How horror films affect the human psyche. How it works. The influence of horror films on the human psyche

Federal Agency for Education

State educational institution

higher professional education

"Far Eastern State Technical University

(FEPI. named after V.V. Kuibyshev)"

Institute of economics and management

Department of Mass Communications

Course work

discipline: psychology MK

“The influence of horror films on audiences aged 16 to 26 years old”

Head of Art. Rev.

Grigorieva L. Yu.

Completed by a student

Groups U-6541

Mazikina S. Yu.

Vladivostok

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………3

1. The concept of the genre “horror film”, “motivation”………………….………...5

   The influence of horror films on the psyche……………………………………………………9

Selection and justification of research stages…………………………………13

1. Survey research…………………………………………………………….15

   Questionnaire research……………………………………...20

   Research through focus group………………………..……….21

   Analysis of the conducted studies………………………………………………………26

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….……..29

References……………………………………………………….……30

Appendix……………………………………………………………………………………….…....31

Introduction

In recent years, there has been increased attention to the specific effects of funds mass communication for the younger generation. Mass media is not just a source of information or one of many entertainments, it has a huge impact on the psyche and behavior of children, adolescents, young people and the population as a whole. In this regard, the fact about the peculiarities of the influence of the media on the audience became interesting.

Recently, films that demonstrate aggressive and intimidating behavior have attracted special attention. It has been established that showing scenes of violence on television causes a small but statistically significant increase in the aggressiveness of viewers.

Among the films that cause the greatest concern among representatives of the older generation, one of the first places is occupied by the so-called “horror and mystic films”, which include violence, bloody scenes, and frightening or disgusting characters in their plots - vampires, werewolves, etc.

Many works have been devoted to the study of the content of films of this genre in European countries and the USA. Some authors pay attention to the content of films from the point of view of the characters present in them and even create a kind of classification of the monsters shown in such films. Others pay more attention to the cultural and historical aspects of the emergence of such films. Still others explore to what extent and how the perception of violent scenes affects children, adolescents and young adults.

All of these areas of research consider viewers as passive objects of influence from films. However, it is quite clear that the audience who are interested in horror films are not just passive observers of what is happening on the screen. There is something that internally determines the choice of films of a particular genre, the peculiarities of the perception of characters and plots, the behavior of viewers during viewing and, to a very large extent, the degree of influence that what they see has on them.

A lot of literature has been written about the influence of horror films on people, but in order to identify what kind of influence they have, we must first identify the root cause: why do people choose this genre?

The purpose of the study is to, through a survey, identify the reason for choosing the “horror” genre and, based on the research, determine what impact they have. This coursework proposes the following hypothesis: people become more aggressive after watching horror films. The purpose of the study is to confirm the proposed theory. The object of the study was interest target audience to horror and mystic films as a socio-psychological phenomenon. The subject of the study is motivation to experience fear.

The subject of the study was the psychological consequences of young people's interest in horror and mystic films.

The purpose and subject determined the following research objectives:

1. To study the characteristics of young people’s interest in horror and mystic films.

2. Trace the psychological consequences of realizing this interest by conducting an aggressiveness test and draw appropriate conclusions.

The following hypotheses were also formed:

Fans of horror films are representatives age group from 16 to 26

Horror films influence the psychological state of a person

Horror movie fans have higher levels of aggression

The following research objectives were formed:

Identify the target audience of horror films

Determine the motivation for watching films of this genre

Monitor reactions while watching a horror film

Determine the level of aggressiveness among fans of this genre

The theoretical basis was made up of the works of Abraham Harold Maslow “Motivation and Personality”, Søren Kierkegaard “The Concept of Fear”, encyclopedic dictionaries of medical terms, and journals on psychology.

The concept of “horror film”, “motivation”.

Horror film, "horror" - genre feature film. Horror films include films that are designed to frighten the viewer, instill a feeling of anxiety and fear, create a tense atmosphere of horror or painful anticipation of something terrible - the so-called. “suspense” effect (from English suspense - uncertainty).

By and large, horror films are designed to frighten, to evoke the fears hidden within us, often with a shocking ending. They effectively focus on the dark sides of human life, forbidden desires, strange and disturbing feelings. Horror films reveal the primal nature of man, his primal fears: vulnerability, fear of the unknown, fear of death, fear of loss of individuality, fear of the opposite sex. The darkest, most primitive sides that simultaneously attract and repulse us are contained in this genre.

The main emotion that a person experiences when watching horror films is fear. It is necessary to define the concept of fear in order to identify the reason for such a passionate desire to constantly experience it. Søren Kierkegaard in his book “The Concept of Fear” gives the following concept of fear:

“Fear is “sympathetic antipathy and antipathetic sympathy,” this is a feeling that takes possession of a person when a guess arises in him about the existence of a certain force that has completely unknown capabilities.” Let's consider the concept of “fear”, which is given to us by V. Dahl’s explanatory dictionary of the living Great Russian language:

Fear is passion, apprehension, timidity, strong apprehension, an anxious state of mind from fright, from a threatening or imagined disaster...

encyclopedic Dictionary medical terms interprets the concept of fear as follows:

Phobia (phobia; Greek phobos fear, fear; synonym obsessive fear) is an obsessive state in the form of an irresistible fear of certain objects, movements, actions, deeds, situations. .

In other words, fear is the stress that the body experiences when a (real or imagined) danger threatens it. In this case, what are the motives that can arouse a strong enough interest in horror and mystic films among people? According to the point of view of Abraham Harold Maslow, which he described in the book “Motivation and Personality,” after satisfying physiological needs, their place in the motivational sphere of the individual is taken by needs of another level: the need for security; in stability; depending; in defense; in freedom from fear, anxiety and horror; need for structure, order, law, restrictions; other needs .

