G. Neil Martin, a psychologist at Regent’s University London, combed through decades of findings across psychology, psychotherapy, communication, clinical work, and media studies to produce what he calls “the first synthesis of the empirical literature on the psychology of horror film.”
The review published in Frontiers in Psychology maps what draws people to horror and how horror changes behavior and feeling.
“Why do we watch and like horror films?” he asks. Despite a century of horror film-making and entertainment, little research has examined the human motivation to watch fictional horror and how horror film influences individuals’ behavioral, cognitive, and emotional responses.”
“With interest and appreciation in horror increasing, the scope for undertaking research into horror film has never been more timely. There is still much to discover and still much to understand. Horror, said Adorno in another context, was beyond the scope of psychology. The research would suggest that the weight of evidence is on the side of one of horror’s innovators. Without psychology, Dario Argento once said, the horror film does not exist.”
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Cool premise, I wish I could read it. I’ve always hated horror, but I had recently started wondering what draws people to it.
Problem is, academic psychology works off of so many insane unscientific assumptions that I cannot trust any research it claims to do. If the field of psychology cannot identify non-science and separate itself from psychiatry, then it is not a science.
If ANY study uses the DSM to identify sample groups, collect data, or uses any disorder labels to attempt to quantify “mental health”, then it is wholly unscientific, its conclusions are worthless, and it should not be allowed to be posted on this site, or anywhere. Are we going to ever actually reject the DSM or just talk about it forever while never actually doing anything?
Yeah, take the “science” off the tagline too, too much of the “research” posted here is psych shill bullshit.
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Dead Soul: I appreciate your forthright approach.
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So do I, Dead soul. Please keep doing it.
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MiA,
I’m dealing with an insane computer and phone hacker problem, so not able to sign into my account. Just an FYI.
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Yeah, hopefully, I got my psychological computer and phone hacker out of my computer and phone.
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The real horror story is the “mental health system”.
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As well as the network of enablers in the media, academia, and regulatory bodies who actively support it or turn a blind eye to its corruption and abuses.
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Yup. Each one feeds off the other. It’s hard to tell where one ends and the next begins.
Just proves how bullies stick together.
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One faulty assumption here is that horror movies make people afraid. The entire article is about fear. I love horror movies because I find them funny. They don’t make me afraid. Aside from the occasional startle (which is also humorous), soundtracks are extremely obvious. Then there’s also the ubiquitous theme that someone must be “off their meds”, and the men not believing the women………..it’s always a hoot. Oh my favorite; “we have to stay together, but I’ll be right back, don’t move”. On a more serious note, I do think there’s something in my love of horror movies that is related to trauma. Many of us are most comfortable with fictional traumatic situations because they are familiar, and these story lines function as practice not taking them seriously, or even finding humor.
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