Fear: A Psychophysiological Study of Horror Film Viewing

The horror film industry brings in viewers from all over the world and from every caste of life. But, people differ greatly in their enjoyment of horror movies. The primary purpose of this research was to look at the individual differences in people’s horror film viewing behavior; furthermore, whether certain personality traits predicted physiological reactions to horror film viewing. This research was divided into two conditions. The questionnaire-only condition was reserved for individuals that indicated a dislike for horror films. Those in the questionnaire-physiology condition also completed the questionnaires and were presented a film consisting of horror clips while physiological variables (heart rate, blood pressure and skin conductance) were examined. In between groups analysis, a non-significant trend for increased Fearlessness in the questionnairephysiology condition relative to the questionnaire-only condition. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was the only physiological indicatory that increased significantly from the baseline to the film. Furthermore, increases in SBP were inversely correlated with Fearlessness and positively correlated with Coldheartedness. These results suggest personality differences in people that watch horror movies and people that do not. Furthermore, it suggests physiological differences within and between those that watch horror films. Psychophysiology of Fear 3 Fear: A Psychophysiological Study of Horror Film Viewing Aristotle (335-322 B.C.) explained that fear is experienced when humans are threatened by something perceived to be more powerful than they are. This fear lasts until the realization of no escape; at which point, the fear is reduced due to the understanding of failure. If fear is linked to harmful situations, events or objects that terrorize us, why are humans as a society so intrigued with the things that scare them? Many children worry about the boogey man at night, the monster under their bed, and/or the man that lives in the closet. Most people know that monsters aren’t real, yet they still believe that they exist at night once the lights go out. The human mind is fascinated with the unknown, and to most, the unknown is terrifying. What if it’s huge? What if it’s green? What if it’s a ghost or monster? The search for these answers has intrigued humanity for centuries. Fear is described by Alex Chamberlain (1899) as “an experience. ” He stated that fear in its root meaning is from the Anglo-Saxon word fáer, which means “a sudden peril, danger, panic or fear. ” Fear is seen as an evolutionary necessity which can help notify a person whether they should proceed in their current direction, or find another course in order to increase likelihood of survival (Cannon, 1914; Ohman & Mineka, 2001). But, excessive fright can create a state of cognitive dissonance where anxieties manifest themselves into phobias creating a condition of debilitation when in the presence of a causal object or situation (DSM-IV, 1994). The person knows that the object of their fear cannot harm them, and yet they are still afraid. Oscar worthy horror films such as The Exorcist, Interview with the Vampire, Psycho and Alien drew in audiences from every type of background, all over the world. Psychophysiology of Fear 4 So what is it about these films and stories that create such a massive fan base? Why do people want to scare themselves by viewing these movies? In order to understand fear, it is important to understand its physiology and how it is mediated by individual differences. Physiology of Fear When we as humans become scared, we can feel it throughout our entire body. It is that sinking feeling you get in the pit of your stomach. It is the feeling that you can’t move and the sweaty palms you get. To truly gain a perspective on fear, electrophysiological correlates, the amygdala, and other forebrain areas must be considered. A conglomerate of physiological organs that must be considered is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The hypothalamus, the pituitary gland and the adrenal gland make up the system that constitutes the HPA axis. Between these three organs, this neuroendocrinological system is a control center for many emotional anxieties. The hypothalamus works alongside the amygdala in fear processing by activating the sympathetic nervous system. When a person perceives a situation as being scary or threatening, the corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) is released by the anterior pituitary glad, which stimulates the adrenal glands on the kidneys. There in turn releases adrenaline and cortisol, increasing blood pressure and increasing the metabolic rate needed to react appropriately to survive. Cortisol is the primary glucocorticoid of the HPA axis and is implemental in the fear process (Buss, Davidson, Kalin & Goldsmith, 2004). The experience of fear and its physiology is a group effort provided by multiple systems within