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Why is it fun to be frightened?

By Margee Kerr
2018

Have you seen the most recent installment in the Halloween film franchise? If you have, you
might be one of the people who think it's fun to be frightened. But why is this? Shouldn't scary
movies be frightening rather than fun? In this informational text, Margee Kerr attempts to
answer this question. As you read, take notes on what people experience after being scared in a
safe way.

[1] John Carpenter’s iconic1 horror film Halloween

celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Few
horror movies have achieved similar
notoriety, and it’s credited with kicking off the
steady stream of slasher flicks that followed.

Audiences flocked to theaters to witness the

seemingly random murder and mayhem a
masked man brought to a small suburban
town, reminding them that picket fences and
manicured lawns cannot protect us from the
unjust, the unknown or the uncertainty that "Untitled" by NeONBRAND is licensed under
awaits us all in both life and death. The film CC0.
offers no justice for the victims in the end, no
rebalancing of good and evil.

Why, then, would anyone want to spend their time and money to watch such macabre2 scenes
filled with depressing reminders of just how unfair and scary our world can be?

I’ve spent the past 10 years investigating just this question, finding the typical answer of
“Because I like it! It’s fun!” incredibly unsatisfying. I’ve long been convinced there’s more to it
than the “natural high” or adrenaline rush many describe — and indeed, the body does kick into
“go” mode when you’re startled or scared, amping up not only adrenaline but a multitude of
chemicals that ensure your body is fueled and ready to respond. This “fight or flight” response
to threat has helped keep humans alive for millennia.

1. widely known or recognized

2. Macabre (adjective) disturbing and horrifying due to the depiction of violence or death

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 [5] That still doesn’t explain why people would want to intentionally scare themselves, though. As a
sociologist, I’ve kept asking “But, why?” After two years collecting data in a haunted attraction
with my colleague Greg Siegle, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Pittsburgh, we’ve
found the gains from thrills and chills can go further than the natural high.

Studying fear at a terrifying attraction

To capture in real time what makes fear fun, what motivates people to pay to be scared out of
their skin and what they experience when engaging with this material, we needed to gather
data in the field. In this case, that meant setting up a mobile lab in the basement of an extreme
haunted attraction outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

This adults-only extreme attraction went beyond the typical startling lights and sounds and
animated characters found in a family-friendly haunted house. Over the course of about 35
minutes, visitors experienced a series of intense scenarios where, in addition to unsettling
characters and special effects, they were touched by the actors, restrained, and exposed to
electricity. It was not for the faint of heart.

For our study, we recruited 262 guests who had already purchased tickets. Before they entered
the attraction, each completed a survey about their expectations and how they were feeling.
We had them answer questions again about how they were feeling once they had gone through
the attraction.

We also used mobile EEG technology3 to compare 100 participants’ brainwave activity as they
sat through 15 minutes of various cognitive and emotional tasks before and after the
attraction.

[10] Guests reported significantly higher mood, and felt less anxious and tired, directly after their
trip through the haunted attraction. The more terrifying the better: feeling happy afterward was
related to rating the experience as highly intense and scary. This set of volunteers also reported
feeling that they’d challenged their personal fears and learned about themselves.

Analysis of the EEG data revealed widespread decreases in brain reactivity from before to after
among those whose mood improved. In other words, highly intense and scary activities — at
least in a controlled environment like this haunted attraction — may “shut down” the brain to
an extent, and that in turn is associated with feeling better. Studies of those who practice
mindfulness meditation have made a similar observation.

3. Electroencephalogram technology records brain wave patterns.

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 Coming out stronger on the other side

Together our findings suggest that going through an extreme haunted attraction provides gains
similar to choosing to run a 5K race or tackling a difficult climbing wall. There’s a sense of
uncertainty, physical exertion, a challenge to push yourself — and eventually achievement
when it’s over and done with.

Fun-scary experiences could serve as an in-the-moment recalibration of what registers as

stressful and even provide a kind of confidence boost. After watching a scary movie or going
through a haunted attraction, maybe everything else seems like no big deal in comparison. You
rationally understand that the actors in a haunted house aren’t real, but when you suspend
your disbelief and allow yourself to become immersed in the experience, the fear certainly can
feel real, as does the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment when you make it through. As I
experienced myself after all kinds of scary adventures in Japan, Colombia, and all over the U.S.,
confronting a horde4 of zombies can actually make you feel pretty invincible.

