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Media Appearances

Some recent major media appearances. For a more comprehensive (but still selective) list of recent media appearances, click on a year in the menu on the left.


Don’t run from fear — embrace it (2024)

Seeking out the scary and the spooky can be a fun and healthy way to build resilience and learn to cope with stress.


Why do we love to scare ourselves? (2024)

Why do some people get such a kick from being scared? What is so fun about fear? Why do some people then turn around and run toward fear? What are they getting out of it? These are the questions that Mathias Clasen and Marc Andersen have been puzzling over for several years.


Why we like scary things: The science of recreational fear (2022)

From peek-a-boo to Halloween haunted houses, research shows that recreational fear can teach us to face scary situations.



How horror movies can help people overcome real-world trauma (2020)

Films that terrify you today may improve your fear responses tomorrow—and could provide relief from anxiety and stress.


I feel fine: fans of world-ending films ‘coping better with pandemic' (2020)

Psychologists have found evidence that fans of apocalyptic movies may be more resilient and better prepared to deal with the coronavirus pandemic than the rest of us.