People with phobophobia tend to avoid any situation where they think they might become fearful. This might mean avoiding normal “scary situations” such as horror movies, roller coasters or skydiving.
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 ...
Many people believe that horror fans have low empathy. The claim that horror fans lack empathy is rooted in a flawed interpretation of a 2005 meta-analysis. Some morbidly curious people score high in empathy. Horror fans and morbidly curious people may be less coldhearted than the average person, research suggests.
Being scared (safely and healthily) is an often enjoyable and cathartic experience for many people. This can also be true for those suffering from anxiety. What many people do not know is that scary movies can also help to aid those people suffering from anxiety. This aid can come in the form of cinema therapy.
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.
The fear of the unknown. The anticipation of what is around that next corner or in those dark shadows. The horrifying visuals that are embedded into our minds, especially on those lonely dark nights. The terrifying feeling of being chased by something or someone of unspeakable horror.
“Fear of the unknown” can be splintered and reskinned in many, many ways to give horror stories their specificity. People are afraid of death, because they can only guess at what comes afterward. They're afraid of the dark, because it has the potential to hide just about anything they could imagine.
Studies have shown that horror can help us with grief, anxiety, depression, and a number of other disorders. For someone experiencing a deep loss or processing trauma, it becomes less about the deaths and more about the survivor.
Addiction to trauma (such as in viewing frightening films) is tied up in biology. That is, the films rev up the body's sympathetic nervous system, inducing stress and anxiety. In some, the stress is a welcome thrill. The payoff comes when the movie is over.
If someone has anxiety sensitivity (the fear of behaviors or stimuli associated with anxiety), they are more likely to react negatively to horror movies. Intrusive thoughts and feelings about being afraid can occur when watching a scary movie. Knowing your limits and what may push you over the edge is important.
