On Tuesday, Naperville once again saw its youth encountered with a tough decision – trick or treat? While many prefer “treat” – dressing up, knocking on doors, and swapping one’s treasured candy, others prefer the “trick” aspect of the Halloween holiday. One way to truly encompass the spirit of Halloween is attending a haunted house. This year, as I stumbled through the dark corridors of The Massacre Haunted House, I pondered why people find thrill in scaring themselves. Why would humans willingly put themselves through terrifying experiences? After doing some research on the popularity of haunted houses, horror movies, and self-inflicted fear, I became curious as to what kind of psychology allows us to put ourselves in these types of situations. 

Fear is the body’s response to a perceived threat. While fear may appear an instinctual reaction, it is really controlled by our brains. For example, if you hear a loud crash and then jump suddenly, it’s not just because the sound startled you. It’s also due to the fact that your brain interpreted the sound as a threat and sent signals to your body accordingly – perhaps, your brain believed the sound was a lamp falling or something that could possibly cause you injury, and therefore signaled for you to move out of the way. This movement is the result of the commonly known “fight or flight” response, which is how our bodies are programmed to react to fear. Haunted houses are the same way – they send signals to our brain not because they actually pose a threat to us, but because it is unclear whether or not they present a threat. Our brain tries to figure out whether we are really in danger, therefore causing us to become paralyzed or extremely attentive. The same situation occurs when you were little and heard a creak under your bed; your brain tried to figure out if you were in danger, so suddenly you found yourself examining that chair in the corner to the extent that it began to look like a person.

This response to fear is set off by a biochemical surge of adrenaline, endorphins, and dopamine, all of which are also triggered by pleasurable activities like dancing runner’s high. Haunted houses and scary movies that incite fear therefore generate the same thrill. That’s why some people genuinely enjoy the experience of tricking their brains into believing they are in danger. Moreover, after a study done by the Emotion journal in 2019, researchers found that after choosing to participate in scary experiences, people were in better moods. Study co-author Margee Kerr, a sociologist at the University of Pittsburgh who studies fear, explains this idea in the Time article, “You Love Haunted Houses Because They’re Playing a Trick On Your Brain.” She states, “Afterwards, people feel great. It’s kind of like the idea of pain offset: you feel better when pain is removed. A lot of activity in the body is in anticipation, and it’s in that conclusion where the enjoyment really comes in.” This concept further enhances the idea that we enjoy things like haunted houses; not only do we feel good because of the dopamine and adrenaline released during the activity, but we also appreciate the feeling of safety after it’s over.

So if we are all scientifically wired to chemically and physiological enjoy these voluntary scary experiences, why do people react so differently? While one of my friends spent the entire excursion gripping my arm, others forged ahead, laughing and singing as the creepy actors jumped out at them. The first reason this happens is because these individuals can’t create psychological distance between themselves and the situation. For example, horror movies use different techniques to make something feel close to you to maximize your immersion — think of how many movies are “based on true events” or use shaky cameras to make it feel like you are there. In the case of haunted houses, many are able to actually enjoy the experience because they remind themselves that the people are just actors, or take a close look at the props and see that they are fake. A 2022 Washington Post article titled “Why we like scary things: The science of recreational fear” provides a few tips for those who are still in the process of learning how to enjoy scary experiences. They include acknowledging the end of your comfort zones, starting small, reducing psychological distance, partaking in the experience with friends, and taking deep breaths. However, some of these techniques may prove ineffective, since research also shows that those who are absolutely terrified of haunted houses and scary situations aren’t really at fault. Isn’t just about personal choice, but rather the person’s brain chemistry. In a 2013 The Atlantic article, “Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?”, Allegra Ringo states that new research from David Zald proves that people differ in their chemical response to thrilling situations. Dopamine, one of the hormones released in these situations, may provide more of a “kick” to some than others, meaning that some people are going to enjoy thrilling, scary, and risky situations more than others. 

All in all, the decision to “trick” or “treat” on Halloween is much deeper than we like to think. A combination of chemical and physiological reactions determine whether we prefer to knock on doors or run shrieking through a creepy corridor in Montgomery, IL. 

Sources used:

Ducharme, Jamie. “You Love Haunted Houses Because They’re Playing a Trick on Your Brain.” Time, 26 Oct. 2018, time.com/5433554/haunted-houses-fear-brain.

Sima, Richard. “Why We Like Scary Things.” Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2022, www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/10/27/why-we-like-scary-things. Accessed 3 Nov. 2023.

Ringo, Allegra. “Why Do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?” The Atlantic, 8 June 2021, www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/10/why-do-some-brains-enjoy-fear/280938.

“The Psychology, Geography, and Architecture of Horror: How Places Creep Us Out — Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture.” Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture, www.esiculture.com/the-psychology-geography-and-architecture-of-horror#:~:text=Houses%20that%20send%20signals%20of,real%20danger%20awaiting%20us%20there.