Horror Fans More Psychologically Equipped to Deal With Pandemic

Might want to brush off that Friday the 13th VHS because a new collaborative paper from the University of Chicago, Pennsylvania State University, and Aarhus University in Denmark have concluded that people into horror or the macabre are better psychologically capable of deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Saying, “exposure to frightening fictions allow audiences to practice effective coping strategies that can be beneficial in real-world situations.”

Now, horror fans are by no means enjoying the pandemic, they’re just not panicking…

“One reason that horror use may correlate with less psychological distress is that horror fiction allows its audience to practice grappling with negative emotions in a safe setting. Through fearing the murderer or monster on the screen, audiences have an opportunity to reflect on negative emotions such as fear or disgust and practice emotion regulation skills. Experiencing negative emotions in a safe setting, such as during a horror film, might help individuals hone strategies for dealing with negative emotions and more calmly deal with those negative emotions in real life situations.”

See the full study here.