So, for example, the need for security in children is manifested in their craving for constancy, for ordering. Everyday life. A. Maslow also points out that the average adult representative of our culture strives to live in a safe, stable, organized world, in a world where once and for all established rules and orders apply, where dangerous surprises, disorder and chaos are excluded .

Thus, the question arose about the need for security and connection with the manifestation of interest in horror and mystic films, which, by definition, should frighten, intimidate, and in every possible way prevent the satisfaction of this basic need. In order to transcend basic needs and intentionally experience stress, there must be motivation for this kind of action.

Motivation is the relationship between human behavior and the reasons that determine this behavior; a set of psychological phenomena that reflect the presence in the human psyche of a certain readiness that guides the achievement of a goal. Motivation is closely related to human needs and is always accompanied by experiences, positive or negative emotions. The motives of each person are individual, but the motivation for watching horror films is great, as evidenced by the great popularity of this genre, but the goals that people pursue when watching these films are different. For example, Alfred Hitchcock put it this way: “I have heard that for a long time I have been considered a real monster because I talk about crimes. Meanwhile, you can hardly find a person who would be more afraid of all this in life than me.” Considering the director’s difficult childhood, it is possible to assume that while making horror films, he experienced his fears by “revitalizing” them in cinema, that is, he used cinema as a means of overcoming phobias. Perhaps in this context it is worth considering the desire to watch films of this genre, namely: people watch films of the horror genre in order to overcome their own fears.

You can look at the problem from the other side: horror films that a person sees on the screen satisfy deep-seated needs for violence, the historical roots of which can be traced in the article by A. P. Nazaretyan “Violence in the Media: Today and Tomorrow,” where the author also tells that violence does not increase, but is sublimated from the physical to the symbolic and virtual spheres, and modern media play a significant role in the development of this trend. From this article it becomes known that people have used violence as a method of education since ancient times, using brute physical strength and noticeable regularity; moreover, advice on its use was published in magazines. With the development of technology, our society has become more humane, and violence is seen only in virtual reality, television, newspapers, etc. Thus, we can form the following conclusion: films containing scenes of violence and horror have a favorable goal of humanizing society, embodying the aggressive needs of a person in an unrealistic environment. on positive behavior model... and horror(increasing tension and fear). The idea of ​​such film calculated on receipt... the video did not have any significant impact influence on teenagers But you can't...

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It is believed that horror films are generally harmful to humans and can negatively affect both their psychological and physical well-being. And, it would seem, the only reason people watch them is the desire to tickle their nerves.

website knows that everything has a second side. Let's see how horror films can help people. Of course, we're talking about about adults without mental disabilities.

1. This is a way to cope with phobias

The University of Texas studied the influence of horror films on the human psyche and found that high-quality horror is a training for human nerves: the viewer experiences the emotions of the main character, but at the same time clearly realizes that he is in a safe reality.

This is similar to the so-called exposure method in psychotherapy, which is used to combat a person’s phobias. Its essence: regular observation of things that frighten a person in a safe environment helps him cope with fear. That is, a horror film performs the same psychotherapeutic function.

2. This is an analysis of your own skeletons in the closet

When watching horror, a person can experience not only fear, but also, for example, satisfaction - watching bloody massacres or acts of violence. It's still a pleasure primitive man, according to psychoanalysts, simply deeply hidden and cultivated by society.

Essentially, horror films satisfy the imagination of that “primitive man” within us that wants to kill, eat, rape. They also help to realize which of these desires is tougher than the others, which one should be taken under control. That is, horror is a kind of free psychotherapy that protects against real mental trauma and helps identify deviations.

3. They relieve stress

Paradoxical as it may seem, but horror movies Helps you get rid of aggression and relax. For example, in such situations:

In conflicts with others. Horror films shift thoughts in such a way that their own problems seem rather insignificant.

During periods of depression, a good horror film will shake you up properly. nervous system, will reboot it and change the mood.

With a constant feeling of anxiety and fear of something. If you are very afraid of something, a portion good horror will only benefit you. Believe me, the “wedge by wedge” mechanism will work here.

4. Deliver a good dose of adrenaline

Do you think why in last years Is horror one of the most popular genres? The fact is that every year culture becomes more humane, society becomes more tolerant and ordinary people not enough adrenaline. In search of thrills and to compensate for the lack of excitement, people go to the cinema. Agree, it is much safer and more accessible than, for example, extreme sports or gambling. Having received a killer charge of “nerves”, a rapid heartbeat and increased blood pressure, a person can become more actively involved in life, he gets a second wind.

Secondary school No. 22

Syktyvkar

RESEARCH

The influence of horror films on the psyche of teenagers

Completed by: 8th grade students

Burtsev M., Chokinyuk P., Melekhova V.,

Scientific adviser:

Teacher-psychologist V.I. Zhdanova

Syktyvkar, 2014

Introduction

Chapter 1. Theoretical aspects of the problem of the influence of horror films on the psyche of adolescents

1 The concept of “horror film”

2 The influence of horror films on the human psyche

Chapter 2. Experimental work on the problem of the influence of horror films on the psyche of adolescents

1 Selection and justification of research stages

2 Analysis of the studies carried out

Conclusion

Application

Introduction

IN Lately increased attention to the peculiarities of the impact of the media on the younger generation. The media are not only a source of information or one of many entertainments, with enormous potential for influencing a child’s personality, psyche and behavior. In this regard, the fact about the peculiarities of the influence of the media on the audience became interesting.

Films that depict violent and frightening behavior attract particular attention. It has been established that showing scenes of violence on television causes a significant increase in the aggressiveness of viewers.

Among the films that cause the most concern are “horror films” that include bloody scenes in their plot, frightening or disgusting characters - zombies, demons, etc.

