: On Wednesday, October 27th, the TEA Western Division hosted a pre-Halloween event. It was one where the attendees were enthralled, captivated, and one would wager, very happy. Why? Because they braved “The Psychology of Scare.” Read on to learn why braving any kind of scare could potentially do you some good.
Friday, November 12, 2021
They Braved the Psychology of Scare
TEA - Themed Entertainment Association
: On Wednesday, October 27th, the TEA Western Division hosted a pre-Halloween event. It was one where the attendees were enthralled, captivated, and one would wager, very happy. Why? Because they braved “The Psychology of Scare.” Read on to learn why braving any kind of scare could potentially do you some good.
: On Wednesday, October 27th, the TEA Western Division hosted a pre-Halloween event. It was one where the attendees were enthralled, captivated, and one would wager, very happy. Why? Because they braved “The Psychology of Scare.” Read on to learn why braving any kind of scare could potentially do you some good.
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First off, I love this question: “What is it about fear that keeps us coming back for more?” because it really makes you think. What inherently about fear stops us from wanting to return, especially if it’s not happening to us. I think that it’s interesting that this article focused not only on Halloween type events, but also fear-inducing events outside of Halloween attractions as well. The section I liked the most in this article was how in certain situations, fear can actually reduce anxiety and allow for someone to get out their own head because of how present fear requires one to be. The note about how there has been a shift in what was once “extreme” exhibitions where performers directly came into contact with guests have now been relabeled to “immersive” or “interactive” I think is also interesting because I wonder if there has been a change of mind and attitude in participating in attractions labeled as “extreme” or “immersive”, because those can mean very different things to different people.
I've never considered myself a fan of horror films or haunted house-experiences, but every now and then I find I'm interested in them. It was super popular in high school for big groups to get together and watch a scary movie all together and I just didn't understand it and would often vote against it. But the few times I ignored the fear and just watched, I felt a strange sense of accomplishment afterwards. Sort of like when I decide to go on the biggest rollercoaster in the amusement park, and actually enjoy it. I'd be interested in an analysis of the longer-term effects of this fear, because it could probably lead to prolonged haunting for some people that may not actually have all these positive effects. There's definitely a mass appeal for this kind of work, so there's probably a reason; I wonder if it's because it can be a physical representation of some of darkness that lives in people's heads, and it can be cathartic to both see and share it.
I love this. I think I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie, so I love horror movies and roller coasters and that sort of thing. The findings of this experiment definitely seem to make sense to me. Seeing or experiencing something scary in a controlled environment makes you feel better because you can get that fear and adrenaline without the anxiety and dread that comes with it because you know that it's not actually real. Instead of the dread and then fear and then horror that comes with experiencing something actually scary, you get anticipation, then fear, and then humor. You take the fright out of fear and just get to experience it as a rush. And more than that, activating your bodies actual fear response can definitely make the little things we worry about seem less worrisome, even though the mortal danger is staged. Whether that's seeing somebody else in ostensibly mortal danger in a horror movie or getting jumpscared at a haunted house, you get that little bit of perspective that can be helpful in managing your small stresses.
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