The Final Girl on 6th Ave

Psychological Effects of Horror


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In this episode, we explore why we willingly scare ourselves — unpacking the neuroscience of fear, the psychology of personality and anxiety, and the surprising ways horror can function as emotional regulation and rehearsal for real-life uncertainty. From classic films like Psycho to modern social horror like Get Out, we examine how fear reflects culture, mirrors identity, and reveals what our nervous systems may be practicing when the lights go down.

SOURCES/INFORMATION

LeDoux, J. (1996). The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Craske, M. G., Treanor, M., Conway, C. C., Zbozinek, T., & Vervliet, B. (2014). “Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach.” Behaviour Research and Therapy, 58, 10–23.

Reiss, S., & McNally, R. J. (1985). “The expectancy model of fear.”

Nagoski, E., & Nagoski, A. (2019). Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle.

Tamborini, R., & Prentice, D. A. (1990). “Emotion and moral judgment in response to horror.” Communication Research.

Zillmann, D. (1996). “The psychology of suspense in dramatic exposition.”

Zillmann, D. (1988). Mood Management Through Communication Choices.

Zuckerman, M. (1979). Sensation Seeking: Beyond the Optimal Level of Arousal.

Scrivner, C., Johnson, J. A., Kjeldgaard-Christiansen, J., & Clasen, M. (2021).
“Pandemic practice: Horror fans and morbidly curious individuals are more psychologically resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Personality and Individual Differences, 168.

Hirsh, Jacob B., Mar, Raymond A., & Peterson, Jordan B. (2012/2016).
Research on intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety.

Goldstein, P. (2012). The Sounds of Fear: Music in Horror Films.

Hatfield, E., Cacioppo, J. T., & Rapson, R. L. (1993). Emotional Contagion.

Durkheim, E. (1912). The Elementary Forms of Religious Life.

Hills, M. (2002). Fan Cultures.

Jenkins, H. (1992). Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture.

van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score.

Solomon, S., Greenberg, J., & Pyszczynski, T. (1991).
“A terror management theory of social behavior.”

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