1. Tartakovsky, Margarita. “Why Some People Love Horror Movies While Others Hate Them.” Psych Central.com. Psych Central, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/10/31/why-some-people-love-horror-movies-while-others-hate-them/.

This article mainly talks about why some people love horror films and can’t get enough of them. She stated four different reasons why some people love horror. Those are the excitation transfer process, different wiring, novelty, and gender socialization. The excitation transfer process is basically how you feel right after watching a movie. So after the film is over, this physiological arousal lingers. Any positive or negative feeling is intensified and will have an effect of seeing a horror film in the future. She also talked about how some people are wired to enjoy high levels of physiological arousal. 10% of the population enjoys the adrenaline rush they get from scary movies. With novelty, people turn to scary movies because all of us are wired to pay attention to anomalies in our environment. The last point she talks about is that more men enjoy scary movies because men are socialized to be brave and enjoy threatening things.

The article I found mainly talked about the issue of the excitation transfer process. According to Glenn Sparks, Ph.D, a professor and associate head of the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University, he found that when people watch frightening films, their heart rate, blood pressure and respiration increases. A quote from the article, “After the film is over, this physiological arousal lingers, Sparks said. (We’re just not aware of it.) That means that any positive emotions you experience – like having fun with friends – are intensified. Instead of focusing on the fright you felt during the film, you recall having a great time. And you’ll want to come back for more. However, if your experience was negative, you might not. For instance, let’s say you were on a date that wasn’t going well or you got into a car accident on your way home. Again, because your lingering arousal heightens any emotions you experience, the negative feelings might sway you to skip a scary flick in the future.” The reading we were assigned this week, mainly talks about the reason we like horror is because of the plot and the drama that it creates. A quote from the reading, “Applied to paradox of horror, these observations suggest that 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 the horror fiction 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). We like the story it is telling and the drama that is unfolding to help us discover what is happening. We wonder if such a creature can be successfully confronted, and that narrative question see us through to the end of the story.

2. Ringo, Allegra. “Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 31 Oct. 2013. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/10/why-do-some-brains-enjoy-fear/280938/.

This article mainly talks about why some brains enjoy fear. He states many different reasons, these include, people enjoy the natural high from the flight or fight response, gives people a self of confidence after its all over, know its a safe environment, and qualities of scary things across cultures.

There were three issues that caught my attention in this article, those were the flight or flight response, self confidence, and safe environment. With people liking the rush from the flight or fight response, there is strong evidence that this isn’t just about personal choice, but our brain chemistry. Research from David Zald shows that people differ in their chemical response to thrilling situations. A quote from the article, “One of the main hormones released during scary and thrilling activities is dopamine, and it turns out some individuals may get more of a kick from this dopamine response than others do.” This means some people are going to really enjoy thrilling, scary, and risky situations while others, not so much. Lots of people also enjoy scary situations because it leaves them with a sense of confidence after it’s over. A quote from the article, “Think about the last time you made it through a scary movie, or through a haunted house. You might have thought, “yes! I did it! I made it all the way through!” So it can be a real self-esteem boost.” With having a safe environment, here is a quote from the article, “To really enjoy a scary situation, we have to know we’re in a safe environment. It’s all about triggering the amazing fight-or-flight response to experience the flood of adrenaline, endorphins, and dopamine, but in a completely safe space.” This why haunted houses to such a good job. We can get all the effects and our brain has time to process that what is happening isn’t real. The reading we were assigned this week, mainly talks about the reason we like horror is because of the plot and the drama that it creates. A quote from the reading, “Applied to paradox of horror, these observations suggest that 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 the horror fiction 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). We like the story it is telling and the drama that is unfolding to help us discover what is happening. We wonder if such a creature can be successfully confronted, and that narrative question see us through to the end of the story.