Movies like Halloween allow people to tackle the big, existential5 fears we all have, like why bad
things happen without reason, through the protective frame of entertainment. Choosing to do
fun, scary activities may also serve as a way to practice being scared, building greater self-
knowledge and resilience, similar to rough-and-tumble play. It’s an opportunity to engage with
fear on your own terms, in environments where you can push your boundaries, safely. Because
you’re not in real danger, and thus not occupied with survival, you can choose to observe your
reactions and how your body changes, gaining greater insight to yourself.

What it takes to be safely scared

[15] While there are countless differences in the nature, content, intensity, and overall quality of
haunted attractions, horror movies, and other forms of scary entertainment, they all share a
few critical components that help pave the way for a fun scary time.

First and foremost, you have to make the choice to engage — don’t drag your best friend with
you unless she is also on board. But do try to gather some friends when you’re ready. When
you engage in activities with other people, even just watching a movie, your own emotional
experience is intensified. Doing intense, exciting, and thrilling things together can make them
more fun and help create rewarding social bonds. Emotions can be contagious, so when you
see your friend scream and laugh, you may feel compelled to do the same.

No matter the potential benefits, horror movies and scary entertainment are not for everyone,

4. a large group
5. Existential (adjective) relating to existence

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and that’s OK. While the fight-or-flight response is universal, there are important differences
between individuals — for example, in genetic expressions,6 environment, and personal history
— that help explain why some loathe and others love thrills and chills.

Regardless of your taste (or distaste) for all things horror or thrill-related, an adventurous and
curious mindset can benefit everyone. After all, we’re the descendants of those who were
adventurous and curious enough to explore the new and novel, but also quick and smart
enough to run or fight when danger appeared. This Halloween, maybe challenge yourself to at
least one fun scary experience and prepare to unleash your inner superhero.

"Why is it fun to be frightened?" by Margee Kerr, University of Pittsburgh, October 12, 2018. Copyright
© The Conversation 2018, CC-BY-ND.

Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license

6. when the information in a gene becomes a useful product

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 Text-Dependent Questions
Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete
sentences.

1. PART A: Which statement identifies the central idea of the text?

A. Whether the scary experience is real or not, people often feel a sense of
relief after they experience what is easily mistaken for elation.
B. While the brain function of some people decreases following a scare, other
people experience increased brain function related to stress.
C. Experiencing fun-scary things together has proven to strengthen bonds
between people and make relationships last longer.
D. Many people who willingly engage in scary experiences in safe settings
experience positive reactions in their brains.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
A. "Over the course of about 35 minutes, visitors experienced a series of
intense scenarios where, in addition to unsettling characters and special
effects, they were touched by the actors, restrained, and exposed to
electricity." (Paragraph 7)
B. "In other words, highly intense and scary activities — at least in a
controlled environment like this haunted attraction — may 'shut down' the
brain to an extent, and that in turn is associated with feeling better."
(Paragraph 11)
C. "Doing intense, exciting, and thrilling things together can make them more
fun and help create rewarding social bonds." (Paragraph 16)
D. "While the fight-or-flight response is universal, there are important
differences between individuals — for example, in genetic expressions,
environment, and personal history — that help explain why some loathe
and others love thrills and chills." (Paragraph 17)

3. How does the author's discussion of the film Halloween contribute to the text?
A. It provides an example of a scary movie that offers the controlled fear that
gives viewers a fun-scary experience.
B. It highlights the differences between being scared by a film and being
scared by an interactive haunted house.
C. It shows how the film Halloween comments on viewers' real fears, which
makes the movie too close to reality to be fun.
D. It provides evidence that watching a scary movie causes the same positive
reactions in the brain as going through a haunted house does.

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4. How do paragraphs 16-17 contribute to the development of ideas in the text?
A. They emphasize that not all people enjoy being scared and that fun-scary
experiences have to be a choice.
B. They prove that responding positively to fun-scary experiences is a natural
response experienced by everyone.
C. They stress the social benefits of engaging in fun-scary experiences being
worth the risk that one might dislike it.
D. They prove that enjoying fun-scary experiences is uncommon and most
people are not going to choose to be scared.

5. What connection does the author draw between fun-scary experiences and real-life
fears?

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 Discussion Questions
Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be
prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. In the text, the author describes how people reported improved moods after going
through a haunted house. Have you ever experienced positive emotions after
exposing yourself to a scary but safe situation? Describe the situation and how it
made you feel.

2. If you had to choose a fun-scary experience to take part in, what would you choose
and why?

3. In the text, the author mentions that fun-scary experiences can help people learn
about how they experience and face their fears. How do you experience fear? What
do you know about yourself when facing fear?