Why My Psychology Professor Assigned a Horror Movie as Homework (And What I Learned)
The moment our professor announced the homework assignment, the classroom buzzed with confusion. “Watch a horror film,” she said, “and take notes on your emotional and physical reactions.” A few students laughed nervously; others groaned. Horror movies for a psychology class? It felt more like a prank than academic work. But as I soon discovered, this unconventional task wasn’t just about jump scares—it was a masterclass in understanding fear, human behavior, and the mind-body connection.
The Science Behind the Screams
Horror films, as our professor later explained, are psychological playgrounds. They manipulate primal instincts—fear, suspense, disgust—to provoke visceral reactions. By analyzing these responses, we could explore concepts like:
– Fight-or-flight physiology: How horror triggers adrenaline spikes, increased heart rates, and heightened senses.
– Cognitive dissonance: Why we choose to feel scared for entertainment, despite discomfort.
– Social and cultural influences: Why some tropes (haunted houses, creepy dolls) scare us more than others based on upbringing or societal narratives.
Our assignment wasn’t just to watch a movie; it was to become self-aware lab rats, observing our own fear in real time.
The Experiment: Watching Hereditary With a Notebook
I chose Hereditary, a film notorious for its slow-burn dread and psychological complexity. Armed with a notebook and a strict “no pausing during tense scenes” rule, I settled in. Here’s what stood out:
1. Physical Symptoms: Within 20 minutes, my palms were sweaty. By the climax, my jaw physically ached from clenching. Horror, I realized, isn’t just mental—it’s a full-body experience tied to evolutionary survival mechanisms.
2. Anticipation vs. Payoff: The film’s quiet moments—a shadow in a corner, a character’s uneasy silence—were often more stressful than the actual scares. This mirrored research on anxiety: the expectation of fear can be more paralyzing than the threat itself.
3. Symbolism and Personal Triggers: A recurring theme of grief in Hereditary made me reflect: Did the horror resonate because it tapped into universal fears (loss, guilt) rather than just supernatural elements?
Class Discussion: Fear Isn’t Universal
The next day, our classroom erupted with wildly different experiences. Some students found body-horror scenes hilarious (“Unrealistic gore just looks silly to me”). Others admitted fast-forwarding through parts. One classmate, a horror enthusiast, argued that repeated exposure had desensitized her—a real-world example of habituation.
This variance proved a key lesson: Fear is deeply subjective. Cultural background, past trauma, media consumption habits, and even personality traits (like sensation-seeking) shape how we process fear. A haunted house scene might terrify someone raised on ghost stories but bore someone desensitized by action movies.
The Dark Side of Horror: When Entertainment Crosses a Line
Not everyone enjoyed the assignment. A few students confessed the films triggered genuine anxiety or sleepless nights. This opened a discussion about ethics: When does “academic exploration” become harmful? We debated:
– The responsibility of media creators to warn viewers of intense content.
– Why certain imagery (e.g., harm to children) feels universally disturbing, regardless of context.
– The line between therapeutic exposure (facing fears in a controlled setting) and retraumatization.
It was a reminder that psychology isn’t just about theories—it’s about real people with unique vulnerabilities.
Unexpected Takeaways: Life Lessons From a Horror Movie
Beyond textbook concepts, the assignment offered practical insights:
– Emotional Agility: Learning to sit with discomfort—a skill applicable to handling stress in exams, relationships, or public speaking.
– Media Literacy: Horror films aren’t “mindless.” Directors use lighting, sound design, and pacing to manipulate emotions—techniques also employed in advertising, politics, and social media.
– Empathy: Watching characters make irrational decisions under fear (e.g., running upstairs instead of outside) made me less judgmental of real-world panic responses.
Conclusion: Why This Assignment Worked
Initially, watching a horror film felt like a gimmick. But by blending experiential learning with academic analysis, the task achieved something rare: it made psychology feel real. I’ll never view fear the same way—not just as an emotion to avoid, but as a complex interplay of biology, culture, and individuality.
As for the horror genre? I’m still not a fan. But I’ll admit: understanding the “why” behind the scares made me appreciate the craft… even if I slept with the lights on for a week.
Please indicate: Thinking In Educating » Why My Psychology Professor Assigned a Horror Movie as Homework (And What I Learned)