Many works have been devoted to the study of the content of horror films in Europe and the USA. Some authors pay attention to the content of films from the point of view of the characters present in them and also create classifications of the monsters shown in such films. Others pay more attention to the cultural and historical aspects of the emergence of such films. Still others explore how the very perception of violence affects children, adolescents and young adults.

All of these areas of research consider viewers as passive objects of influence from films. It is quite obvious that the audience that shows great interest in horror films is not only observers of what is happening on the screen. There is something that internally determines the choice of films of a particular genre, the peculiarities of the perception of characters and plots, the behavior of viewers during viewing and, to a greater extent, the degree of influence that what they see has on them.

A lot of literature has been written about the influence of horror films on a person, but in order to identify what influence they have, it is first necessary to identify: why do people choose this genre?

The purpose of our research is to identify the reasons for choosing the “horror” genre and determine their influence on the psyche of adolescents.

The object of the study is the interest of the target audience in horror films as a socio-psychological phenomenon.

The subject of the study was the psychological consequences of teenagers showing interest in horror films.

The purpose and subject determined the following research objectives:

.To study the characteristics of teenagers' interest in horror films.

2.Identify the target audience of horror films

.Determine the motivation for watching films of this genre

.Monitor your reaction while watching a horror movie.

We used such research methods as studying and analyzing literature on the problem under study, collecting and analyzing material, and questioning.

Chapter 1. Theoretical aspects of the problem of the influence of horror films on the psyche of adolescents

1.1 The concept of "horror film"

Horror is a genre of feature film.

Horror films include films that are designed to frighten the viewer, instill a feeling of anxiety and fear, create a tense atmosphere of horror or painful anticipation of something terrible.

By and large, horror films are designed to frighten, to evoke the fears hidden within us, often with a shocking ending. They effectively focus on the dark side of human life, strange and disturbing feelings. Horror films reveal the primal nature of man, primal fears: vulnerability, fear of the unknown, fear of death. The darkest, most primitive aspects that simultaneously attract and repulse us are contained in this genre.

Fear is the main emotion that a person experiences when watching horror films.

It is necessary to define the concept of fear in order to identify the reason for such a passionate desire to constantly experience it. Søren Kierkegaard in his book “The Concept of Fear” gives the following concept of fear:

“Fear is “sympathetic antipathy and antipathetic sympathy,” this is a feeling that takes possession of a person when a guess arises in him about the existence of a certain force with completely unknown capabilities.”

IN Explanatory dictionary living Great Russian language V. Dahl interprets the concept of “fear” as “fear, timidity, strong apprehension, an anxious state of mind from fright, from a threatening or imaginary disaster...”

encyclopedic Dictionary medical terms interprets the concept of “fear” as follows: “Phobia is an obsessive state in the form of an irresistible fear of certain objects, movements, actions, deeds, situations.”

In other words, fear is the stress that the body experiences when there is a (real or imagined) danger threatening it.

For example, the need for security in children is manifested in their craving for consistency and order in everyday life. Abraham Maslow also points out that the average adult representative of our culture strives to live in a safe, stable, organized world, in a world where once and for all established rules and orders apply, where dangerous surprises, disorder and chaos are excluded.

Thus, the question arose about the need for security and connection with the manifestation of interest in horror films, which should frighten, intimidate, and prevent the satisfaction of these needs. In order to violate basic needs and intentionally experience stress, there must be motivation for such actions.

Motivation is the relationship between human behavior and the reasons that determine this behavior; totality psychological phenomena, which reflect the presence in the human psyche of a certain readiness that guides the achievement of a goal. Motivation is closely related to human needs and is always accompanied by experiences, positive or negative emotions. The motives of each person are individual, but the motivation for watching horror films is great, as evidenced by the great popularity of this genre, but the goals that people pursue by watching these films are different.

Alfred Hitchcock put it: “I have heard that for a long time I have been considered a real monster because I talk about crimes. Meanwhile, you can hardly find a person who would be more afraid of all this in life than me.” Considering the director’s difficult childhood, it can be assumed that while making horror films, he experienced his fears by “embodying” them in cinema, that is, he used cinema to overcome phobias. Perhaps in this context it is worth considering the desire to watch films of this genre, namely: people watch horror films to overcome their own phobias.

You can look at the problem from the other side: a person who sees horror films on the screen satisfies the need for violence, the historical roots of which can be traced in the article by A.P. Nazaretyan “Violence in the Media: Today and Tomorrow”, where the author also talks about how violence does not increase, but is sublimated from the physical to the symbolic and virtual spheres, and modern media play a significant role in the development of this trend.

From this article we can conclude that people have long used violence as a method of education, using rough physical strength. With the development of technology, our society has become more humane, seeing violence only in virtual reality, television, and newspapers. Consequently, films containing scenes of violence and horror have the beneficial goal of humanizing society, embodying the aggressive needs of man in an unrealistic environment.

1.2 The influence of horror films on the human psyche

To determine what impact watching horror films has on a person, it is necessary to consider different views on this problem. Scientists' opinions fall into two expected types: negative and positive. As an example of the positive impact of horror films, the following article is offered: “...high-quality horror films are good training for human nerves. The leader of the study, Professor David Rudd, argues that when watching horror films we get a kind of pleasure, since our brain adequately assesses the reality of the threat. Realizing that in reality there is no danger, the viewer experiences an exciting sensation from the release of adrenaline. Professor Rudd also argues that repeating a similar fear over and over again creates a certain “habit” in the brain, and it stops responding to it as a threat. According to the Texas scientist, this fact can provide indispensable assistance in the treatment of phobias and other mental disorders.”

