Publication Date
2024
Document Type
Book
Description
Research suggests that horror media psychologically affects viewers in starkly different ways. Some fans use the genre to manage their anxiety: fictional stories can create safe environments in which to experience panic and dread, making it easier to develop functional coping mechanisms for use in stressful real-world situations. Other viewers, however, find horror so anxiety-inducing or even traumatic that it becomes unhelpful as a tool for emotional learning. Moreover, stereotypes in the horror genre can hurt marginalized groups more than stereotypes in other genres, as associating fear with a certain group is a powerful way of promoting bigotry. This research explores how certain people can benefit psychologically from consuming horror. It also discusses ways in which the genre can be made more inclusive. To that end, it analyzes how social commentary horror movies, such as Get Out, convey the fear and frustration that marginalized communities feel when facing bigotry, as well as movies such as The Silence of the Lambs, which villainize marginalized communities and contribute to said bigotry.
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Recommended Citation
McGowan, Shaelyn, "Spooky Psychology: The Therapeutics and Ethics of Horror" (2024). Research Days Posters 2024. 158.
https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/158