In an article from the Today Show, Dr. Robi Ludwig examines the psychology and the science of fear. In his short article, Why We Like to be Scared: The Science Behind the Scream, Ludwig claims, "Creepy stories help us to release strong emotion."
What do you think? Why do people like being frightened? Cite at least one piece of textual evidence from the article. Don't forget to respond to classmates' perspectives! You can come up with your own ideas, as well, but please cite from the text if you want credit.
I think people who enjoy fear are thrill seekers. People want to fell an adrenaline rush and you heart pumping rapidly. Attractions such as haunted houses or Fright Fest at Six Flags! Although there are many attractions out there, something as simple as a scary movie can cause adrenaline. Not only you can feel an adrenaline rush from scary thing, but you can do things such as skydiving or even roller coaster.
ReplyDeleteMany people seek the butterflies in the stomach and all of a sudden, a scary pop up appears on the screen. When we are scared our brain releases a substance called dopamine. It controls the pleasure centers in the brain, but some people get more of a "kick" from dopamine than others. Some people even have no limit on how much dopamine could be released, this means being scared to actually be very exciting and enjoyable.
- Ian B.
Why We Get Scared - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4iNTjTqMvc
I think people who enjoy being scared want to be thrilled or surprised and bring excitement. There can be different types of being scared. For example, people who like to be jump scared or snuck up on probably want some excitement in their life or something new. The other type of being scared is being thrilled. Like what Ian said "People want to feel an adrenaline rush and feel their heart-beating. Attractions such as haunted houses or Fright Fest at Six Flags!" I agree with this because if you are scared of a roller coaster and then finally ride it and find out that you enjoy it, then you would want to ride the ride over again and again. I think this feeling comes from the thrill and adrenaline building up inside of them fills them with excitement and later leading to excitement.
ReplyDeletePeople like being scared also because it makes them feel different like feeling stronger or that they could face their fears. Like what the article says,"The moment we feel threatened, we feel increasingly more strong and powerful physically, and more intuitive emotionally."(http://www.today.com/health/why-we-be-scared-science-behind-scream-8C11469347). I think what they are trying to say here is that that thrill of being scared puts us in a different place. It's almost as if all your worries go away and many people may seek this feeling a lot, so that's maybe why they loving being scared.
-Adrian J. I always forget my name
DeleteI like the point about how being afraid, and then overcoming it, makes people feel stronger. It's like when you come through a harrowing experience -- now you know you can survive it. Good point!
DeleteI think people like being scared because it separates them from reality. Honestly, when you watch a scary movie or go to a haunted house, what is the possibility that whatever is in there will actually happen? Maybe we like it because we want to push our limits. Prove to other people that we can accomplish more than we look like we can. For example the article states,"When we have the daylights frightened out of us our heart beats a little faster, we breathe a bit more intensely, perspire more and get butterflies in the pit of our stomachs. Experts know it’s not uncommon for people to want to push the envelope just to see just how much fear they can tolerate"(http://www.today.com/health/why-we-be-scared-science-behind-scream-8C11469347).
ReplyDeleteWanting to do things out of our league is a very common thing for all people. We are all a scared little girl inside, but when we step through that haunted house and make it out we feel satisfaction. When we get through that scary movie without closing our eyes and screaming we become more comfortable with it. In fact you start to love the feeling. Not all of us are born with satisfaction of fear but some of us are. For example,"And while one person’s scary might be another person’s enjoyable, some of us are pre-destined from birth to choose a more terrifying life route"(http://www.today.com/health/why-we-be-scared-science-behind-scream-8C11469347). Also these people who like to be scared since the day they were born can't wait for Halloween every year. For those haunted houses, those scary movies. The thrill of getting scared lets people be who they want to be in those moments. Let out their emotions and scream, get frightened.
-Eva S.
