ABSTRACT
This chapter summarizes what researchers have uncovered about viewers’ fear reactions to the mass media. It fi rst looks at how fear effects are studied and then at the frequency with which fright reactions to media are experienced and how intense and enduring these reactions sometimes become. Various speculations about the attractions of scary media are advanced in an attempt to explain the apparent paradox that viewers choose frightening, distressing content for entertainment. Developmental differences in what frightens children and in which coping strategies are most effective are detailed. Findings in neuroscience are then described to help explain some of the longer-term effects that appear on the surface to be irrational. Finally, the implications for physical and mental health are explored and suggestions for future research are discussed.
