Sarah Kollat, Penn State University – Why Do We Like to Scare Ourselves in an Already Scary World

The Academic Minute

What’s the benefit of frightening ourselves with horror movies and other scary adventures?

Sarah Kollat, teaching professor of psychology at Penn State University, looks into why we enjoy being afraid.

Sarah Kollat, teaching professor of Psychology at Penn State University. In my spare time, I volunteer as a firefighter with ALPHA Fire Company. I also write psychological thrillers under the pen name Sarah K. Stephens. When I’m not teaching, volunteering, or writing, I’m enjoying time with my husband and family in the wilds of Central PA

Why Do We Like to Scare Ourselves in an Already Scary World

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Haunted houses are a multi-million-dollar industry in the United States. But why do we seek manufactured fear when the real world is scary enough?

Research shows that creating fear in otherwise safe lives can be enjoyable – and is a way for people to prepare for real-life dangers.

Controlled fear experiences – where you can turn off the movie or walk out of the haunted house whenever you want – offer the physiological high that fear triggers, without any real risk.

When you perceive yourself under threat, adrenaline surges in your body and the evolutionary fight-or-flight response is activated. Your heart rate increases, you breathe faster, and your blood pressure goes up.

This physical reaction is crucial when facing a real threat. When experiencing controlled fear, you get to enjoy this energized sensation without any risks.

Controlled fear experiences also create opportunities for bonding. Exposure to stress within our social group also initiates the “tend-and-befriend” system.

When you encounter stressors along with people you care about, your levels of the so-called ‘love hormone’ oxytocin rise to initiate social coping strategies. As a result, navigating a recreational fear experience like a haunted house with friends sets the emotional stage to feel even more bonded afterwards.

Finally, scaring ourselves is a way to prepare for the worst. For example, data shows people who regularly consumed horror media were more psychologically resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic than nonhorror fans. It’s thought that horror fans had more practice coping with fear, and were likewise better prepared to manage the real dangers of the pandemic.

In the case of controlled fear experiences, scaring yourself can help you survive and adapt in a frightening world. So, for your next movie night, try choosing the dark thriller over the upbeat comedy – it just might be good for your health.

Read More:
[The Conversation] – Some people love to scare themselves in an already scary world − here’s the psychology of why

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