The study of why people are motivated to watch horror movies falls under the umbrella of media psychology. Within this field, several theories attempt to explain the motivations behind this behavior. One prominent theory is that of catharsis, which suggests that watching horror movies provides a safe outlet for viewers to experience and release negative emotions such as fear and anxiety.
Another theory is that of excitation transfer, which posits that watching horror movies can lead to increased physiological arousal, which viewers may find pleasurable. Finally, the social identity theory suggests that people may watch horror movies to affirm their membership in a particular group or subculture.
