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Why frightening imaginary worlds? Morbid curiosity and the learning potential of horror

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 November 2022

Coltan Scrivner Open the ORCID record for Coltan Scrivner [Opens in a new window]  and
Mathias Clasen Open the ORCID record for Mathias Clasen [Opens in a new window]
Coltan Scrivner
Affiliation:
Department of Comparative Human Development, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA cscrivner@uchicago.edu; https://coltanscrivner.com Institute for Minds and Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
Mathias Clasen
Affiliation:
Department of English, School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark mc@cc.au.dk; https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/mathias-clasen(3c9b0961-b1e9-4084-867f-d8b959ba40e5).html
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Abstract

In addition to satisfying a predisposition for exploration, fiction with imaginary worlds may also appeal to morbid curiosity, an adaptive motivation to seek out information about dangerous situations. Most imaginary worlds contain narrative elements of danger, and immersion in such worlds may provide people with information that would be costly to acquire in the real world.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 45 , 2022 , e297
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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