While several people tend to avoid things that frighten or scare them, there are those who are willing to spend money just to watch horror movies and try out attractions that trigger terror. Why is this the case?
Recreational Fear: The Paradox of Horror
This has been historically known as the "paradox of horror," as noted by Marc Malmdorf Andersen, the co-director of Aarhus University's Recreational Fear Lab. On one hand, people may feel an aversive and negative emotion (fear). On the other hand, they may feel an enjoyable and positive emotion simultaneously.
Researchers have been trying to unravel this mysterious paradox through the in-depth study of what is known as recreational fear, which refers to any experience of mixed emotions that blends enjoyment and fear.
What Science Says About Recreational Fear
Initial findings suggest that such scary experiences could aid individuals in dealing with scary scenarios and unpleasant emotions felt in an otherwise safe environment.
Of course, not all people enjoy haunted houses and horror movies. However, the pleasures felt from a good scare could partially be based on humanity's basic biology. According to a 2017 study, the central amygdala, which is the brain region that has been long-linked to fear, has neurons that boost behavior that induces pleasure.
Andersen explains that recreational fear is apparently something that surfaces in very early childhood. He adds that it appears to be something that humans become interested in starting from very young ages, as exhibited in simple children's games such as "peek-a-boo."
What happens in the body and brain when people feel scared, or the physiology of fear, could shed light on why some people may find fear enjoyable.
When one faces a perceived threat, the brain relays a signal to the endocrine system. This triggers various responses. For one, the heart starts having a faster thumb in order to circulate blood better. Breathing also goes up in order to send oxygenated blood to the cells. Muscles also tense, while sweat pools.
For some individuals, they may go great lengths to avoid activating such fight, flight, or freeze responses. However, for others, they may enjoy such feelings, dubbed sympathetic arousal, and keep on pursuing experiences that trigger such feelings.
One theory that sheds light on why people enjoy getting spooked says that recreational fear can be likened to a play type, wherein individuals get to simulate threats and feel such negative emotions without being in actual danger. Hence, those who are able to finish a horror movie without hiding could feel a sense of accomplishment and mastery over the simulated threat. This could lead them to seek out other similar experiences.
The amount or degree of fear could also affect how enjoyable the experience could be. As part of a 2020 study, the team of Andersen did a haunted house field study. There were 110 participants who were connected to heart rate monitors. These participants had their reactions visually recorded during peak scare points. The researchers also asked them about their feelings of enjoyment and fear after the horror exposure.
Andersen explains that the study revealed that a "sweet spot" for fear could exist, which is where enjoyment could be maximized. Both excessive and lack of fear could decrease enjoyment. Andersen adds that this sweet spot could be connected to prospects regarding learning about the situation and having insights about it.
A 2023 study also suggests that horror fans tend to be more psychologically resilient and less stressed about such a situation. Andersen explains that one possible reason for this is that they had more practiced thinking when it came to worst-case scenarios.
Nevertheless, if one does not enjoy horror movies or activities, the experience need not be forced. Andersen notes that it is linked to what people are ready to face. Horror-viewing can also be modulated in different ways, such as seeking social support from friends, adjusting the volume, and turning a few lights on.
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