The appeal of gory films lies in their ability to provoke visceral shock and excitement. Of course, not everyone gets a buzz from them: studies have shown that those who enjoy watching gore are more likely to score lower on empathy and higher on a personality trait known as 'sensation seeking'.
Exposure to terrifying acts like stories of demonic possession or alien infestation can be stimulating both mentally and physically. These experiences can give rise to both negative feelings, such as fear or anxiety, and positive feelings, such as excitement or joy.
When we experience "recreational" or "staged" fear, our brain releases dopamine, a feel-good hormone associated with feelings of pleasure, reward and motivation.
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.
The appeal of gory films lies in their ability to provoke visceral shock and excitement. Of course, not everyone gets a buzz from them: studies have shown that those who enjoy watching gore are more likely to score lower on empathy and higher on a personality trait known as 'sensation seeking'.
While both Highly Sensitive People and individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder share some sensitivities, they are separate concepts with distinct characteristics. It's crucial to recognize and respect these differences to provide appropriate support and understanding.
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.
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.
Different types of psychopathy are related to horror movie preference as well as things like violent sports (and an aversion to romance, pop music and non-violent sports). However, you don't need to be a psychopath to enjoy horror cinema.
"It does have the potential to be unhealthy, especially if overconsumption impacts fundamental aspects of our wellbeing," Chambers explained. "Due to the physiological reactions of watching horror and gore, we can find ourselves euphoric and highly stimulated, making it much harder to sleep.
Violence provides a fantastic opportunity to reflect on the meaning of life. Violence, blood, and death have always attracted attention. “I think the reason as to why people enjoy them so much is because it gives them an adrenaline rush.” Says film studies major Sabrina Zax.
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. Our adrenaline and cortisol levels go up and blood goes to our extremities.
“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.
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 most extreme narcissists tend to like the most disturbing movies, because they lack the empathy that would make them otherwise uncomfortable watching that.
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.
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 watch scary movies because they help us to release our anxiety and fears deep inside our conscious. The Greek Philosopher Aristotle introduced “catharsis,” which is a process where we release our negative emotions by watching violent or scary movies. In other words, they help us to “purge” our aggressive emotions.
Summary. Horror movies ignite our senses, triggering an adrenaline rush and emotional roller coaster. They offer a controlled environment to confront fears and anxieties, leading to catharsis and a sense of release.
What does it say about my personality if I like horror movies?
Horror is among the most studied genres in psychology, so we have a pretty good idea of who likes movies, such as Get Out, The Shining, and Saw. Horror fans tend to be more neurotic, less agreeable, and less extroverted,1 so people who are more anxious but less outgoing and compliant like this genre.
There isn't a single test for autism. Clinicians evaluate for autism through comprehensive and in-depth interviews and behavioral observations. Tools like the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 (ADOS) are commonly used, but other instruments are available.
For those unfamiliar, “allistic” refers to people who are not on the autism spectrum, and has become an increasingly popular term to help distinguish people from their autistic peers without using judgmental terms like “normal” in contrast to “autistic”.
Children who learn much more slowly or quickly than their peers might be neurodivergent. Difficulty with toilet training, sleeping through the night, or behavioral outbursts that are not developmentally appropriate can also indicate neurodivergence.
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.
