Psychology and Horror Films
Like Noel Carroll in “Why Horror?” and Sharon Begley in “Why Our Brains Love Horror Movies,” Anthony Rivas poses the question, “Why Do We Watch Horror Films?” in the online journal, Medical Daily. Rivas explores and provides evidence for two main theories. First, he looks at the notion that people want to watch something that confronts or addresses what he calls our “archetypal” fears. In other words, people want to put them selves in scary situations, like horror movies, to understand how society as a whole understands the typical notion of fear. Second, Rivas looks at our attraction to horror films as a way to derive pleasure even if we are very scared in the process. He compares it to what happens in the brain during other thrill seeking activities such as skydiving or bungee jumping.
It’s the second theory, that horror films give viewers a psychological ride that is both enjoyable and frightening at the same time that comports with both Carroll and Begley. Rivas cites a 2007 study in the Journal of Consumer Research where participants were asked to watch horror films and rate their emotions as a result. The findings revealed that, “ … although all participants expressed similar fears at the end of the clips, those who reported being horror movie lovers expressed more happiness than those who were horror movie haters.” (Rivas, p. 2) This point of view is similar to that offered by Carroll when he says, “Whatever distress horror causes, as a probably price for our fascination, is outweighed for the average consumer by the pleasure we derive in having our curiosity stimulated and rewarded.” (Carroll p. 290) Further, Rivas and Carroll are shown to be on the same page when Rivas again cites the Journal of Consumer Research study by noting, “ In the real world, people simultaneously can experience both happiness and sadness, exhilaration and anxiety. People enjoy excitement even if it’s from a negative source.” (Rivas, p. 2) Finally, in addition to the fact that fear and pleasure are related, Begley’s research explores the counterintuitive nature of this reality by confirming Rivas findings when she says, “… the stronger the negative emotions (fear, worry, etc) a person reports experiencing during horror films, the more likely he or she is to enjoy the genre.” (Begley p. 2)
One of the interesting things about Rivas exploration of our attraction to horror films is his inclusion of some biological facts alongside the psychological theories. Thrill seekers or those wanting to experience the roller coaster effects of watching horror movies tend to be more responsive to the neurotransmitter dopamine. (Rivas p. 3) When dopamine is released by nerve cells is sends signals to other nerve cells thereby creating the sensation enjoyed by viewers of horror movies. The rush can last for a long time as well. Rivas’ cites Dr. Glenn Sparks of Purdue University when he says, “He calls it the ‘excitation transfer process’ that is the culmination of a heightened heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration process that can linger after a movie.” (Rivas, p. 3) For those who like horror movies the pleasure seems to be a full body experience.
Rivas, Anthony. ‘Why Do We Watch Horror Films?’. Medical Daily. N.p., 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
Brain Science and Horror Movies
I am not a fan of horror movies so I don’t spend much time watching them let alone researching them. But, I have to admit that reading about the science beyond the allure of the horror genre was very interesting. There is a great deal of information available and many theories to consume about this about this topic but I found Sharon Begley’s article, “Why Our Brains Love Horror Movies” fun to read. Begley presents her information in a much more accessible fashion than Noel Carroll does in “Why Horror?” but they reach some of the same conclusions about our interest and pleasure in the horror genre.