I believe that the main reason people enjoy being scared is centered around all the adrenaline. I say this because most people like that moment when their heart is racing rapidly."When we have the daylights frightened out of us our heart beats a little faster, we breathe a bit more intensely, perspire more and get butterflies in the pit of our stomachs" (http://www.today.com/health/why-we-be-scared-science-behind-scream-8C11469347). In addition, as Adrian said , people like the excitement factor of being scared. For instance, many people like the thrill of walking through a haunted house with people popping up at you at any given moment or time.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Adrian's perspective that the thrill of being scared makes people feel more empowered. For example, some may feel that because they could withstand being scared, that they can accomplish nearly anything. Additionally, "The moment we feel threatened, we feel increasingly more strong and powerful physically, and more intuitive emotionally." http://www.today.com/health/why-we-be-scared-science-behind-scream-8C11469347). This statement shows that people definitely feel stronger and more confident. As I said before, the thrill of fright is truly what motivates people to being scared. -Jackson T.
I think people like to be scared because they liked to be surprised or want to overcome their fears. I mean lets be honest here, we had at least one time we've been scared and we enjoyed it. Say your scared of a scary game or movie, then you finally watch or beat it and you feel brave or happy because you faced your fears.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason is that we like the rush of adrenaline or excitement. Say your watching a movie and something pops up out of nowhere. That is usually when you usually get frightened and sometimes you usually jump up a little bit. "The moment we feel threatened, we feel increasingly more strong and powerful physically, and more intuitive emotionally. This charge to our physical and mental state is called an “adrenaline rush,” and as humans we are apparently hard-wired to be drawn to this type of feeling."paragraph 4.
-Max Vidal
I agree with Max because people do want to overcome fears. Overcoming a fear is possible. You do this by doing whatever your fear is. After you probably laugh at yourself for ever fearing that.For example, when we were all in the 1st or 2nd grade we were probably afraid of the dark. Well, news flash you sleep in the dark every night. After you practiced this over and over you eventually weren't afraid anymore.
ReplyDeletePeople like being scared at this time of year because this can be a time where they can watch scary movies while normally not allowed."On a psychological level there’s an appeal to vicariously experience what’s forbidden, bizarre or dark. Horror films in particular allow us to explore the experience of fear in an enjoyable and safe way. They also allow us to identify with the bad guy without getting ourselves into too much trouble"(paragraph 5). Halloween is a holiday where you celebrate the dead and most people believe in zombies,vampires,and things like that and the creatures are meant to be creepy.
The reason why people like to be scared, is the adrenaline that comes with being scared. It can also be a matter, whether they would like to overcome their fears. Someone who has a fear of heights, and goes on a crazy roller coaster, may be scared, but is facing their fears, to not have them anymore, and for the adrenaline they get from so.
ReplyDeleteMany people also enjoy being frightened, and feeling excitement rush inside themselves. People who go on all the rides, at Six Flags,etc, and screaming their lungs out. Some people like taking risks, and living life to the fullest, whether it is terrifying or not. Others like a scare once in a while, during Halloween, where scary is the thing we look forwards the most. (except candy! xD)
http://www.today.com/health/why-we-be-scared-science-behind-scream-8C11469347
~Julian M.
The reason people like to get scared is because of the thrill that they get during the scare. Personally, I don't like to be scared, however, I know that many, many people do. In fact, that's how horror movies make so much money! For example, Ludwig said, "The hormonal reaction we get when we are exposed to a threat or crisis can motivate the love of being scared." This way when we do see horror films, we are exposed to it in a safe way. Being scared is a way where we get the adrenaline rush that we crave.
ReplyDeleteThe adrenaline rush that we get when we see the scary movies or when we do something dangerous is one of the feelings that we crave the most. I think that we crave these feelings because we want to break away from familiar routine and resort to our instinctive, more wild side. If you think about it, it makes sense; if you walked to school every day, learned some stuff, then went back home to do homework, that could get really old, really fast. If that happened to me every day, I sure would get bored and would want to get some blood pumping. We get the thrill from doing thrilling things, and that's what makes us human.
