Horror Movies make anxiety and can even Addiction
A young woman is walking home alone at night. Suddenly she heard steps behind her. Her breath goes faster, she accelerates her step, looks around panicked. Then a big man with an ax appears behind her.
Woman is walking home alone at night.
A situation that in reality nobody would like to experience. For Horrorfilme, however, the change between the uncertainty and the horrormomata is typical. " There is always a situation of discomfort - both for the viewer and for the protagonists of the film ," says Christian Lenz from the Dortmund University of Technology, who is particularly concerned with the subject of horror In literature and television.
"Anxiety" and "anxiety"
Just as with satisfying experiences - for example delicious food or sex - the messenger dopamine is also distributed in danger situations. Dopamine has an euphoric effect, but its strength can differ from person to person. In the context of Horrorfilmen experts often speak of "Angstlust". From this "fearfulness" can be even in some people even a "fearfulness", if they can no longer do without the stimulus.
"Through the nerve kitzel, many viewers feel more lively, can live out emotions that they otherwise no longer find in this versatility and abundance in everyday life," says Christian Lenz. Means: The horror on the couch is also a contrast program to the often rather unstable office day. The change between tension and relaxation is felt to be positive, especially because there is no real danger for the film viewer.
Film scenes from the Horrorfilm classic "The Exorcist"The potential danger
Spurred by Horror Movie
According to Christian Lenz, the passion for the Horrorfilme fascination also plays an important role. "The monster surpasses us in the form of social values and norms," explains Lenz.
Murder, for example, is exclusively negatively occupied in our society, with Horror Movies such as "Freitag, der 13." But we are even partly amused about particularly bloodthirsty or absurd murders. "If the monster or the murderer is then killed towards the end of the film, the norms are won, we are within our usual limits," explains Lenz.
Personality and experience
However, Horrorfilme are not attractive for everyone. "It is empirically proven that men tend to look horrorfilms rather than women," says Angela Schorr, professor of media psychology at the University of Siegen. Whether or not someone likes Horrorfilme, depends on two factors: personality and experience.
"Children and adolescents in studies show up to three times more aggressive angina than adults with Horrorfilmen, which is because they have less experience with horror films and generally with violence and frightening moments," explains Schorr.
Do not talk to Horror film
Schorr speaks of an emotions overflow in Horrorfilmen, which must be processed. " The decisive mechanism here is the 'willing suspension of disbelief ', the German 'voluntary suspension of disbelief'," Schorr said. We know that the horror scenarios in the film are not true and so they can process them better. "Children and anxious people can not do that as a rule," says Schorr. The result may be, for example, nightmares.
About traumata by Horrorfilme so far hardly scientific findings. "We have, however, references from psychotherapy that can be traumatized especially people who do not see a Horrorfilm from their own free will," said the media psychologist. In a social situation, for example with friends in the cinema, not everyone is so courageous to leave the cinema hall during the film. So if you would like to watch a Horrorfilm for Halloween, your sofa or Kinopartner should not be persuaded to do so.