#644 Mathias Clasen: The Evolutionary Psychology of Horror, Apocalyptic Stories, and Villains
RECORDED ON APRIL 5th 2022.
Dr. Mathias Clasen is associate professor in literature and media at Aarhus University. He is the Director of the Recreational Fear Lab, and Associate Editor of Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture. He studies horror fiction, and is the author of Why Horror Seduces, and A Very Nervous Person’s Guide to Horror Movies.
In this episode, we talk about horror from an evolutionary perspective. We discuss horror from an evolutionary perspective, and the sociocultural factors behind it. We talk about the traits of monsters, and the different types of horror. We talk about slasher movies, and apocalyptic stories. We get into human universals in horror, what makes for popular monsters, and what makes some films “so-bad-they’re-good”. We discuss the relationship between personality traits and art appreciation. We discuss a study on the relationship between being morbidly curious and more psychologically resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, we talk about what an evolutionary approach adds to the picture in literary studies.
Time Links:
Intro
Horror from an evolutionary perspective
Sociocultural factors in how people appreciate horror
What characterizes a monster?
Are there different types of horror?
The success of slasher movies
Apocalyptic stories
Human universals in horror
Why makes certain monsters popular at a given time?
What makes some films “so-bad-they’re-good”?
Personality and art appreciation
The “thrill-seeking stance” and the “fear-avoidance stance”
Would people like to be unwillingly exposed to horror?
Dark Triad traits and liking villains
Being morbidly curious and more psychologically resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic
An evolutionary approach to literary studies
Follow Dr. Clasen’s work!
Follow Dr. Clasen’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/3t2HmfJ
ResearchGate profile: https://bit.ly/3mQM3pw
A Very Nervous Person’s Guide to Horror Movies: https://amzn.to/3i3Ctg8
Twitter handle: @MathiasClasen