10 Questions
What emotion does horror entertainment aim to evoke in its audience?
Fear
What is the evolutionary purpose of the fear system?
To help us stay alert and alive
How do horror films, literature, and video games portray threats?
By transporting us into virtual worlds that are full of danger and terror
What is the most common emotion felt by horror fans?
Enjoyment
What is the evolutionary origin of the monsters found in horror entertainment?
Ancestral threats
What type of reaction do horror films, literature, and video games elicit?
Physiological reactions
How do horror fans build a sense of mastery?
By exposing themselves to horror
What does psychological research suggest about hardcore horror fans?
They require more extreme stimulation than less avid fans
What is the purpose of horror entertainment?
To make its audience feel fear and horror
What is the primary emotion associated with horror entertainment?
Fear
Study Notes
- Horror is an entertainment genre that is designed to make its audience feel fear and horror.
- More than half of horror fans enjoy the genre.
- Horror films exploit an evolved fear system that helps our ancestors stay alive in a dangerous world.
- Horror video games turn the screws on the genre by making the player feel the fear and horror of the characters.
- Our evolutionary ancestors found themselves in a world full of danger, and as a result, they evolved a fear system that helps them stay alert and alive.
- Horror entertainment works by transporting us into virtual worlds that are full of danger and terror.
- Horror films, literature, and video games mirror protagonists as they confront terrifying threats.
- The fear and revulsion that we feel become mixed with sympathetic anxiety for a character in danger.
- Horror entertainment is a strong emotional cocktail that makes us feel fear and horror.
- Horror entertainment, such as scary folk tales and haunted attractions, engage the evolved fear system by portraying threats that match or overmatch those of ancestral dangers.
- The most horrifying monsters in horror entertainment reflect ancestral threats, such as the white shark in "Jaws" or the zombie.
- These monsters have qualities that engage the evolved fear system, such as the threat of predation or contagion.
- The behavioral and physiological effects of horror entertainment, such as goose bumps and screams, are evolved defensive reactions.
- Horror is a genre of entertainment that taps into the evolved fear system in order to scare its audience.
- Through exposure to horror, the audience can learn how to handle negative emotions and how to calibrate the fear system.
- Psychological research suggests that hardcore horror fans require more extreme stimulation than less avid fans in order to be scared, and that by exposing themselves to horror, they may build a sense of mastery.
- Therefore, horror is often a favorite genre of people who enjoy fear and terror in their entertainment.
Do you enjoy feeling fear and horror in your entertainment? Take this quiz to find out if you're a horror fan!
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