But there are other facts confirming the negative effects of watching horror films on a physiological level. For example, consider the following article: “Biochemists at the University of Washington have discovered that watching violent action and horror films triggers the body’s self-destruction program. According to scientists, such pictures have a detrimental effect not only on the psyche, but also on human physiology. During the experiment, a group of volunteers was asked to watch several films - a melodrama, a documentary and a brutal action movie. After each film screening, a blood test was taken from the participants. According to his results, melodrama and documentary had no effect on the composition of the blood, while the action movie made the blood of the test subjects “boil.” The subjects showed increased production of antibodies. These cells are usually produced in response to a virus or infection entering the body. However, sometimes antibodies can attack healthy cells in the body, which further leads to damage and destruction of normal tissue.

Scientists explain this destructive behavior of the body by the fact that strong fear and a person’s internal tension when watching a film filled with cruelty are a signal of danger for the body. But since a person does not try to stop this stress and react in accordance with the natural self-preservation program, the body believes that the stress factor is inside. Antibodies are sent to search for the internal enemy, which begins to destroy healthy cells of the body.”

Consider also the article from “ Russian newspaper", in which the director of the State Scientific Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry named after V.P. Serbsky tells us about the true influence of horror films: “...Unfortunately, not only films, but also life around is such that a child sees too many horrors not only on TV. As he grows up, he turns from a victim of violence to a criminal. After all, he adopted this standard of behavior from his stepfather, mother or mentors at school.

Films, of course, play not the first but important role here. One of the worst crimes we examined involved vampire movies, which in my opinion cause the most harm. 14-year-old boys committed the murder of their classmate: they lured her into the forest, forced her to dig her own grave, cut her throat and drank her warm blood. This is all taken from the film. And the examination showed that they were all mentally healthy and sane. Moreover, one of them - the leader - was more interested in films about vampires than the others, and forced the rest - the followers - to drink blood. They choked, but could not help but do so. After all, the law of the pack is specificity adolescence».

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that horror films influence a person at the physiological and psychological level, and are both negative and positive character. Namely, due to watching films, uncontrollable reactions occur that affect mental condition a person, his behavior, his actions. In addition, experiencing emotions of fear, horror, and anxiety together with the characters in the film, he has the opportunity to overcome them, “rise” above them, “subdue” them and cope with his fear. In other words, the situation of watching a film creates comfortable conditions for the viewer: the events on the screen cannot cause real harm, create a real threat, no matter how frightening they may be. The viewer is in a situation of complete safety.

Comfortable conditions when watching a movie, absolute protection from danger - the tip of the iceberg. In reality, our body reacts to an unreal danger as realistically as possible, which has a detrimental effect on our health. But over time, one becomes “accustomed” to cruelty and violence. Empathy for the suffering of another being does not appear, and it becomes quite easy to overstep the ban on aggressive behavior.

In this regard, the term “aggression” should be introduced.

Aggression is the manifestation of aggressiveness in destructive actions, the purpose of which is to harm a particular person.

Aggressiveness is a personality trait consisting in the willingness and preference to use violent means to achieve one’s goals.

Aggressive behavior is most often understood as motivated external actions that violate the norms and rules of coexistence, causing harm, pain and suffering to people. However, when working with aggressive behavior It is necessary to remember about other aspects of the manifestation of aggression. The emotional component of an aggressive state is feelings, and above all anger.

The most common types of aggression are:

· physical - manifested in specific physical actions, directed against any person, or causing harm to objects (a person breaks, throws objects, etc.)

· verbal - expressed in verbal form (a person shouts, threatens, insults others)

· indirect - indirect aggression (a person gossips, snitches, provokes, etc.).

But aggression is not always accompanied by anger, and not all anger leads to aggression. Emotional experiences of hostility, anger, and vindictiveness also often accompany aggressive actions, but they do not always lead to aggression.

Thus, the need for security among people from the so-called “group of horror movie fans” is manifested in an increased interest and desire to experience moments that frighten them in a fairly safe environment, which gives them the opportunity to cope” with the threat, at least in the imagination, and more successfully adapt to such an imaginary or real threatening situation. These aspirations remain, as a rule, unconscious; only the interest in films of this genre is realized.

film horror psyche teenager

Chapter 2. Experimental work on the problem of the influence of horror films on the psyche of adolescents

.1 Selection and justification of research methods

Exist various methods research such as tests, questionnaires, focus groups, surveys and others.

A survey is the most common method of collecting primary information. This is a psychological verbal-communicative method that involves interaction between the interviewer and the respondents by obtaining answers from the subject to pre-formulated questions. In other words, a survey is a communication between the interviewer and the respondent, in which the main instrument is a pre-formulated question.

The advantage of this type of research is the efficiency and reliability of the information received, but negative side is the possibility of influencing the respondent’s answer through the interviewer’s intonation, manner of communication, and other factors.

The test is one of the most reliable research methods.

Focus group is a sociological interview based on the use of real group dynamics in an artificially created group to identify the specifics and characteristics of a certain social group’s ideas about the object of research.

The use of this method involves a group discussion under the guidance of a specialist (moderator) according to a pre-prepared scenario. The discussion is held in a specially equipped room and recorded on videotape. Focus group participants are selected strictly according to specified criteria and are representatives of the target audience.

The following types of research are the most preferable for us:

survey;

research through focus group.

We can justify the choice of research methods as follows:

.Through a survey, we will be able to obtain the necessary information about the target audience of horror films, find out the age of fans of this genre, and also be able to identify their attitude towards horror films, that is, horror films.

2.Questioning is an excellent research method that can show us not only the attitude towards films of the horror genre, but also show the reasons that motivate people to watch these films, and show which genre is most preferred.

.By conducting a focus group study, we will be able to see the emotions that fans of this genre experience while watching a film, track the audience's reaction to exciting moments, and discuss with them their attitude towards the film they watched.

2.2 Analysis of the studies conducted

At the beginning of our research, we conducted a survey to identify the target audience who prefer watching horror films, determining their age and gender.

The survey was conducted on March 28, 2014, in the Maxi shopping center in Syktyvkar. Respondents were asked the following questions:

last name and first name of the survey participant;

does he watch horror films?

attitude to this genre;

occupation.

