media horror theories

• Why do we go to scary movies?

  Fascinated with fright

  The idea that predators are hiding in the dark is thrilling to some people.

  Fear triggers

  Survivor instinct
• Nobuo Masataka


  Children as young as three have an easier time spotting snakes on a computer screen than they do spotting flowers.
• Christof Koch


  The right amygdala,the portion of the brain associated with fear learning,responds more vigorously to animals than images of people,landmarks or objects even though those things are more dangerous in our civilised world.This may explain the shape of our movie monsters,creatures with sharp teeth or a snake-like appearance.The fear of being eaten alive also explains the cannibalistic traits of human monsters,like dracula and doctor Hannibal Lecter.
• Thomas Straube


  He found that horror movies don't actually activate fear responses in the amygdala at all. Instead they activate within the visual cortex; the part of the brain responsible for processing visual information. The insular cortex; responsible for self awareness. The thalamus which is the relay switch between the brain hemisphere and lastly the dorso-medial prefrontal cortex; the part of the brain associated with paying attention and problem solving. We aren't REALLY being scared by the movies, at least not according to the brain chemistry.
• Glen D. Walters


  Tension

  created through mystery, suspense, gore, terror or shock.

  
  

  Relevance

  in order for a horror film to be seen it must be relevant to the potential viewers. Therefore, horror films capture human fears (global panic, societal fears) such as death or murder.

  It could also take on cultural relevance that deals with societal issues. For example, subgroups such as teenagers have many horror films written about them.

  
  

  Lastly, personal relevance that is either identified with the protagonist or in a way that condemns the antagonists or victims to their ultimate fate.
• Unrealism


  No matter how realistic a film may be, we all know to some extent that what we are watching is just a film. It is not actually real.
• Haidt, McCauley + Rozin

  They researched disgust back in 1994. They showed students a series of gruesome documentary videos and very little could make it until the end; yet the same students were able to watch even worse acts conducted in a movie scene. This is because they know films are just fabricated reality whereas the documentaries were of real people.

  This is why children are so scared of horror films; because they struggle to separate reality and fiction more than teenagers or adults.
• Freud


  He believed that horror came from the uncanny.
• Jung


  He believed that horror movies tapped into primordial archetypes that were buried deep in our collective subconscious. Images like shadows and mother play important roles in the horror genre.

  But, psychoanalysis is hard to test empirically meaning it is hard to say if these ideas fall more in the realm of philosophy.
• Aristotle


  He thought people were attracted to scary stories and violent dramatic plays because it gave them a chance to purge their negative emotions.

  He called the process "Catharisis". We would watch violent movies and play aggressive video games to release the pent up feeling of aggression. Although, research has proved the opposite and suggests that research actually produced more aggressive behaviour. Pent up anger is better released by watching comedies or romances.
• Excitation Transfer Theory


  Negative feelings intensifying positive outcomes
• Tamborini, Stiff + Zillman


  The Excitation Transfer Theory is a new take on the Catharsis theory. Zillman argued in 1978 that the negative feelings created by horror movies actually intensify the positive feelings that occur when the hero triumphs in the end. But what about movies where the hero doesn’t triumph? Some studies show that people's positive feelings were actually higher during the scary points of the horror than the end.Tamborini, Stuff and Zillman all found that there is a significant correlation between people who are accepting of norm-violating behaviour and their interest in horror movies.
• Sensation Seeking Scale


  Measure of thrill-seeking behavior
• Gender Socialisation Theory


  Horror films reflecting traditional gender roles
• Reflection of Societal Fears

  Horror films mirroring cultural anxieties
• Noel Carroll


  believed that horror movies are a product of curiosity and fascination. Horror exists outside of the everyday existence of normal behaviour.
• Zuckerman


  Proposed that people who score highly on the Sensation Seeking Scale often reported a greater interest in exciting things such as roller coasters, bungee jumping and horror films. Researchers found correlation but it isn't always significant; even Zuckerman noted that.
• Gender Socialisation Theory - Zillman, Weaver, Mundorf and Aust


  Considers horror films as a codification of traditional gender roles which is often referred to as the snuggle theory.
• ‘Snuggle’ Theory


  Experiments with adolescent boys found that they enjoyed a horror film much more with a female companion that was visibly scared. The opposite was true with girls who found horror films less enjoyable when their male companions were physically scared. The girls enjoyed the films more when the boys were brave and handled their fear.
• D.J. Skal


  He posits that horror films are a reflection of our societal fears. Looking at the history of horror we have mutant monsters rising in the 50s from our fear of the nuclear bogeyman. Zombies in the 2000s as a reflection of viral pandemic fears.

  But there are many that don't fit this theory.