Scare Me, I Dare You: A Neuropsychological Account of the Horror Film

Abstract

First and foremost, I would like to thank Scott Higgins for being so supportive throughout the process of writing this thesis. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me ramble about the psychology and neuroscience of fear and how cool I thought horror films were whenever I dropped in for office hours when I was taking Cinema of Horror, then for letting me write an entire thesis about all these ideas I had floating around my mind. Without your guidance, vast knowledge about film, constructive feedback, and encouragement, I could not have turned these ideas into a coherent work. Your consistent optimism and enthusiasm about these interdisciplinary ideas reminded me that I should be excited, not overwhelmingly stressed, to write this thesis. I could not have asked for a better mentor to advise my thesis. Thank you to Will Barr for acting as my thesis writing mentor and taking the time to read drafts of my thesis, give me feedback, and help me navigate scientific research and writing. I became much more confident in my writing through your mentorship. I am grateful to the Wesleyan Psychology, Neuroscience & Behavior, and Film Studies Departments for encouraging me to grow as a student over the past four years and for fostering an environment for interdisciplinary learning. Courses such as Research Methods in Emotion, Advanced Research in Culture and Emotion, Research Methods in Animal Research, Behavioral Neurobiology, and the Cinema of Horror built the foundations of this work. Notably, thank you to Professor Robinson for taking the time to meet with me to help me navigate the motivation and reward literature.