“I see dead people”

Exploring the associations between watching horror and belief in the paranormal

Datos Bibliográficos

ID22249115
AutoresFemke Geusens (0000-0002-3600-2249, Uppsala University Hospital, autor de correspondencia)
Año2024
Volumen13
Número4
Páginas581-590
Fecha de publicación2024-10-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaPsychology of Popular Media (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2689-6567 • E-ISSN: 2689-6575
EditorialAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/ppm0000513
OpenAlexW4389206817
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas21

This study aimed to add to a nuanced understanding of how viewing different subgenres of paranormal horror can cultivate beliefs in the paranormal. I collected cross-sectional survey data among 601 adults aged 18 – 56 (M = 24.06, SD = 4.16), with a relatively even gender distribution (40.6% males, 59.4% females). Using a linear regression model, I found that more frequent exposure to paranormal horror was related to paranormal beliefs, but only if the paranormal horror subgenre claimed to depict reality (i.e., based on true events re-enactments and paranormal reality TV). Neither paranormal subgenres that did not include a truth claim (e.g., found footage), nor non-paranormal horror subgenres (e.g., slasher), were related to paranormal beliefs. I conclude that it is possible that truth claims lead viewers to process the depicted events as fact, instead of fiction, thus resulting in a shift in real world beliefs. However, considering the cross-cultural nature of the data, it is also possible that those who already believe in the paranormal are more likely to seek out this content

Paranormal · Crime, Deviance, and Social Control · Gothic Literature and Media Analysis · Media Influence and Health · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology