T’IS the season to watch a scary movie, but why do we do this to ourselves? An American expert believes he may have some answers to this question and has also created a quiz if you want to determine exactly how morbidly curious you are.

 

Morbid curiosity…?

You know, that feeling where you don't really want to look and know you would probably be best not to look, and yet…you look, whether it’s staring at a traffic accident or putting a scary film on TV.

 

I’m curious to know more…

So is American scientist, author and morbid curiosity expert, Coltan Scrivner, a researcher at The University of Chicago in the Department of Comparative Human Development, who dedicates his working life to figuring out what it is about “monsters, murderers and the macabre” that attracts us.

 

What does his research entail?

Mr Scrivner is exploring human responses. He said: “Most of my current research looks at how and why people sometimes find enjoyment - and can perhaps learn something - from fictionally dangerous scenarios. From this perspective, I’ve been pioneering the psychological study of morbid curiosity. More broadly, however, I am interested in the functions of emotions and the social, cognitive, and biological factors that influence social behaviour.”

 

So what is the attraction?

As with any trait, the intensity of an individual’s curiosity - and reasons for this - vary for each of us. Mr Scrivner said: “In one project, we looked at what people get out of visiting a haunted attraction and the most common explanation was that they get an adrenaline rush and it feels good, but for a large portion, they reported feeling like they have had to be brave and push their boundaries.”

 

Now there’s a quiz?

To determine how morbidly curious you are, the questions include whether, if a head transplant was possible, you would watch; if you would be interested in attending a public execution and if you are curious about crime and read detailed accounts about murder cases. It also asks if you would attend a gladiatorial fight if you lived in Ancient Rome or if you find the Occult interesting.

 

And it’s all just in time for the Halloween movies on TV…?

Mr Scrivner said the psychological benefits you get from scary films depend on the kind of fan you are, stating there are usually three types one “who are adrenaline junkies…who get a mood boost from the intense experiences”; the other, “white knucklers” who learn how to overcome fear from engaging with horror and “dark copers”, who “use horror to cope with anxiety”.

 

If you score high?

If you take the test at www.coltanscrivner.com/morbid-curiosity-test and it says you are pretty curious, Scrivner says you are likely a "social rebel" who is "interested in human behaviour”. 

 

Meanwhile?

The pioneering research continues. Mr Scrivner said: “It is possible that scary-fun experiences, like those that morbidly curious people seek out, could be used to teach those with anxiety how to overcome anxiety-inducing experiences.”