Curious ElfThe toughest Haunted House in Pittsburgh has turned into a Science Lab to study the effects of fear. After years of research, they have come up with some exciting results and facts about what scares people most. They found that many people are more afraid of the dark than anything else, which is why this year, they created a lab out in the woods with nothing but darkness for miles around.
Fear is a feeling that has been around since the beginning of humanity.
People will line up for hours, from roller coasters to horror movies, to experience their heart pound and adrenaline course through them. At this Pittsburgh haunted house, this emotion does not just come from cheap thrills but can also be used by scientists as they explore how fear works!
Margee Kerr, the staff sociologist at Pittsburgh’s ScareHouse, talks about the evolution of fear from ancient times to now. “Humans have been scaring themselves and each other since the birth of our species,” says Margee Kerr in an interview with Allegra Ringo for The Atlantic. She says that storytelling is just one example-it has become a highly sought-after experience throughout time, thanks mainly to how we scare ourselves nowadays through all kinds of methods like jumping off cliffs or popping out from some dark cave.
Kerr joined ScareHouse as he felt that a horror show was the perfect way to study how people react in times of stress. Kerr’s idea proved true when visitors were so scared by one scare tactic; they filed for divorce. Through these experiments and tours, Kerr has learned what scares individuals most about all things spooky or scary while studying their reactions at critical moments during this previous experiment, like being trapped inside an old coffin with Death closing, it shut behind them.
Kerr was telling Ringo how scary situations can be enjoyable because they give people a sense of confidence after it’s over. When one goes through horror-themed activities like haunted houses, the experience is more rewarding than terrifying and leaves them feeling accomplished at the end instead.
Kerr found that the best time to scare someone is for just a minute. After 20 seconds, people start panicking and wondering how long they might be stuck in the coffin; after 60 seconds of being trapped, their fear will become absolute terror when they believe there’s no way out.
In his research on horror movies, Kerr discovered that it takes at least one full minute before visitors are truly frightened by an exhibit such as a coffin with only room enough inside for one person sitting or laying down (Kerr). When participants were left alone in these sobering spaces without any distractions like TVs playing scary movies or blood-curdling screams from outside speakers-just darkness surrounding them, they had plenty of time to think about what awaits them.
Human beings are wired to enjoy fear in horror movies or roller coaster rides because it’s beneficial for survival. The brain can quickly sense danger and release chemicals that help us survive life-threatening situations like our ancestors did long ago. But while Kerr may be an expert at scaring people, she knows how easily these responses can be triggered, so they’re not always enjoyable anymore.
Conclusion
The Haunted House Lab – ScareHouse – is a unique and one-of-a-kind experience for those who are brave enough to visit. The project has been an eye-opener in many ways, from the technological advancements of augmented reality in commercial use to immersive sensory experiences’ effect on emotional states. It’s also created new opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration that will be explored in the coming months.
