Saturday, October 31, 2026

Special Edition: The Science of Being Scared

Listen below:

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Why do some people love being scared, while others want nothing to do with horror?

Psychologist Dr. Coltan Scrivner explains why fear can sometimes feel good, what makes haunted houses and scary movies so appealing, and how morbid curiosity may even help some people cope with real-world uncertainty.

Plus, what parents should know about scary play and how much fear is too much for kids.

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Guest: Dr. Coltan Scrivner

Dr. Coltan Scrivner is an author and psychologist at Arizona State University. He is an internationally recognized expert on morbid curiosity and the psychology of horror and true crime. He is also the Founder and Executive Director of the Nightmare in the Ozarks Film Festival, and the author of Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can’t Look Away.

Check out Dr. Coltan Scrivner’s book, Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can’t Look Away.

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