Research: Why do people like horror films?

Why do people like being scared? "No doubt there's something really powerful that brings people to watch these things, because it's not logical." explains Joanne Cantor, director of the Centre of Communication Research at Wisconsin University, in Madison, "Most people like to experience pleasant emotions." She is also puzzled at why people put themselves through negative emotions when watching a horror film when it is more common to desire positive emotions.

It has been said that "The brain hasn't really adapted to the new technology of movies. We can tell ourselves the images on the screen are not real, but emotionally our brain reacts as if they are" a professor of communication at Purdue University, Glenn Sparks suggests. So the question is still unanswered.

This question seems to be a tough one to answer but there are a few theories out there. One is that the person is not actually afraid but excited. Another is that they are willing to endure being scared for the sense of relief at the end.

It has also been said by researchers that watching horror films increases primal behaviour due to the thrill, especially in young males. Therefore teenage males may feel more dominant and 'cool' in front of friends. Sparks backs this with a study on the physical effects of violent movies on young men. A strange pattern occurred as the more fear the felt, the more they claimed to enjoy the movie.

"Were you scared?" "Obviously not!"

Going in groups to watch films is a popular among teenagers, especially around Halloween. It seems that groups of teens see watch a horror film and being scared as a social thing rather than actually having a love for fear. This has been backed up by my own research on audience's perceptions and expectations through a questionnaire, I found that 95% of the respondents preferred to watch a horror film with friends.

Overall there is not a definite answer to why people like horror films but there are a few theories that contribute towards the answer.