The psychological experience behind fear

With Halloween creeping around the corner, many may find themselves in a scramble for a scare, whether it be through haunted houses or scary movies. But why is it that people yearn to feel fear?

Megan Wrona, a professor of psychology at Fort Lewis College, said fear is a versatile emotion which evokes great excitement and intense adrenaline rushes.

When a monster pops out, each person has a different response, Wrona said.  This response to a scary moment heavily intertwines with one’s psychology.

“It’s activating our fight-or-flight response,” Wrona said.  “Are we going to run away from that situation or are we going to stay and fight? We also often see the freeze effect.  It’s our body’s way of responding to things that are stressful or scary that help us survive.  Whether it’s fight, or run or freeze.”

A deeper meaning behind horror films

Films like “Children of the Corn,” “Jaws,” or “Silence of the Lambs” undeniably evoke fear but there is a deeper experience hidden within, Michelle Malach, associate professor and a chair of the English department, said.  The fear brought from horror, from time to time, can be healthy.

“It digs up our fears, holds it up to the light, and helps us realize we don’t have to be afraid of those things,” Malach said. “ We can overcome them.”

Whether one’s fear revolves around clowns, ghosts, or spiders, watching a film, leaving the theatre, and realizing that you have made it through alive can allows people to deal with their feelings in an entertaining fashion, she said.  

Fear is inevitable, but scary novels, horror films, and haunted houses can provide an outlet to embrace and openly react to the feared subject,   she said.  

Stacey Sotosky, a professor in English and media studies agreed that there is more to a scary movie or novel than a short-lived, frightful experience.  

“We remember less about what we read, what we see, what we talk about than what we experience,” Sotosky said. “So having an emotion like fear through an experience becomes a memorable moment.  It’s a rich life experience.”  

Elements of fear found in Media

Sotoski and Malach, who both dissect and teach media and cultural studies, said there are a multitude of elements that can make a movie scary.

Both said producers use a wide array of techniques to evoke emotion in the crowd.

Although it may seem like scary movies are shallow or are meant solely to ignite fright, much more goes into the production,  Sotoski said.  Character and plot development, music and camera angles are consciously considered in a horror film just as it is in any other genre.  

She said character development is vital in a film in summoning emotion from an audience.

“The idea is to go on a journey and to create empathy for characters and then through that you create fear,” she said.  “If we’re not connected to characters, we’re not going to experience that fear.”

Malach said jump scares, although the audience anticipates when they are coming, are a consistently successful element in media, with the goal to startle the crowd.

“It’s a traditional technique, and it works because it gets our adrenaline rushing,” said Malach.

A common thread in horror platforms

Wrona, Sotoski, and Malach agreed that sharing a moment of horror is often a bonding experience and through undergoing the fear together, people may grow closer.

Social relationships are a huge part of how one develops, Wrona said. So if engaged in these activities that might cause fear but they have friends there for support, that can be a good experience.  

Horror films, scary novels, and haunted houses are not simply quick, meaningless entertainment, said Malach.  It can force people to face their fears, provide a memorable experience, and can build a deeper bond in relationships.