Affective Responses and Exposure to Frightening Films: The Role of Empathy and Different Types of Content

Abstract

Young adults (N = 172) completed questionnaires that measured empathy, affective responses and exposure to frightening films, and perceptions of how aspects of scary content (suffering, danger, excitement, and a happy ending) affect enjoyment. Empathic concern was associated with less enjoyment of suffering, but more enjoyment of danger, excitement, and happy endings. Enduring negative affect was associated with higher personal distress and less enjoyment of suffering. Exposure to frightening films was associated with lower personal distress, more enjoyment of danger, and less enjoyment of happy endings. Interpretations of the findings are discussed.

Keywords:

• Empathy
• Enjoyment
• Frightening Films
• Negative Affect
• Scary Content

Notes

Note. R = reverse-coded.

^a Eigenvalue = 7.79; percentage of variance = 37.1%.

^b Eigenvalue = 4.34; percentage of variance = 20.6%.

^c Eigenvalue = 1.35; percentage of variance = 6.4%.

^d Eigenvalue = 1.26; percentage of variance = 6.0%.

Note. Partial correlations control for gender and age.

∗p ≤ .05. ∗∗p ≤ .01.

Note. Beta weights are betas at entry. Gender was coded 0 = male and 1 = female.

∗p ≤ .05. ∗∗p ≤ .01. ∗∗∗p ≤ .001.

This was a reverse-coded item: “No ‘happy’ ending—the threat is still out there.” This item was retained because of the face-validity of the item, the importance of the “happy ending” scale, and the fact that the alpha for the scale dropped to .58 without it.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cynthia Hoffner

Cynthia Hoffner (PhD, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1988) is a professor in the Department of Communication at Georgia State University.