The data was recorded by us in the form provided by us in Annex 1. Survey results:

Interviewed 29 people Women 10 Men 19 Ages of respondents from 16 to 28 Positive answers to the question “Do you watch horror films?” 21 Negative answers to the question “Do you watch horror films?” 8

Next, we conducted a survey. Questionnaire forms were sent via Email, so that each participant can devote the necessary time to filling it out. The survey participants were 20 young people aged 16 to 21. The main selection criterion was their passion for horror films.

Within 3 days, participants had to read, fill out and submit the questionnaire to process the results.

The questionnaire form that was sent to the participants is presented in Appendix 2.

The questions that were specified in the questionnaire allowed us to understand the motivation for watching films of the horror genre, to find out the moments that fans like in this genre.

In March 2014, we conducted a focus group study. The group consisted of ten people. The age of the audience was from 13 to 17. The main selection criterion was membership in the group of “horror movie fans.”

The purpose of the focus group is to track the reaction of viewers to a horror film they saw. Discuss with them what was taken away, what they liked about this film and what they didn’t, what moments were especially scary, and what exactly they frightened the audience.

The study was conducted in a cinema hall. The guys sat down and the movie “Saw” was turned on. American-Australian film in the horror/thriller genre. The film was initially rated NC-17 by the Motion Picture Association of America due to the abundance of scenes of violence. It was decided to cut out some particularly bloody episodes. After this, the film was re-rated and received an "R" rating.

While watching, the participants were calm and sat quite relaxed throughout the entire film, occasionally changing positions.

After watching, we had a conversation. The respondents were asked questions.

So, for example, to the question “ What are the emotions from watching? Did you like the film?"The following responses were received:

Shevchenko Gleb: “...It’s normal, more boring, though, than the previous parts, but they told everything.”

Medvedev Roman: “I liked it, it’s just as interesting as the others.”

Moiseeva Anna: “I find it generally boring, the plot is interesting, of course, but I don’t like psychological horrors, I’ve never been scared.”

To the question “Wasn’t it really scary at all?» respondents responded as follows:

Moiseeva Anna: “Not at all, well, there’s a lot of blood and that’s all.”

Semyonova Diana: “No, it’s disgusting, of course, but when severed heads fall, it’s even funny. It’s not natural, in my opinion, but it’s definitely better than at the “destination”! But here’s the point...in short, this is not a horror film.”

Other participants expressed similar opinions.

To the question “Were you disgusted? After all, the film contains many bloody scenes."we received the following responses:

Vadim Lozovoy: “It’s not particularly bloody, they only showed it twice, when a man was cut with an ax, and at the end, what’s nasty about it. Blood and gore."

Andrey Smirnov: “Exactly, it’s not us who are cutting off.”

Moiseeva Anastasia: “I would rather say that when the blonde’s head was cut off, it was more unexpected. It's a pity. But it’s disgusting - no.”

To the question “Did you feel sorry for the victims?”respondents responded as follows:

Borisov Vasily: “According to the idea, they are all either murderers or drug addicts, so in theory it shouldn’t exist.”

Vadim Lozovoy: “I agree, it’s their own fault, they could all have escaped, but they killed each other.”

Upon request describe the main characterwe heard the following:

Medvedev Roman: “Maniac - killer, avenger, smart.”

Borisov Vasily: “I don’t know. But in general he was a very smart person, he knew how to think through people’s actions in advance.”

Moiseeva Anna: “In general, considering the plot, if anyone remembers, it’s because his wife was hit in the stomach, she lost her child, in other words, he loved his wife very much, and now he’s taking revenge. Avenger!"

Tavyakova Diana: “Nonsense, did the others also somehow offend his wife? He made fun of a lot of people, in my opinion, he was minding his own business, he has no right to judge someone. He’s crazy, it’s not for nothing that he had brain cancer.”

To the question “What do you think is the point of the film?”The following responses were received:

Toncharov Sergey: “The point is that people appreciate human life».

Borisov Vasily: “Yes, and also that everyone is given a second chance, well, the saw chose the victim for a reason, but because of some committed act, and, as it were, punished them. He gave me the opportunity to improve."

Moiseeva Anna: “He said that murder is terrible, and that after his trials, no one remains the same.”

Based on the conducted research, the following conclusions can be drawn:

Firstly, of the majority of respondents, films in the horror genre are preferred by the male audience, and they have a positive attitude towards such films, and are happy to both attend the premiere and watch them at home. The age of fans of films of this genre varies from 16 to 26 years. This age characterizes the chronological boundaries of adolescence . By the end of the adolescent period, the processes of maturation of the human body are completed: body growth, formation of the musculoskeletal system, puberty, as well as the most recent processes of neurophysiological development of the central nervous system; acquire certainty of facial features and appearance as a whole. At the same time, the degree of personal maturity of boys and girls in this period is still significantly inferior to the degree of maturity of the body. The psychological content of this stage is associated with the development of self-awareness, solving problems of personal and professional self-determination, the beginning of entry into adult life. But, unfortunately, those complexes and fears that were formed earlier do not go away, and each person fights them in different ways.

Secondly, horror films can serve as an auxiliary element in the fight against fears. If we consider this problem in this context, it becomes clear why this particular age category prefers films of the “horror” genre. A survey study shows us not only the reasons for wanting to watch this genre, but also finds out about the emotions that fans of these films experience while watching. After all, there are adrenaline-dependent people who engage in extreme sports, because they need to experience this invigorating feeling in their blood constantly.

Focus group research revealed the picture most fully. After talking with the participants, we were able to conclude that they are immune to scenes of violence and there is no sense of compassion. But at the same moment they are not aggressive, not asocial, but on the contrary: open immediately, they found contact with each other, and sincerely expressed their opinion about the film.

