Have you ever wondered why October, the month when Halloween happens, feels like a time when spooky things and thoughts about the dead come together? To discuss this, including people's fascination with true crime stories and real-life horror, as well as the benefits of horror, Bored Panda reached out to Coltan Scrivner, a behavioral scientist at the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University in Denmark and a research project manager at Arizona State University.
Scrivner has conducted pioneering research on the psychology of morbid curiosity, true crime, and horror. “Most of my research looks at how and why people can find enjoyment — and can perhaps learn something — from fictionally dangerous scenarios.” The behavioral scientist told us that Halloween is a big reason why October feels so spooky. “Its origins in All Hallow's Eve, as well as related holidays such as Día de Los Muertos, lead to an increased focus on the concept of death. Other factors, such as the changing of the leaves, may also contribute to a concept of eeriness and death.”
Since media, including movies, TV shows, and social media, play a significant role in our lives, we asked Scrivner how these forms of entertainment contribute to our perception of creepy or unsettling themes. He explained that media often reflects what's happening in the world, especially things that grab people's attention. When we watch or read the news or engage with other media, we usually see things that many people find interesting or important. So, media not only shows us what's going on in the world but also focuses on what captures our attention. “Movies, TV shows, and social media probably don't create new creepy or unsettling things, but instead they amplify what we already find creepy,” Scrivner added.
Do you know why so many people are so interested in true crime stories and real-life horror? It's a curious thing – the way we are drawn to tales of real-life mysteries, gruesome crimes, and spooky events. In his research, Scrivner has found that “morbid curiosity is the strongest predictor of fascination with true crime stories and even real-life horror”. However, the behavioral scientist notes that this does not suggest these people are more accepting of terrible things. “They are driven to gather information about them.”
Horror stories, found in movies, books, and more, might seem frightening, but could they actually have some positive effects? According to Scrivner, some studies propose that watching horror films or reading scary stories can “help people build emotion regulation skills and learn to overcome their fears and anxiety”.
So, the next time you find yourself immersed in a spine-tingling narrative, remember that there might be more to it than meets the eye—horror stories might just be teaching us valuable life skills in the most unexpected of ways.
