Whether it be for fun or unexpectedly, many people can agree that they have experienced fear multiple times in their lives; Some people may even enjoy the feeling that they receive when they are experiencing fear. Published on October 28th 2016, in The New York Times, Steph Yin’s article, “A Scaredy-Cat’s Investigation Into Why People Enjoy Fear” elaborates on the factors that contribute to a person’s enjoyment of fear. According to Yin, something that may determine whether a person is enjoying fear is how high their dopamine levels are. The higher that a person’s dopamine levels are, the more they tend to “pursue thrilling activities” (Yin 4). Other factors that Yin lists in her essay that contributes to a person’s enjoyment of fear are the
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The field, Social Psychology consists of studying “the effects of social variables and cognitions on individual behavior and social interactions” (Zimbardo, Johnson & McCann 2009). In other words, Social Psychology means the study of how outside factors, such as other people influence the way that a person behaves and thinks. Yin’s article connects to social psychology because it describes the way that friends may influence the experience of fear, more specifically the way that friends may enhance a person’s enjoyment for fear. For example, Yin states “If your friend is captivated by the horror movie you are watching together, you process that by recreating the same feeling in your own mind, and that can bring you closer together” (8). This means that experiencing frightening situations with others cause mutual feelings of fear which may enhance the bond between the people in that situation. Another example of social psychology that Yin provides in her article is when he says “Socially, we get cues about how to respond to fear from those around us…Early on, that’s taking notes from our parents about how to deal with distress. Later, experiencing stressful situations with others can cultivate social bonds” (6). This relates to social psychology because it demonstrates that people’s actions are influenced by others’ behavior, which is part of what social psychology focuses …show more content…
Fear does not always bring out a negative feeling; Fear can also influence people to seek it. The enjoyment that fear may bring is interesting because fear is often depicted negatively. Many people don’t realize that there is both a bad type of fear that a person experiences, as well as a good type of fear. The excitement that fear can bring is important because when someone faces that fear, it brings a sense of achievement and it may also push somebody to come out of their comfort zone. Yin’s article based on why people seek fear informs her readers on the reasons why people love to engage in activities like haunted houses, rollercoasters, and scary
The field, Social Psychology consists of studying “the effects of social variables and cognitions on individual behavior and social interactions” (Zimbardo, Johnson & McCann 2009). In other words, Social Psychology means the study of how outside factors, such as other people influence the way that a person behaves and thinks. Yin’s article connects to social psychology because it describes the way that friends may influence the experience of fear, more specifically the way that friends may enhance a person’s enjoyment for fear. For example, Yin states “If your friend is captivated by the horror movie you are watching together, you process that by recreating the same feeling in your own mind, and that can bring you closer together” (8). This means that experiencing frightening situations with others cause mutual feelings of fear which may enhance the bond between the people in that situation. Another example of social psychology that Yin provides in her article is when he says “Socially, we get cues about how to respond to fear from those around us…Early on, that’s taking notes from our parents about how to deal with distress. Later, experiencing stressful situations with others can cultivate social bonds” (6). This relates to social psychology because it demonstrates that people’s actions are influenced by others’ behavior, which is part of what social psychology focuses …show more content…
Fear does not always bring out a negative feeling; Fear can also influence people to seek it. The enjoyment that fear may bring is interesting because fear is often depicted negatively. Many people don’t realize that there is both a bad type of fear that a person experiences, as well as a good type of fear. The excitement that fear can bring is important because when someone faces that fear, it brings a sense of achievement and it may also push somebody to come out of their comfort zone. Yin’s article based on why people seek fear informs her readers on the reasons why people love to engage in activities like haunted houses, rollercoasters, and scary