How Horror Helps Your Brain: From Peek-a-Boo to Haunted Houses, 'Recreational Fear' Prepares Us for the Real Thing

Mathias Clasen

How Horror Helps Your Brain: From Peek-a-Boo to Haunted Houses, 'Recreational Fear' Prepares Us for the Real Thing

School of Communication and Culture - English

Research output: Other contribution › Net publication - Internet publication › Communication

Original language	English
Publication date	20 Oct 2022
Place of publication	Los Angeles
Publisher	Zócalo Public Square
Publication status	Published - 20 Oct 2022

Access to Document

https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2022/10/20/how-horror-helps-your-brain/ideas/essay/

1 Active

Recreational Fear Lab
Clasen, M. (PI), Andersen, M. (Participant), Taranu, M. (Participant), Kjeldgaard-Christiansen, J. (Participant), Terkildsen, T. (Participant) & Scrivner, C. (Participant)
Independent Research Fund Denmark
01/09/2020 → …
Project: Research

5 Journal article

The Psychological Benefits of Scary Play in Three Types of Horror Fans
Scrivner, C., Andersen, M., Schjødt, U. & Clasen, M., Mar 2023, In: Journal of Media Psychology. 35, 2, p. 87-98 12 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review
15 Citations (Scopus)
Pandemic practice: Horror fans and morbidly curious individuals are more psychologically resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic
Scrivner, C., Johnson, J. A., Kjeldgaard-Christiansen, J. & Clasen, M., Jan 2021, In: Personality and Individual Differences. 168, 6 p., 110397.
Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review
63 Citations (Scopus)
Horror, Personality, and Threat Simulation: A Survey on the Psychology of Scary Media
Clasen, M., Kjeldgaard-Christiansen, J. & Johnson, J. A., Jul 2020, In: Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences. 14, 3, p. 213-230
Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

File

49 Citations (Scopus)

3905 Downloads (Pure)

Cite this

@misc{194a57730cd34e9cb6f213223474e730,

title = "How Horror Helps Your Brain: From Peek-a-Boo to Haunted Houses, 'Recreational Fear' Prepares Us for the Real Thing",

author = "Mathias Clasen",

note = "Republished as {"}The Director of the Recreational Fear Lab Explains Why We Love to Be Scared{"} on Slate: https://slate.com/technology/2022/10/halloween-why-we-love-to-be-scared.html Republished as {"}Like scary movies? It turns out they might be good for your mental health{"} in San Francisco Chronicle: https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/fear-horror-mental-health-17525622.php Republished as {"}Heart in your mouth? Science says that's good{"} in Boston Globe: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/10/26/opinion/heart-your-mouth-science-says-thats-good/ Republished as {"}Can Experiencing Horror Help Your Brain?{"} in Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/can-experiencing-horror-help-your-brain-180980984/.",

year = "2022",

month = oct,

day = "20",

language = "English",

publisher = "Z{\'o}calo Public Square",

type = "Other",

}

TY - ICOMM

T1 - How Horror Helps Your Brain

T2 - From Peek-a-Boo to Haunted Houses, 'Recreational Fear' Prepares Us for the Real Thing

AU - Clasen, Mathias

N1 - Republished as "The Director of the Recreational Fear Lab Explains Why We Love to Be Scared" on Slate: https://slate.com/technology/2022/10/halloween-why-we-love-to-be-scared.html Republished as "Like scary movies? It turns out they might be good for your mental health" in San Francisco Chronicle: https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/fear-horror-mental-health-17525622.php Republished as "Heart in your mouth? Science says that's good" in Boston Globe: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/10/26/opinion/heart-your-mouth-science-says-thats-good/ Republished as "Can Experiencing Horror Help Your Brain?" in Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/can-experiencing-horror-help-your-brain-180980984/.

PY - 2022/10/20

Y1 - 2022/10/20

M3 - Net publication - Internet publication

PB - Zócalo Public Square

CY - Los Angeles

ER -

How Horror Helps Your Brain: From Peek-a-Boo to Haunted Houses, 'Recreational Fear' Prepares Us for the Real Thing

Access to Document

Projects

Recreational Fear Lab

Research output

The Psychological Benefits of Scary Play in Three Types of Horror Fans

Pandemic practice: Horror fans and morbidly curious individuals are more psychologically resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic

Horror, Personality, and Threat Simulation: A Survey on the Psychology of Scary Media

Cite this