We can assume that fans of horror films experience their fears in the cinema, being in an unreal reality, they overcome their complexes, feel tension while watching, get rid of aggression, and after the end of the film, “renewed” can again live in their usual rhythm. But at the same moment, the external manifestation often diverges from psychological state person. Our focus group participants are positive and open guys, and their mental state hides aggressiveness and resentment.

Conclusion

Analysis of the literature on the problem under study, as well as the research we conducted, allowed us to draw certain conclusions:

Fans of horror films are the audience aged 15 to 17 years, and their passion for films of this genre is due to age characteristics.

The motivational aspect for watching horror films is the desire to experience thrills and escape from everyday life. While watching, fans are calm and do not react to sensitive moments; they are not frightened by the sight of blood or scenes with the cutting off of the characters’ body parts, but the survey showed that 98% “root” for the victim. With such a calm reaction to bloody scenes, it is worth assuming that among fans of horror films, aggression is clearly expressed.

Thus, we investigated the assigned tasks in research work. Based on the results described above, we can conclude that watching films of the “horror” genre is weakly expressed at the psychological level, and in order to identify the influence of this genre on a person’s mental state, it takes years and deeper research. psychological tests. But at this stage, we were able to identify that people use horror films as a means of relieving stress and as a source of new sensations.

Bibliography:

1.Abraham Harold Maslow. Motivation and personality

2.Questions of psychology: Scientific. magazine - M.: Question. Psychology, 1955, p. 114.

.Journal "Psychology"

.Definition of "motivation"

.Definition of survey as a research method

.Definition of the genre "horror film"

.Definition of focus group as a type of research

.Psychological navigator. Article

.Soren Kierkegaard “The Concept of Fear” Encyclopedia “History of Philosophy”

.Article on the impact of horror films

.Article about Alfred Hitchcock

.Age characteristics

.Encyclopedic Dictionary of Medical Terms:

Annex 1

Registration form

Full name of the Participant Date of birth Position Do you watch horror films? What is your attitude towards this genre?

Appendix 2

Application form

Questionnaire formLast name First name Patronymic Why do you prefer horror films to comedy films?What horror films do you prefer?psychological, frightening, bloody, need to be ticked Why do you want to watch horror films? Do you watch old ones or go to premieres of horror films? What is your favorite horror film? Why do you like it? What emotions do you experience when watching? fcheck the box Which heroes of horror films do you like?In horror films, do you “root” for the victim or the negative character?What moments in horror films do you like best?After watching you feel calm or is there a feeling of anxiety? Do you think that horror films affect the psyche? Appendix 3

Questionnaire protocol

1. Oksana Nikolaeva, 01/29/93, student:

I watch horror films, but not often. My boyfriend loves them. But I take it quite calmly; sometimes it can be very scary.

Niin Miroslava, 12/11/92, student:

No. I love melodramas, and horror films are stupid films.

Vlasov Dmitry, 25/21/88, student:

Yes. Good genre, I have a positive attitude.

Lyutoeva Irina, 10/1/92, student:

no, very scary. I feel bad and don’t watch it, because then you can’t sleep.

Guryanova Evgenia, 02/08/90, student:

yes, I watch them all the time, great films, although not always scary, but there are moments that take your breath away.

Lyutoev Maxim, 03.11.93, student:

Yes, the adrenaline needs to be pumping. I'm fine.

Grigoriev Mark, 03/02/93, student:

yes, but lately there is nothing worthwhile. I think it's good.

Morozova Anastasia, 01/23/91, student:

Yes, I see, I like that it’s scary.

Usmanov Vladislav, 08/22/87, student:

no, then my head hurts after them. I have a bad attitude, it’s scary.

Alekseev Artem, 11/08/84, manager:

not really, I don’t sleep well afterwards. I would say that I have more negative attitudes towards them than positive ones, sometimes you can watch them for a change.

Popov Andrey, 02/14/87, student:

no, I don’t have time to watch movies at all, I take it calmly, I don’t remember a movie that really scared me.

Pisarkova Anastasia, 07/04/90, student:

Yes, I watch it often, it’s scary really, but I really like it.

Anna Dudina, 10.21.93, student:

Yes. I feel great, my boyfriend and I always watch it in the evening in the dark, it’s scary as hell and I advise you to try it

Timofey, December 23, 1992, student:

No. Now there are no scary horror films, I just go to laugh.

Tsarev Ignatius, 09/08/88, student:

Yes, I watch it all the time, I have nothing against it.

Volkov Semyon 10.10.86, sushi chef:

Yes, and regularly, a shake-up for the brain, I have a positive attitude.

Morozova Svetlana, 06.28.93, student:

no, I prefer cartoons, they are good. I feel a little uneasy when I watch bloody films, that is, those where body parts are cut off and the like.

Dzhugashvili Nazar, 03/21/87, seller:

I like horror films, they are exciting, interesting and give me goosebumps.

Popova Marina, 1.09.87, student:

Yes, and I watch it because it’s scary. I like that it’s scary, because it’s not really scary, that’s their plus.

Shevchenko Mikhail, 23.01. 93, student:

yes, but in moderate doses, that is, not all the time. My attitude is positive.

Smirnov Andrey, 02/14/85, pizza maker:

Yes, of course, it’s rare that something scary happens, but overall it’s better than the tearful films that my girlfriend watches.

Nikolaychuk Stepan, 10/30/88, student:

yeah, they're cool. I treat them calmly, there is nothing scary about them.

Orlova Svetlana, 01/17/92, student:

Yes, I really love this genre, Japanese ones are best, I have a very positive attitude.

Vishnevsky Roman, 09.22.94, student:

Yes, but it's not my favorite favorite genre. I have a generally positive attitude.

Mikhailov Sergey, 12/1/86, taxi driver:

Yes, I watch, my favorite zombie films.

