
Behavior & Society
Why We Love to Scare Ourselves on Halloween (and the Rest of the Year, Too)
Experiencing fear in the absence of real danger has clear psychological benefits
Margee Kerr is a sociologist and author of SCREAM: Chilling Adventures in the Science of fear. Dr. Kerr's research at the University of Pittsburgh focuses on how and why people engage with "scary" experiences like haunted attractions, paranormal investigations, and thrill rides.
Support science journalism.
Thanks for reading Scientific American. Knowledge awaits.
Already a subscriber? Sign in.
Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue.
Create Account