Pandemic Practice: Horror Fans and Morbidly Curious Individuals Are More Psychologically Resilient During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study (n = 310) tested whether past and current engagement with thematically relevant media fictions, including horror and pandemic films, was associated with greater preparedness for and psychological resilience toward the pandemic. Since morbid curiosity has previously been associated with horror media use during the COVID-19 pandemic, we also tested whether trait morbid curiosity was associated with pandemic preparedness and psychological resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that fans of horror films exhibited greater resilience during the pandemic and that fans of “prepper” genres (alien-invasion, apocalyptic, and zombie films) exhibited both greater resilience and preparedness. We also found that trait morbid curiosity was associated with positive resilience and interest in pandemic films during the pandemic. Taken together, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that exposure to frightening fictions allow audiences to practice effective coping strategies that can be beneficial in real-world situations.

Der Kampf gegen die Ansteckung im frühen Kino – Eine Retrospektive in Zeiten von COVID-19

“…Die Lues (F48) erreichte die Kinosäle, sogar mit ihren internistischen Spätfolgen wie der „Syphilis-heart-disease“ (F47), genauso der heute noch gefürchtete Wundstarrkrampf (F46). Einen besonderen Platz nahm die Tollwut ein 28 , die sich in verschiedenen Filmgenres wiederfindet: zum einen in Form einer kinematografischen Hommage an Louis Pasteur, den Erfinder der Postexpositionsprophylaxe (F39), zum anderen in eindringlichen Kammerspielen (F38, 45 ) um die bereits im Krankheitsnamen anklingenden psychotischen Folgen der Infektion. Bemerkenswert erscheint die frühe und sich durch die Filmgeschichte ziehende Verwendung der pathognomonischen Symptome Hypersalivation und Hydrophobie im Kinder- und Familienfilm 29 .…”

“…Eine einzelne Ursache, weshalb sich das Kino in Bezug auf die Pandemie zum Schweigen entschied, ist retrospektiv nicht zweifelsfrei zu eruieren. Diese Feststellung weist auf Probleme hin, die sich in der heutigen Zeit zu wiederholen drohen: Aktuelle Studien konnten zeigen, dass der Konsum von Filmen und Serien einen therapeutischen Effekt hat, auch wenn das den Zuschauern dargebotene Thema tragisch oder düster erscheint 44 45 .…”

Curiosity: A behavioral biology perspective

“…Morbid curiosity has been defined as a motivation to seek out information about threatening or dangerous phenomena (Scrivner, 2020). People high in morbid curiosity may be more likely to expose themselves to simulations of danger through fiction and may learn particular emotional or behavioral strategies from exposure to real or fictionalized dangerous situations (Scrivner, 2021;Scrivner et al, 2021). Moreover, morbid curiosity seems to be an individual difference that is distinct from the five dimensions of curiosity, disgust sensitivity, and sensation-seeking (Oosterwijk, 2017;Scrivner, 2020).…”

Horror Films and Grief

“… 14 Although our focus is bereavement, research suggests that viewers of horror films are more resilient to other kinds of events. For example, according to a recent study, horror fans have coped better with the COVID-19 pandemic (Scrivner et al, 2021). Scrivner et al suggest this may be because horror allows audiences to engage with “negative” emotions like fear in a safe setting. …”