Why do we like horror movies?

The horror movies show us terrible scenes, nevertheless the people enjoy so much to watch. Whether it scares people, why do we keep watching it?

According to Glenn Sparks, Ph.D, a professor and associate head of the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University, one reason for the appeal is how you feel after the movie. This is called the excitation transfer process. Sparks’s research found that when people watch frightening films, their heart rate, blood pressure and respiration increases.

Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. says in her article (http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/10/31/why-some-people-love-horror-movies-while-others-hate-them/) “after the film is over, this physiological arousal lingers, Sparks said. (We’re just not aware of it.) That means that any positive emotions you experience – like having fun with friends – are intensified, he said. Instead of focusing on the fright you felt during the film, you recall having a great time. And you’ll want to come back for more.”

There are many theories about why we like to watch this kind of movies, one of them, is that the people, mainly men, enjoy to feel adrenaline that these films provide. Watching this kind of movie they feel stronger and safer, because they have no fear.

Another reason is the novelty, visual effects, suspense and the interesting histories that keep us involved in what is happening.

The truth is that they like to feel fearfulness, because the horror movies causes a different kind of fear, a feeling that make them get really scared, in panic, so they keep on alert waiting the next scene that will scared them.