-Isaac E.
I have to agree with Eva on this one. I think people like the thrill being scared, just to push the limits. For example, "Experts know it’s not uncommon for people to want to push the envelope just to see just how much fear they can tolerate"(http://www.today.com/health/why-we-be-scared-science-behind-scream-8C11469347). People like to just push the limits to see how far they can go. We want to show that we can one up each other and show off our ability to not be scared. We expect many things out of each other, but we all know, sometimes, we are extremely scared.
ReplyDeleteI personally like to take off my glasses when I walk into a haunted house, so I can't see. Or, in some cases, I put them on so I can't see (I but them on when my head hurts). The problem with taking off my glasses is that I can't really see smaller kids, so I end up running into them. There have been times where don't take them off so that I can see the unexpected. We have all had that moment when we want to show off our skill of not being afraid, when you're really screaming like a little girl playing five nights at freddy's. But, we like to push the limits to prove to yourself and others can you can withstand the fear of going through a haunted house.
-Asha Abd
I think the main reason people like to be scared is because in the article it states
ReplyDelete"Experts know it’s not uncommon for people to want to push the envelope just to see just how much fear they can tolerate. " I really agree with this because my friends are always trying to do really scary things. They end up scaring me and it is fun to be frightened when it is a joke. But when it is actually a ghost in your hotel room you really scream. Also, no offense but, some people are just weird. They are the mean people from "Scooby Doo" that are out to get someone and to scare their pants off.
I agree with Asha. Some people like to push the limits. If guys are with their girlfriends, they try to impress them. Even if they end up looking like a total terd in front of them. It's very simple... people like to impress other people in order to get the reaction of: "my hero" or "you were so brave back there". As a whole I think there are different parts of being scared and of being a "scarer" whether it is good or bad.
As most people stated, such as Asha and Eva, the exhilaration of being thrilled is enough to get us to want more. You see, "There’s also a hormonal component when it comes to fear and enjoyment" (http://www.today.com/health/why-we-be-scared-science-behind-scream-8C11469347). It stimulates a need to do it over and over, and once the thrill is gone, we move on to other things.
ReplyDeleteBut we also like scary things because we get to see other reactions. In our culture, going pretty much anywhere with friends is the norm. Even if the thrill for you is gone, you can still see other people's reaction. If you videotape these reactions, then you eventually can get more "likes" or "shares", which in turn brings in more revenue for professional YouTubers.
Peer pressure can also motivate us to get scared. Even if we're dying inside, the fact that our peers are near can get rid of our fears, like Kylie and Max stated. This causes a "happy feeling", and perhaps can motivate us to get rid of all our fears. Plus it bonds us to the people who made that happen, aka, our peers.
I'd like to bring a positive note to scary entertainment. Though yes, people love FrightFest, it's also a way to gain revenue for Six Flags. This improves the economy, and also lowers unemployment rate. All of those bushwo/men and zombies were hired, even if only for a short time. It could support their families for sometime, or finally fill their bellies. The Food Drive is going on, which shows us the amount of people hungry in Sonoma itself.
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Those were some ideas on why we liked to be scared, and some positive benefits. :)
Cheers,
Sriha S. =^.^=
I think the main reason people like to be scared is for excitement. People probably like to get scared not just because of excitement because it makes some people happy." There is a great sense of satisfaction when we can prove to ourselves we actually can handle more anxiety than we ever imagined we could."(www.today.com)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kylie because Halloween is a holiday where you celebrate the dead and most people believe in zombies ,vampires and things like that and the creatures are meant to be creepy. I*also agree with Asha because we have all had that moment when we want to show off our skill of not being afraid. This is my opinion of why people like being scared.
