Podcast
Questions and Answers
What emotion does horror entertainment aim to evoke in its audience?
What emotion does horror entertainment aim to evoke in its audience?
What is the evolutionary purpose of the fear system?
What is the evolutionary purpose of the fear system?
How do horror films, literature, and video games portray threats?
How do horror films, literature, and video games portray threats?
What is the most common emotion felt by horror fans?
What is the most common emotion felt by horror fans?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the evolutionary origin of the monsters found in horror entertainment?
What is the evolutionary origin of the monsters found in horror entertainment?
Signup and view all the answers
What type of reaction do horror films, literature, and video games elicit?
What type of reaction do horror films, literature, and video games elicit?
Signup and view all the answers
How do horror fans build a sense of mastery?
How do horror fans build a sense of mastery?
Signup and view all the answers
What does psychological research suggest about hardcore horror fans?
What does psychological research suggest about hardcore horror fans?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the purpose of horror entertainment?
What is the purpose of horror entertainment?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the primary emotion associated with horror entertainment?
What is the primary emotion associated with horror entertainment?
Signup and view all the answers
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.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Do you enjoy feeling fear and horror in your entertainment? Take this quiz to find out if you're a horror fan!
