Possble 'effects' of horror films
Horror films are made to cause a reaction from an audience. Other genres only hope to cause a visceral reaction but with horror, if the watcher isn't jumping or screaming, then it hasn't done its job. Because of this people can have certain responses to certain horror films. “What happens for most people is that you have an arousal of your sympathetic nervous system and an activation [to produce] adrenaline,” said Psychology professor Heidi Mathers. Adrenaline is a natural high and can ultimately become addictive. This is why horror movies have such an effect on people- no other genre elicits such a strong emotional response, no other genre causes you to lose sleep or in extreme cases seek out therapy or cause a change in body and mind. The Emotion Theory states that our interpretation of these same physiological cues can be different depending on the individual. So most people experience the rapid heartbeat and increased breaths. However, those who find horror movies enjoy...