I agree with Ian and Adrian. People who like to be scared are thrill seekers. Going to these haunted houses gives them the thrills and excitement they need. For example, “This charge to our physical and mental state is called an “adrenaline rush,” and as humans we are apparently hard-wired to be drawn to this type of feeling.”(http://www.today.com/health /why-we-be-scared-science-behind-scream-8C11469347). This shows that some of us are naturally drawn to excitement.
ReplyDeleteI also think that people like to test their mental limits. So I am agreeing with Eva in a way.
Some of us see a haunted house as a measuring stick, a way to see how far you can go. Others think of it as a ranking system, and whoever gets scared the least is superior in some way. Either way, I think it has something to do with our instincts.
I agree with Ludwig when he states "Creepy stories help us to release strong emotions." although that can go for certain people because everyone is different. For example, some people may get scared of the movie "Anabelle" while others don't. People like to get scared for entertainment, like the Fright Fest at Six Flags. People only go to have fun and to entertain themselves. Especially in October people like to have a little scare because of Halloween.
ReplyDeleteIt could also be because of peer pressure. People can be forced to do something or watch something scary because of their peers even if they don't want to. Sometime people's intention isnt to get scared. I mostly think people like to get scared so they could entertain themselves and have fun. Everyone has their reasons.
Many people who like being scared are thrill-seekers. These type of people like the feeling when you get the butterflies in your stomach when you watch a scary movie or go on a rollercoaster. This is a feeling of thrill or scary satisfaction of most people who like this feeling. But for others, including me, don't like that feeling. Some people just are very scared, sometimes too scared, then start to have some feeling like a panic attack. These are feelings and emotions most people have during this time of the year.
ReplyDelete"The moment we feel threatened, we feel increasingly more strong and powerful physically, and more intuitive emotionally. " This is a true statement that most people agree with. When you feel threatened, like it says, you usually get a stronger feeling against that threat. This is called an "adrenaline rush". I personally think not everyone has this feeling and like it. But there are still people who do like the feeling of an "adrenaline rush". Some people like roller coasters because of the butterfly feeling you get when you go down the roller coaster. some people like scary movies because of the thrilling feeling it gives them. But not everyone likes these feelings and have these emotions about these activities. But these are the usual emotions and feelings we all have during Halloween and this time of the year.
- Eliza A.
I agree with Paulina that "creepy stories release strong emotion." That to me pretty much explains it all. If you can't release your emotions properly, it can turn into mental health. That is a huge problem. Normally the emotion is released eventually but for horror movies to do it is huge.
ReplyDeleteLike Paulina said, it can only work for some people though. The people who actually get scared during a horror movie are the people it works on. People who watch horror movies for entertainment it doesn't work so much on. It could, but not a lot. Releasing strong emotions is important and horror movies can do it for some people.
As many people have said horror stories or movies because it gets your/their adrenaline going and you get fulfilled with excitement. When you get fulfilled with excitement you are like "in the zone" and you just are so excited to see that scary part in the movie or the story, then you are "That wasn't scary at all but only in the movies maybe in some books boom! the autits you with another scartic part in that book or movie then whoosh! your adrenaline rushes up so quickly and you don't know it cause you are "In the zone". Another reason is the reason that has been stated by Ian, Adrian, and Quintin, that statement is people become thrillseekers. There are many examples for thrillseekers like ghostbusters and paranormal researchers and many more. They are all thrilled to be the first person/crew to find out the thrills an secrets in that building/cave/house/etc. I hope you guys agree with me and my friends that mentioned in my statement. - Carlvesi L.
ReplyDeleteI like to be scared along with many other people. People like to be scared for many different reasons. I like to be scared because the feeling you get inside when you are scared. Some people think that being scared is a way to relieve stress and emotion. I have been to Fright Fest twice this year, both times with a "no boo" necklace on. A "no boo" necklace lets the creatures walking around, no that you don't want to be scared as bad. Although I like to be scared, I have boundaries.