Begley’s article highlights several different findings to help explain our interest in scary movies including the idea that people want and even crave being scared but in a controlled or safe environment; people, especially teenagers and young adults, seek intense experiences; horror movies tend to be predictable with neat or resolved happy endings and appeal to people who appreciate this while at the same time being repulsed and; the experience can help people, again especially teenagers, manage being afraid or terrorized. In the end, what stands out in Begley’s exploration of the underlining reasons horror movies are popular is the data around favorite films – they are almost never among anyone’s top picks. Dr. Stuart Fischoff, a professor of psychology at California State University, Los Angles and an editor at the Journal of Media Psychology explains this phenomenon when he says, “ … while horror films excite and arouse, they often leave people feeling nervous and unsettled … and this is not a state which leads to fond memories.”(Begley p.3)
In comparing Begley’s findings with Carroll’s, the insight of greatest similarity is that of the predictability of horror movies. Begley offers that, “… horror movies, even slasher flicks, generally stick to an almost Victorian moral code. You can be pretty sure that the girl who has sex with her boyfriend will wind up dead . . . as will teenagers who pick up hitchhikers . . . in these movies, there is no question about who the bad guy is.” (Begley p.2) Begley’s view is confirmed when clinical psychologist Glenn Walters of Kutztown University says, “Control lost under the cover of darkness is rediscovered in the light of day; danger posed by things unknown is reduced by increased knowledge and predictability.” (Begley p. 3) This view seems to be in concert with one of Carroll’s theories when he says, “ … these stories, with great frequency, revolve around proving, disclosing, discovering, and confirming the existence of something that is impossible …” (Carroll p. 278) such as vampires, monsters, or other horror related characters. In other words, I would suggest that the narrative arc that Carroll describes is a predictable and familiar methodology in horror films that allows the audience to view a movie and be scared but also feel safe in knowing how it will generally end.
It’s clear from many sources that people watch and really get pleasure from horror movies for many reasons. But, it’s the formulaic or predictable nature of such films that keep audiences coming back and asking for more.
Comment Back
My posting for today is also a comment back to another comment on a previous posting.
I appreciate your comments Eric, and totally understand not being into horror movies. I am not a big fan either. I think what I was trying to say about being off balance during the scene where the non-diegetic music had the most impact on me, was that it lulled me into relaxing. I knew the creepy/monster part was not yet over and still I let down my guard as the music and action moved from intense to romantic. I think this is a fairly common practice in horror films as noted in Horror History reading. The scary and weird scenes are contrasted with, “… the minutiae of daily life …”. (AAD 250 slide 3) We can relate to the characters as they interact normally but also experience the intended the roller coaster ride of emotion that occurs during this kind of film.
I thought Carroll’s piece was interesting as well although I think he used way too many words to express his theories. I found it very repetitive. That said, as I understand his point of view, Carroll is saying that people actually do find pleasure in the genre of horror specifically because of the repulsion or disgust that inevitably accompanies these kinds of movies. It does seem counterintuitive but he offers several theories to account for this reaction including, “… the pleasure derived from the horror fiction and the source of our interest in it resides, first and foremost, in the processes of discovery, proof, and confirmation that horror fictions often employ. The disclosure of the existence of the horrific being and of its properties is the central source of pleasure in the genre …”(282) By saying this, I think Carroll is offering that it does in fact make sense that people actually enjoy scary movies.
Given all his theories, I also appreciated Carroll’s acknowledgment that there is a set of folks who like horror movies simply because it’s disgusting!
Enjoying Horror Discussion
After watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the element of mise-en-scene that was one of the most interesting to me was towards the end of the episode when the two women from the Wicca meeting regroup after the monsters are slayed. Here we have two college students sitting and talking in a common area on a college campus – the most normal and mundane of circumstances. I love the contrast between that and what they have just been through and what they discover about each other. This contrast, between a totally normal setting, their power and potential power as witches, and that of the horror they confronted just the night before makes for a great story and great theater. The diegetic sound that had the greatest impact to me was Buffy’s screams once she got her voice back and the effect it had of blowing off the heads of the monsters. As a character inside the scene, Buffy’s screams literally gave voice to the anxiety I was feeling. I knew she would conquer the monsters but until the spell was broken it was unclear how it would play out. The non-diegetic sound that was most interesting to me was used in the scene when Buffy and her love interest (the secret military guy) meet on the street. Everyone in Sunnyvale has lost the ability to speak and it’s very tense. The background music shifts briefly from spooky, reflecting the tense mood, to soft and romantic as they see each other. The change in background music has the effect of keeping the viewer off balance and relaxing before the real action begins.