Key Insights
Why do people enjoy horror?
Horror offers a controlled environment to experience fear, which can be enjoyable in moderation.
What is the Goldilocks principle of horror?
The optimal level of fear is moderate; too little or too much fear diminishes enjoyment.
How does recreational fear help us?
It allows us to learn and practice handling fear, potentially improving our ability to cope with real-life stressors.
Did horror movie consumption during the pandemic correlate with lower stress levels?
People who watched more horror movies reported feeling less psychological distress during the pandemic.
What is the hypothesis about the purpose of recreational fear?
Recreational fear might help us learn how to handle fear better by simulating and practicing fear responses.
Chapters
Matthias Klassen and Mark Anderson explore the paradox of why humans are both repelled and attracted to scary things, leading them to co-direct the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University.
- Matthias Klassen's personal experience with horror and curiosity about its appeal.
- The evolutionary paradox of running away from and towards scary things.
- The formation of the Recreational Fear Lab to study recreational fear scientifically.
Shownotes Transcript
