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.
The enjoyment that some people get from fear is likely not from fear itself. Instead, thrills stem from “the physical and emotional release that follows scary situations,” according to Seeker, a division of Discovery. For some horror fans, the desire to feel fear is a manifestation of an adrenaline-seeking personality.
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.
Perhaps for the same reason most people like horror movies, regardless of gender: It's fun to be scared, even when (and maybe because) the world can be scary. A deeper answer may be found in the question itself: Fear is familiar to women, and because of that accessible.
“Watching a horror film is naturally stimulating, as it triggers our bodies' fight or flight response, flooding us with neurotransmitters and hormones, as if we were in the scenario the characters face.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“When we're scared our blood naturally is pulled to our extremities, so that we can run faster. When we're turned on, the blood flows to our genitals… Cortisol levels go up both when we're scared, and when we're in aroused, specifically in situations with new partners, or when there's a novel aspect to sex.”
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.
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.
“There is no true release until a sense of safety has been re-established. Then the relief can be huge.” While watching a horror movie, the release is felt when the conflict is positively resolved – usually when evil is defeated – and our brain releases endorphins, stress-relief hormones, to relax us.
“It's normal for children to want to explore the boundaries of their own fears and what society deems as acceptable,” said Scrivner, who studies horror media and fear, among other “scary” subjects. “This is one way for them to learn about those boundaries.”
People with anxiety are more likely to be negatively affected by horror movies. Chronic anxiety increases sensitivity to startle stimuli, the researchers explain. As a result, it makes people who are already stressed and anxious more likely to react negatively.
It's the idea of mastering something threatening, he says. Cantor says that “Men often like [scary films] as date movies because women are more likely to seek physical closeness when they're scared, and men can show off their strength and bravery.” This is aptly called “the cuddle effect.”
Horror movies can be a form of escapism for those struggling with anxiety. Instead of facing their issues straight on, it may be easier to drown them in another person's narrative.
Horror movies are often banned in countries due to their disturbing content, such as extreme torture, sexual abuse, and graphic violence. The Bunny Game, Grotesque, Salò, and The Human Centipede 2 are examples of banned horror movies because of their deeply disturbing and graphic scenes.
Haunted houses and scary movies may actually help reduce stress, lower anxiety. Here's how to have the best experience this Halloween. The fear you overcome from walking through haunted houses and watching classic Michael Myers movies this Halloween could help to lower your stress levels overall.
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.
Horror is one of the earliest genres to embrace queer identities if only to vilify or disparage them. Because queer people were demonized in society, queer stereotypes became the language of antagonists and monsters in horror films.
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.
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.
Although women's poorer SRH implies greater suffering, when morbidities are categorized men often report more life-threatening chronic diseases while women describe a greater number of disabling but not life-threatening conditions [14, 16].
Female gaze in horror films humanizes characters and creates empathy, contrasting with the objectifying male gaze. Jennifer's Body subverts expectations with the female gaze, showing monstrous transformation and empathy.
