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Emotional Forecasting in an Immersive Horror Experience

01 September 2026

How accurately can we predict how a frightening experience will make us feel? A field study at Dystopia Haunted House reveals why our emotional forecasts are often too gloomy - and how discomfort with uncertainty shapes what we experience.

“…if we continually avoid uncertainty, we have fewer opportunities to discover that uncertainty isn't necessarily as bad as we imagined – and might even be enjoyable.”

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First page of the PDF version of Emotional Forecasting in an Immersive Horror Experience

Why Comedians Make Such Good Horror Directors

09 June 2026

With Obsession, Curry Barker joins a growing cohort of comedians who have successfully transitioned into being hit horror directors. Research on the cognitive links between humor and fear can help us make sense of this comedy-to-horror pipeline.

“…humor and fear can rightfully be regarded as two sides of the same coin.”

Download PDF4 pages · about 8 min read

First page of the PDF version of Why Comedians Make Such Good Horror Directors

2025

Fear of Heights, Bones and Malls: How the Recreational Fear Lab Took Over Aarhus During the Autumn Break

08 December 2025

From VR vertigo to hand-drawn monsters, the Recreational Fear Lab turned an Aarhus shopping mall into a playground for fear during the 2025 autumn break.

“Throughout our week of spooky entertainment, we learned that kids are far more willing to face their fears than we thought.”

Download PDF6 pages · about 7 min read

First page of the PDF version of Fear of Heights, Bones and Malls: How the Recreational Fear Lab Took Over Aarhus During the Autumn Break

Gremlins Revisited

14 January 2025

In honor of Gremlins’s 40th anniversary, the lab interns watched the horror classic to see whether lowering the film’s age certificate was justified.

“…while the movie can be enjoyed by a younger audience, some kids might still find it disturbing, so the parents may want to stick around.”

Download PDF5 pages · about 8 min read

First page of the PDF version of Gremlins Revisited

An Interview with a Vampire … and a Zombie, and an Evil Scientist, and a Killer Clown, and a Deranged Pig Farmer

14 January 2025

The RFL does a lot of work to learn about people who like to be scared, but this time we - the lab interns - visited Dystopia Haunted House to interview the actors to find out why THEY enjoy scaring others.

“Several scarers noted that they disliked horror before becoming a part of Dystopia; however, after participating as actors in the haunted house, they experienced an increasing interest in (and decreasing fear for) horror.”

Download PDF4 pages · about 6 min read

First page of the PDF version of An Interview with a Vampire … and a Zombie, and an Evil Scientist, and a Killer Clown, and a Deranged Pig Farmer

2024

Transworld Halloween and Attractions Show 2024!

13 June 2024

Lab friend Susan Weidmann, PhD, reports from the world's largest Halloween expo, the Transworld Halloween and Attractions Show in St. Louis.

“Fog rolls out the doors and the sounds of thunder, screams, and cackles fill the air.”

Download PDF7 pages · about 8 min read

First page of the PDF version of Transworld Halloween and Attractions Show 2024!

From AAH! to HAA! When Fear Becomes Funny

13 June 2024

A new study from the Recreational Fear Lab illumines the fine line seperating humor and fear.

“While fear and humor are neurochemically each other’s opposites, their evolutionary histories are intertwined.”

Download PDF9 pages · about 9 min read

First page of the PDF version of From AAH! to HAA! When Fear Becomes Funny

Risky play as a recreational fear activity

03 June 2024

Recreational Fear Lab friend and collaborator Professor Helen Dodd reflects on risky play, recreational fear, and developmental psychology.

“Of course we want to keep children safe, but if we stop children taking risks and prevent them from experiencing the ‘scary-funny’ emotions that accompany recreational fear activities, we might be denying them vital learning experiences.”

Download PDF4 pages · about 7 min read

First page of the PDF version of Risky play as a recreational fear activity

(How) Can We Study Horror Better?

19 March 2024

Recreational Fear Lab associate member Prof. G. Neil Martin takes stock of the state of horror research and proposes a manifesto for a brighter (or, perhaps more appropriately, darker) future.

“Horror research does not need anything as pompous as a manifesto, but perhaps it needs something like it.”

