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Watching horror films is a very popular form of entertainment – for some people. Research on horror films suggests which elements are particularly scary, and reveals the kinds of people who are attracted to horror films, and those who tend to avoid them.
What Makes Horror Movies Scary?
- Fear of Death. This is ultimate human fear, both existentially and psychologically. There are very few horror films where people don’t get killed, or at least face the possibility of death.
- The Dark. We develop a fear of the dark in our early childhood years – not the dark itself, but what it might hide. Most horror films take place at night, and watching them in a darkened theater, or a dark living room, makes them even scarier.
- Suspense. The very best horror films are suspenseful (think Alfred Hitchcock movies). Suspense creates the anticipation that something bad will happen, and it is seemingly unpredictable. Some of the most shocking horror films also violate the audience’s expectations (e.g., the hero gets killed; the killer is the one the audience least suspects).
- Sudden Movement and Noise. A loud noise, or sudden movement/light, after a period of quiet, is what is called a “jump scare.” This creates a startle response, and a rush of adrenaline. These are a mainstay of horror films.
- Disfigurement or Dismemberment. Many horror films feature grotesquely disfigured antagonists (e.g., Frankenstein’s monster, zombies, the Phantom of the Opera). Studies in early child development have found that even young infants will react with fear to asymmetrical or disordered faces.
- Spooky Music. A major feature in horror movies is the effective use of music to set the mood, and intense bursts of music intensifies the feeling of suspense and shock. Think of the infamous “shower scene” in Psycho with the bursts of music accompanying the slashing knife.
Who Enjoys Horror Films and Who Avoids Them?
Research suggests that persons high on the personality dimension of sensation-seeking prefer and enjoy horror films. Interestingly, there seems to be a negative relationship between empathy and horror film watching – with more empathic individuals enjoying them less, particularly persons who are prone to emotional contagion – feeling others’ pain.
Not surprisingly, men tend to be more attracted to horror films than women. Research in social psychology might suggest that taking a date to a horror film could stimulate feelings of physical attraction, as the daters misattribute the arousal from the scary film as feelings of sexual attraction.
Although there is some research on the psychology of horror films, there are many unanswered (and un-researched) questions (Martin, 2019).