ReplyDeleteI like to be scared because the feeling you get from being scared. When you are watching a horror film and a spirit pops up out of no where and you feel you're body temperature rise and your heartbeats faster, that is called adrenaline. Ludwig states in his article, "This charge to our physical and mental state is called an “adrenaline rush,” and as humans we are apparently hard-wired to be drawn to this type of feeling."(http://www.today.com/health/why-we-be-scared-science-behind-scream-8C11469347). Including myself, people like the feeling of suspense and horror and terrifying things.
Mailee! Your comments are working! Hooray!
DeleteAs Asha, Eva, and Sriha said, the exhilaration of being frightened, or thrilled, sometimes drives people to want more of it. The article, by Dr. Ludwig, stated that humans are naturally drawn to the feeling of an “adrenaline rush”: “This charge to our physical and mental state is called an “adrenaline rush,” and as humans we are apparently hard-wired to be drawn to this type of feeling.” For example, the majority of the human population. likes to occasionally hear scary stories. It has been this way for centuries. Ancient tales of witchcraft, and executions have survived throughout the ages, because people like to hear them. The concept of Halloween (All Hallows' Eve) rose from stories, and beliefs. Humans wanted to tell the stories to the next generation. These stories survived, because of our desire to keep them alive. Humans have made the emotion of fright its own holiday.
ReplyDeleteI also feel that a lot of it comes down to our psychological beings. “On a psychological level there’s an appeal to vicariously experience what’s forbidden, bizarre or dark. Horror films in particular allow us to explore the experience of fear in an enjoyable and safe way.” Being able to satisfy our “cravings”, in a safe way, is a vital motivator to expose ourselves to horror movies, scary stories, etc. As humans, finding a way to adapt, to fulfill our needs (or desires), has become easier over the years, with modern advancements in technology and resources being made all the time. Horror movies are an easy way to bring relief to our “desires to be scared”.
In conclusion, our desire to be scared has existed for many, many years, and numerous things can trigger it. It is perfectly natural to want to be scared.
I believe people like to be scared for 2 reasons, it makes us more attentive to the situation, and, it gives us a sense of accomplishment after the situation. When being scared, in real life, your brain makes that frightening object the center of attention and more aware of it. It does this for many obvious reasons so that we can escape this object and/or fend it off. When watching a scary movie, your brain is not able to differentiate the false information, and treats it as if the situation is real, and as before, applies the same affects.
ReplyDeleteAlso after you fend off a threat your brain gets a sense of accomplishment due to the fact that you were able to successfully escape the threat. Your brain then gives you a shot of dopamine so that you will enjoy this feeling and you'll want to repeat it so that you'll become safer when this happens again. But since this is dopamine were talking about it also gives you a good feeling and that is one of the reasons why people like to watch scary movies and have scary things happen to them, because they overcome it. Watch this video I found on the Internet by Vsauce, http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbdMMI6ty0o, which explains very detailed why we like to be scared. So in conclusion, the reason we like to be scared, is because our brain mixes up reality and a video.
I think people like being scared because they find it thrilling. Like Dr. Robi Ludwig said, we get an “adrenaline rush, and as humans we are apparently hard-wired to be drawn to this type of feeling."We find fear to be exciting. In addition, we seem to be curious about scary things. We keep watching horror movies to se how the story plays out. Also, sometimes we might imagine what we would do in the situation.
ReplyDeleteWatching scary movies makes us stronger. We may feel accomplished afterwards."Creepy stories help us to release strong emotions. Let’s face it, most of us, in our daily lives, don’t have a way to release these types of intense and unimaginable feelings (which is probably a good thing)".
I think we liked to be scared because its a way to push ourselves. A way to see what we can handle and tolerate. For example, "There is a great sense of satisfaction when we can prove to ourselves we actually can handle more anxiety than we ever imagined we could." (Why we like to be scared: The science behind the cream). We watch horror movies because we feel a sense of safety watching them, but also because that fear is in a way enjoyable. This "adrenaline rush" helps us feel stronger.
