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SALT LAKE CITY — There is a reason why "Saw" II–VI exist, and why haunted houses do so well at Halloween: people in general love to be scared.
It doesn't make sense, to be sure. People are generally believed to be motivated to pursue pleasure and avoid pain. But what about a pain so exquisite it becomes pleasurable? How often do we watch a horror film knowing we'll be afraid to go anywhere alone afterward, or get off a rollercoaster and say "Let's go again"?
There are three main reasons researchers believe we purposefully subject ourselves to frightening experiences:
- People aren't actually afraid during the experience, but enjoying themselves.
- People are willing to endure terror in order to enjoy a euphoric sense of relief at the end of the experience.
- People can experience positive and negative emotions simultaneously — some people actually enjoy the feeling of terror itself, not just the feeling of relief when it's gone.
The first two are the most widely accepted theories and have been around for quite some time. It's a realistic argument to say that those at the top of a roller coaster are not afraid of any danger, but rather enjoying the feeling of being at the top of the world. And for those with less active imaginations than I, it's easy to see the girl from "The Ring" is not actually going to climb out of your TV in real life.
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Anyone who has watched a scary movie or ridden an amusement park thrill ride can also likely relate to the feeling of euphoria upon finally turning on the lights or feeling the coaster roll to a stop. Being scared induces in us a "fight or flight" response, which guaranteed survival in primitive times. When we are threatened, we are stronger and more powerful, our senses heightened. The adrenaline rush, as it is described, seems to be something humans almost unconsciously seek after.
A third, more recent theory is that some human beings simply enjoy being scared — not the feeling after the scare, or the feeling of overcoming it, but the feeling of fear itself. A 2007 study that appeared in the August issue of the Journal of Consumer Research found evidence to support the theory that people are capable of feeling negative and positive emotions at the same time.
Researchers tracked positive and negative emotions at the same time while their subjects watched horror movies. They found that people still responded to fearful events with positive emotions, or "the most pleasant moments of a particular event may also be the most fearful."
Of course, some people do not enjoy being scared in the slightest, regardless of whether they relate the fear to genuinely negative experiences. That is because there are some people for whom being scared is another thrill they seek — scientists call them Type T personalities.
These thrill seekers are more likely to enjoy watching scary movies, riding the tallest roller coasters or participating in activities like skydiving and bungee jumping. It is the adrenaline rush they are after. Conquering something that induces fear gives them a sense of relief and accomplishment. Additionally, studies have shown that some — adolescent boys in particular — see these experiences as a kind of rite of passage.
These experiences have varying levels if effectiveness, though. Things that hit close to home are the most effective at inducing fear, which is why people who have lived through genuinely dangerous or terrifying experiences are less likely to enjoy their reenactments.
Similarly, experiences that are a play on a widespread community concern are more likely to be genuinely frightening to large amounts of people. The 2011 "Contagion" was about a lethal airborne disease that killed its victims within days. The movie followed the widespread panic that ensued upon the virus' discovery, and perhaps hit a little too close to home in an age of avian and swine flu scares. Even thrill seekers, after all, know when it's time to say "enough is enough."