Download PDF7 pages · about 13 min read

First page of the PDF version of (How) Can We Study Horror Better?

Recreational Fear: What It Is and Why That Matters

06 March 2024

Recreational Fear Lab member Jens Kjeldgaard-Christiansen proposes a definition of recreational fear and discusses implications for future research.

“I propose to define recreational fear as ‘experiences and activities in which people derive enjoyment from their fearful emotions.’”

Download PDF6 pages · about 11 min read

First page of the PDF version of Recreational Fear: What It Is and Why That Matters

What Titans Tell Us About Horror’s Appeal

29 February 2024

Guest blog post by Edgar Dubourg.

“Just as a cheesecake combines sugar, fat, and texture to create a superstimulus that’s more appealing than its individual components alone, Titans combine elements that trigger our fear modules in a superstimulus of terror.”

Download PDF7 pages · about 11 min read

First page of the PDF version of What Titans Tell Us About Horror’s Appeal

Fear and female audiences

04 February 2024

Guest blog post by Ida Bække Johannesen.

“It’s not that women are less interested in recreational fear, but things that were tailored for a male audience will often have very little appeal to women.”

Download PDF5 pages · about 11 min read

First page of the PDF version of Fear and female audiences

Worried about pandemics? Maybe you should watch Chernobyl

30 January 2024

Guest blog post by Mulle Birch Olsen.

“Chernobyl also simulates a threat – a threat that, like a virus, is airborne and invisible: radiation.”

Download PDF3 pages · about 4 min read

First page of the PDF version of Worried about pandemics? Maybe you should watch Chernobyl

2023

“BOO → AAAH”: An Investigation of Where our Attention is Guided During a Jump Scare Sequence

06 December 2023

The fearless but horror-loving lab interns found themselves with a bit of time on their hands and decided to use eye-tracking tech in the lab to investigate the use of misdirection in connection with jump scares. You'll never guess what they found!

“By putting focus on characters’ faces, the viewer will rely on them and their emotions to tell them when a threat is coming.”

Download PDF5 pages · about 9 min read

First page of the PDF version of “BOO → AAAH”: An Investigation of Where our Attention is Guided During a Jump Scare Sequence

Blog post: What happens when action-shooters and horror-games blend?

04 May 2023

Lab intern Christoffer Nordved Madsen dives into the psychology behind action horror games.

“Action-horror videogames provide a vicarious experience that enables us to step into the frame and take action against the monsters – or hide if necessary.”

Download PDF4 pages · about 6 min read

First page of the PDF version of Blog post: What happens when action-shooters and horror-games blend?

The Popularity of Supernatural vs. Psychological Horror Films, 1920-1969

17 January 2023

In this follow-up to an earlier post, lab intern Christoffer Nordved Madsen dives into the popularity of supernatural vs. psychological horror films in the period 1920-1969.

“Evil now tends to be regarded as a conscious act rather than an act that one cannot control due to repressed desires.”

Download PDF4 pages · about 6 min read

First page of the PDF version of The Popularity of Supernatural vs. Psychological Horror Films, 1920-1969

2022

The Popularity of Supernatural vs. Psychological Horror Films from 1970-2021

13 December 2022

Norman Bates vs. Freddy Krueger. Patrick Bateman vs. Pazuzu. Which kind of horror movie has been more popular over the past 50 years - psychological or supernatural? Lab intern Christoffer Nordved Madsen dives into the data.

“Michael Myers’s iconic murdering of delinquent and sexually active teenagers seemed to carry a conservative message about the dangers of hedonistic self-indulgence.”

Download PDF3 pages · about 5 min read

First page of the PDF version of The Popularity of Supernatural vs. Psychological Horror Films from 1970-2021

Recreational Fear 101: Come Play with Us

06 December 2022

What is recreational fear, and what do we know about the phenomenon? Essay by lab interns Majbritt Kastberg Grønbæk and Pernille Lærke Munk-Hansen.

“Humans have an adaptive disposition to find pleasure in make-believe that allows them to experience negative emotions at high levels of intensity within a safe context.”

Download PDF8 pages · about 12 min read

First page of the PDF version of Recreational Fear 101: Come Play with Us

Revised 08.10.2026