ReplyDeleteWe crave these emotions for different reasons.To feel stronger, to let out emotion, and etc. We feel satisfied when we overcome our fears. We feel stronger mentally and Physically. There's a kind of temptation that draws us to being scared. For example, "On a psychological level there’s an appeal to vicariously experience what’s forbidden, bizarre or dark." (Why we like to be scared: The science behind the scream).
I agree with Eva, Asha, and everyone else that believe people like to be frightened because of the feeling or rush you feel on the inside when you get scared. "...our heart beats a little faster, we breath a bit more intensely, perspire more and get butterflies in the pit of our stomachs"(Why we like to be scared:The science behind the scream). Lots of people who enjoy being scared likes that feeling of excitement you feel you get. This feeling is called an adrenaline rush. It is proven that ,"... as humans we are apparently hard-wired to be drawn to this type of feeling"(Why we like to be scared:The science behind the scream). This means that people have a natural attraction to these adrenaline rushes. And will keep doing and loving whatever gives them that rush, whether it's from getting scared or doing something else that's exciting to them.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that people like to be scared because they want to see," just how much fear they can tolerate"(Why we like to be scared: The science behind the scream). It's usually a persons nature to push themselves further and further to see how far or how much of something they can handle. This also applies to the idea that people enjoying being scared to see how much fear they can handle. Also, "There is a great satisfaction when we can prove to ourselves we actually can handle more anxiety than we ever imagined we could"(Why we like to be scared: The science behind the scream). When people push themselves to see how much fear they can tolerate they feel a sense of accomplishment when they exceed their own expectations of themselves. People also release strong emotions through scary things. Giving some people a way to release these strong emotions without causing any harm. In conclusion, there are many different ways people like being frightened.
I believe we like being scared because,"We like being scared and this is not a new phenomenon. As a culture, we seem to be craving these intense panic button experiences more and more." We like to experience the panic and the adrenaline. I agree with Talyssa she said that we like to feel the rush of being scared.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason why I think we like being scared is because we want to see "how much fear they can tolerate" As Talyssa and the article said. We want to see how much fear we can tolerate because some people wnat to seem "tough" or "brave". Others just literally want to see how much fear they can tolerate. In conclusion, I feel that people like being scared because they like the adrenaline rush and they want to see how much fear they can tolerate.
I think that people like to be frightens because they like the rush of it. As Leah said that as a culture we like the intense panic of getting scared. Mostly everyone likes to be scared. Even I liked to be scared.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason why we like to be scared is because we want to see how much we can tolerate. We want to know how much fear adrenaline can tolerate. We love to find out if we are tough or brave. In conclusion, we love to be scared and frightend during Halloween.
I think that people like being scared because sometimes people might just want to be excited or have a panic attack. They might be tired of a normal life of casual, boring stuff. They want something new and exciting. People want to push their limits and get scared, be daredevils and try scary things. It's just one thing that makes us humans human.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that Dr. Robi Ludwig said was that, "There’s also a hormonal component when it comes to fear and enjoyment. The hormonal reaction we get when we are exposed to a threat or crisis can motivate this love of being scared. The moment we feel threatened, we feel increasingly more strong and powerful physically, and more intuitive emotionally. This charge to our physical and mental state is called an “adrenaline rush,” and as humans we are apparently hard-wired to be drawn to this type of feeling." People may want to enjoy these feelings every now and then. Maybe you want to experience these feelings yourself.
I think some times people like to be scared because they want a thrill. They want to shake with fear so they can be excited later. Some people like to brag after they see a really scary movie. They do this to prove that they are mentally tough, or can handle frightening situations.
ReplyDeleteOther people cannot handle fear as well as others. These people get scared out of their minds. Some people that can't take being afraid have nightmares. They develope a very powerful sense of fear in a bad way.Fear can control us if it get to you.
P.S. My computer works again!! :-)
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