A study published in the 

Journal of Media Psychology  found that people watch

scary movies for three main reasons: tension, relevance, and unrealism. For
some, watching scary movies can be an entire experience due to the mystery
and the shock. Others who are drawn to it due to "relevance," find elements in
the movie that they can relate to. Those who like horror due to its "unrealism"
enjoy it because they know for a fact that it's all fake anyway. For them, it's
just pure entertainment and fun.

ou may get a rush of adrenaline from screening a horror movie, but you’re not
actually in any danger when you’re watching, say, The Purge—which is another
huge part of the genre’s appeal. “You’re seeing scary things in a controlled
environment, and I think that that’s something that we all crave,” Margot Levin,
PhD, a clinical psychologist based in New York City, tells Health.

Other theories focus on the thrill that fear offers, particularly for “sensation seekers,”
who may also enjoy other adrenaline-spiking activities such as bungee jumping. “The
idea is that horror fans are wired or socially formed in such a way that they get a kick out
of the fear and other strong visceral sensations of watching horror films,” Turvey said.

Many of my friends claim that they enjoy films in the horror genre

because they like getting an adrenaline rush. Adrenaline is
produced when there is a dangerous stimuli that requires
immediate reaction such as a predator or a car, but can also be
produced in smaller doses, such as in the safety of the cinema.

After an adrenaline rush people can feel happy and relaxed, so

being in a cinema and experiencing a scary movie is like simulating
dealing with a real life threat in fake circumstances and also then
simulating the reward felt after that experience. 

Highly sensitive people, or HSPs, can be easily overstimulated by their

environment and also tend to be more empathetic than the average person.
This means they may have a different or more intense physiological
reaction to violent or scary movies, HSP researchers say.

Some people are simply wired to enjoy high levels of physiological arousal,
Sparks said. According to the literature, he said, about 10 percent of the
population enjoys the adrenaline rush. (Not surprisingly, these individuals
also love rollercoasters. Not surprisingly, I do not.)

Similarly, wiring may explain why others hate scary movies. Specifically,
some individuals have a harder time screening out unwanted stimuli in their
environment, Sparks said. For instance, they might be hypersensitive to the
temperature in a room or the tag on their shirt. These same individuals are
more likely to have intense physiological reactions to horror films.

The brain wants better explanation for things with bigger consequene

The biggest predictor for believing in a consipracy is believing in another one

Having less educatin = less control of their life = increase uncertainty = conspiracy more appealing

We do not know enough to justify almost everything we believe

People sought out viciarous experience

We can safely feel things that might not experince in everyday life ( exitment, danger, or fear)

Fullfilled emotional and cognitive needs -> feeling thrilled, having fun
Need of affect -> how strongly to feel emotion

Sensation seeking

Highly empattheht people don’t enjoy horror so much

People rated scary scene whalie watch scary movi