The role of excitement and enjoyment through subjective evaluation of horror film scenes

Kiss, Botond László and Deák, Anita and Veszprémi, Martina Dominika and Blénessy, Albert and Zsidó, Andras Norbert (2024) The role of excitement and enjoyment through subjective evaluation of horror film scenes. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 14 (1). No. 2987. ISSN 2045-2322

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Abstract

The popularity of the horror genre is constantly increasing and still has not reached its peak. As a recreational activity, people watch horror movies in pursuit of excitement and enjoyment. However, we still do not know what traits make people seek out this type of increase in arousal (excitement) and why they fnd it desirable (enjoyment). Consequently, in this study, we sought to identify observerrelated factors that allows consumption of horror content as a recreational activity. Participants (N= 558) answered questions about movie-watching habits, completed measures of cognitive emotion regulation, sensation seeking, paranormal beliefs, morbid curiosity, disgust sensitivity, and rated short scenes from horror movies on dimensions of excitement, enjoyment, disgust, fearfulness, and realness. Our fndings suggest that the predictors of excitement and enjoyment are slightly diferent. Perceived disgust negatively afected enjoyment but did not infuence to excitement. Further, both excitement and enjoyment were positively predicted by fearfulness and realness ratings of the scenes, and morbid curiosity. Paranormal beliefs, sensation seeking, disgust sensitivity, anxiety, and emotion regulation strategies were not associated with excitement and enjoyment. Future studies should make a distinction between excitement and enjoyment as they are equally important factors with slightly diferent backgrounds in recreational fear.

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