Zhdanov Sergey, 03/8/89, student:

no, but I love comedies and science fiction. I have a negative attitude towards horror.

Semyonova Victoria, 03/14/88, student:

Yes, I grew up on them. My attitude is extremely positive, and there is little that can scare me now.

Karpov Vyacheslav, 9.09.88, student:

in principle, yes, but there is nothing normal, but I like it that way.

Erlikh Daria, 06/08/86, manager:

I love them, but they are not scary at all, I want them to really be scary, I treat them well.

Tags: The influence of horror films on the psyche of teenagers Other Psychology

A feature film that terrifies its audience, instills fear and causes the release of a dose of adrenaline is definitely an object of influence on the human psyche. This kind of cinema has long won enormous attention. And, moreover, not only from the audience, but also psychologists from all over the world are trying to find an answer to intricate questions: “So how do horror films influence a person? Is his psyche suffering?

People believe that they watch “horror films” only to “tickle the nerves” or simply out of curiosity, but the effect of watching can only be negative - a person wakes up with increased aggression, anxiety, or even stress. But is this really so? Let's try to dig a little deeper and find in this, no matter how strange it may sound at first glance to the average person, a positive influence.

Horror films help fight phobias

According to Texas University of Clinical Psychology scientists, watching so-called horror films can have a very positive effect on the human psyche. It can serve as training to combat human phobias. The main thing is to choose really high-quality films, with correctly constructed storyline, and containing as little violence as possible. So how does it work? The essence is this: a person watches a film, he seems to live the life of the main character, and experiences the same fears. But at the same time, the viewer clearly understands that he is completely safe, that nothing really threatens him. Thus, by gradually increasing viewing sessions, a person no longer fears what recently “made the hairs on my head stand on end.” Yes, yes, this is how the human psyche works, and it’s not for nothing that people say that we fight each other with each other.

“Phobia, psychoneurological disorder” - watch a horror film

For clarity, let us give an example of such a positive effect on the human psyche. Let's imagine that one woman is very afraid of the dead.

She is afraid to think about them, to remember, she cannot attend the funeral of even a person close to her - this fills her with horror, it is real stress for her psyche. The poor fellow cannot be at home by herself - she constantly feels like she is being followed evil spirit any dead person. Another symptom is that you may dream about the dead. Any qualified specialist who receives such a patient for an appointment will immediately determine the diagnosis: “phobia, neuropsychiatric disorder.” And what a surprise our woman will be when, instead of drugs, the doctor prescribes her several sessions of watching horror films on a certain topic. Yes, yes, modern psychology, as a science, has stepped far forward, especially in the West, and now it is not afraid to experiment, using a completely new approach to solving certain problems for the benefit of human health.

You need to choose quality content

So, let's return to our woman. A psychotherapist can even select high-quality films for her himself, as is practiced in the West, and can simply give some advice on choosing suitable films that will have a positive impact on the psyche. Most likely, the attending physician will recommend that she spend the first few viewing sessions in the company of someone to get used to it. It is better to choose a person from your close circle for this matter. But if such a person was not found, then an excellent alternative In this aspect, a visit to the cinema will be possible - our patient will definitely feel safer there, - because there will be a lot of people around.

Horror films dull fears.

Of course, at first she will be terribly scared to watch horror films about dead people. But the realization that all the actions taking place on the screen have nothing to do with her will give a person a feeling of security. When the sessions begin to work, that is, become addictive, the feeling of fear will gradually begin to go away. It's logical. After all, when a person sees the same thing every day, even if it is aesthetically unacceptable, then over time he will not be afraid of it, since he will simply get used to it, it will become commonplace for him. This is how the human brain works. So the woman who watches the dead on the TV screen every day will eventually stop being afraid of them. Only by this method will she be able to overcome her fear, and most importantly, by an absolutely safe method for her body, in contrast to taking tranquilizers, as a result of which the natural human psyche is destroyed. It has a positive impact on the human psyche!

Bloodlust is an unhealthy psyche

Now let’s look at another “bright side of the coin” of horror films, that is, we will recognize their positive influence on a person in other situations.

Let's talk about patients of a slightly different category, whose psyche differs significantly from the one mentioned earlier. But, undoubtedly, such a psyche is also considered unhealthy. It's about about people in whose subconscious the so-called “thirst for blood” sometimes awakens. No, not in the literal sense of these words. It is rather a primitive feeling of pleasure from a bloody massacre, from any acts of violence, dormant in a person’s subconscious.

Different opinions

Some analytical psychologists argue that our society has become fully civilized, and this primitive feeling has been, as it were, healed by our culture. Others fundamentally disagree with this theory. But according to the former, it exists, and there is no escape from it. And to avoid dire consequences, this feeling must be satisfied. And here again a session of “cinema therapy” will come to the “help”, which will have a positive effect on the human psyche. Thus, by watching a film that already contains an act of violence and other atrocities inherent in the horror genre, the patient satisfies his needs without committing any illegal actions. Yes, these desires are undoubtedly terrible, but you shouldn’t hide these kinds of “skeletons in the closet.” They need to be dealt with by any legal means, first of all, by taking the person to a psychotherapist. Whether you agree with this or not, we will leave this right to everyone to decide personally.

Getting rid of depression

No matter how paradoxical it may sound, horror films can relax a person and distract him from depression. This is why scary movies have become so popular these days. Let's also talk about this form of influence on the human psyche. And this is also a positive influence! Psychologists say that if a person has any problems and becomes depressed because he feels hopeless, then some kind of shake-up will help him. Moreover, this shake-up should so agitate the patient’s nervous system and his psyche that his problems will seem trivial to him.