the body and in the brain. Psychophysiology of Fear 5 Electrophysiological Correlates of Fear. In response to fear, humans react in many different ways. Everyone has seen the person frightened so badly at the movie theater that he is perspiring or someone who covers their eyes. But, you can feel your heart rate increase during an intense scene and your muscles tighten right before the movie’s killer strikes. These are all physiological responses to a fear inducing situation. Ax (1953) examined the physiological differences between fear and anger. In his research, he created a situation that elicited these two emotions from participants. There was a central element of deception due to the fact that he needed them to act naturally. The patients, while connected to an electroencephalogram, a ballistocardiogram, a respiration monitor, skin temperature and conductance monitors, blood pressure monitor and an integrated muscle potential index, were given a small, non-irritating, shock from an electrode. The researchers then proceeded to act like it was a glitch and the equipment was malfunctioning, causing them to fear further shock. They proceeded to tell the participants that the technician had previously been fired, but had to be temporarily employed for this one day and that the subject would have to continue working with them, thus creating more fear. The results of this study showed that there are physiological changes during such duress. Fear, in particular, resulted in higher face temperature and skin conductance, muscle potential and respiration rates. This research opened the doors to other researchers hoping to better understand the electrophysiological origins of fear. The further presence of fear’s involvement in anxiety disorders includes PostTraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Roemer, Salters, Raffa & Orsillo (2005) confirm that fear may be a very important part of an Psychophysiology of Fear 6 individual’s personality with GAD. Shin et al. (2005) looked at the variation between happy and fearful facial expressions and found that PTSD patients present overresponsive amygdalae and reduced prefrontal cortex responses along with diminished habituation of the expressions in the right amygdala. Cuthbert et al. (2003) examined the psychophysiology of fear memory imagery, specifically in phobias, social-anxiety disorder, panic disorder with agoraphobia and PTSD. They looked at the participant’s heart rate, skin conductance, muscle conduction and cardiac output, across a wide array of fears, including imagery exemplifying the participant’s personal, social, and physical fears. As hypothesized, participants showed evidence of higher arousal levels in response to fear memory retrieval relative to controls. More specifically, the phobic patients showed higher levels of arousal while the panic disorder patients presented the least. These results are consistent with those of Cook et al. (1988) who concluded that phobic patients react more viscerally (SCR) to fear/emotional imagery than other anxiety patients. In another study, Palomba et al. (2000) examined the physiological reactions in people to negative film viewing; in particular, a video that involved ‘threat’ and one that involved ‘surgery. ’ During these videos electrophysiological data recordings were taken in the form of: Electrocardiographic (ECG) recordings in order to watch the rate and accuracy of the heartbeats along with how electrical activity spreads across the muscles of the heart; T-Wave Amplitude (TWA); Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA); Skin Conductance Levels (SCL); and vertical electrooculograms (EOG). The ‘threat’ film produced consistent sympathetic responses of cardiac acceleration, decreased TWA and increased SCL. During the ‘surgery’ film however, TWA increased, SCL raised even Psychophysiology of Fear 7 higher than in the ‘threat’ film, and heart rate increased very quickly. A similar study looked at physiological reactions (SCL and HR variability) based on fear inducing clips, in children (Gilissen et al., 2007). Their results showed that during the fear stimuli, the children’s SCL increased, while they experienced a drop in heart rate variability. In addition, there were correlations between the level of reactivity and the child’s relationship with at least one of their parents. The closer bond the child experienced at home, the more attenuated the fear reaction (Gilissen et al., 2007). Neurological Correlates of Fear The amygdalae are a collection of nuclei in the medial temporal lobes of the brain and have been identified by many as the fundamental basis and center for the processing of fear in the human emotional complex. How the brain, particularly via the influence of the amygdala, processes emotion affects how the body will react. The amygdala receives the information and the central nucleus of the amygdala coordinates physiological and behavioral emotional responses (LeDoux & Muller, 1997). Expanding on Pavlov’s classical conditioning resea