Horror films tune our psyche to the wave of “I’m fine”

It is horror films that can program our brains to believe that in reality everything is fine with us, that our problems are very insignificant. Still would! After all, watching the picture, we subconsciously put ourselves in the place of the hero, who has a very hard time in his role. As practice shows, with such a simple method as shock therapy, a person is able to overcome stress and get out of a state of depression. The impact on the human psyche is obvious in such cases, and again a positive impact!

Chasing adrenaline with a horror movie

Have you ever wondered why among us there are fans of gambling, or people who are fond of extreme sports?

After all, this is unsafe for human life and health! The answer is simple - we lack adrenaline. Our psyche is structured in such a way that we simply by nature cannot live a calm, measured life all the time. life - man needs a thrill. So people artificially create extreme conditions for themselves.

And where can we get them, these thrills, how to satisfy the lack of excitement, if day after day our society becomes more and more cultured and tolerant. Risking one's life by jumping on the roofs of high-rise buildings is not at all a desire for an adequate person. And not everyone has the physical training necessary for such activities. Naturally, a sane person should not get involved in illegal activities for the sake of adrenaline rush.

But going to the cinema with friends to watch a quality horror movie is the solution to the problem. The most important thing is a safe solution! Well, you are guaranteed a boost of hormones! Another positive effect on our psyche.

The dark side of a horror movie

Horror films can have more than just a positive impact on people.

Of course, we shouldn’t forget about the bad. I think some of you have already heard or read in crime chronicles a story about how Russian teenagers, having watched enough horror films, committed repeated acts of violence and murder as a group. Moreover, they abused the bodies of their victims, as happened in the horror films that the killers were based on. Here we see a situation where a person’s psyche has been damaged by watching horror films.

In America, clinical experiments and studies have already been conducted on the aspect of children's viewing of horror films, that is, their influence on the children's psyche has been studied. This test gave a clear result: children are completely contraindicated from watching this kind of films.

The essence of the horror viewing experience

Children of different ages were shown horror stories over three days. Required condition was that they had never seen a movie like this before that moment. Parents had to make notes every hour about the behavior of their children, and notes were made without fail before the session, during the session, after it and at night. So, despite the completely different ages of children and social status of the families participating in the experiment, the notes made by the parents were of the same nature:

• the children began to sleep poorly, they were tormented by insomnia for a long time, they constantly tossed and turned during sleep, woke up often, some even cried and asked their parents to sit with them, that is, the psyche undoubtedly suffered;
• some children became very aggressive, often argued with parents and peers, raised their voices, used foul language, and there were cases of assault;
• In the minds of children, the line between good and evil was blurred; it was as if they ceased to understand what they could do and what actions they should not do.
• children began to give preference to games in which there were actions of a violent nature; during the game, moments of imitation of the negative characters of the horror films they watched occurred.

The destructive influence of horror films on the children's psyche

In general, this test was originally designed for large quantity days. But in order to avoid causing even more harm to the child’s psyche, parents and research scientists decided to interrupt the experiment by the end of the third day. This time was enough to sum up the results of the experiment. Participants and observers came to a unanimous conclusion: horror films have a negative impact on a person who has not reached the age of majority; they destroy the child’s psyche, which this moment is at the stage of formation. And if it is formed based on such art, then we risk raising moral invalids. To prevent this oversight, parents need to prohibit their children from watching horror and, if possible, limit the viewing of thrillers and action films.

How not to cause harm

In order for the effect on a person from watching horror films to be more positive than negative, you need to follow some rules:

• choose only high-quality films;
• from time to time visit psychologists, psychotherapists (this is the 21st century, and visiting such specialists has long become a natural process even for an absolutely healthy person), tell them about your problems, thoughts, what worries you (maybe it’s better for you not to watch horror films);
• Do not allow children to watch horror under any pretext!

Is it possible to summarize the influence of horror on people?

When drawing conclusions about how horror films actually influence the human psyche, it is impossible to say anything definitely. As you can see, there is a positive influence of such cinema, and there is also a negative influence. But there can be no more doubt that horrors excite a person’s consciousness, leaving an imprint in the mind after viewing. To watch or not to watch - personal choice every person, but you must understand that after a movie show, your psyche may never be the same again!

How horror films affect a person and his psychological state

Scientists have long been trying to figure out whether horror films have a direct impact on people or not. First of all, we are talking about the psychological impact. During the research it turned out that the films of thisgenres certainly influence a person, his psyche. And this impact can be both negative and positive.

Pros of watching horror films:

Independent struggle with your inner fears;

The belief that this or that fear is just a fiction and does not pose a danger;

Relieving tension, distracting from everyday problems.

Disadvantages of watching horror films:

In most cases, horror films still have an impact Negative influence. Fear, horror, experiences and emotions - here the main objective horror movie. These are the feelings a film like this should evoke. It has been scientifically proven that people who often watch horror films become more angry and aggressive. Their psyche becomes unbalanced, and their general emotional state becomes precarious.

Unfortunately, very often fans of such films begin to follow the example of negative characters. There are many known cases when it was watching a horror movie that prompted a person to do one or another action. More often, teenagers or people with mental disorders are influenced by horror films.

Medical studies have found that after watching horror, the level of antibodies and hormones in a person’s blood increases sharply. They are aimed at combating fear. But since in reality there was no threat to humans (only in the film), the antibodies begin to fight inside the body. Therefore, we can say that frequent viewing of films of this genre (only very scary ones) directs the human body towards self-destruction.

There are situations when the viewer begins to get used to horror films. As a result of watching a horror film, each person produces a considerable dose of adrenaline. In some cases, horror fans get used to the constant production of adrenaline, which is why real life begin to do things that will help get a surge of this hormone. Despite this, there is some advantage to such adrenaline addiction. If a person previously had any phobias, now he will get rid of them forever. After all, someone who constantly strives to produce adrenaline is a very risky and fearless person.

In general, horror films have both positive and negative sides. And in any case, they, one way or another, will affect a person, his mental state.