What does it really say about you if you love comedies or love nothing more than watching a masked killer hunt down his victims?
The answer is probably quite different than what you expected.
Multiple scientific studies have investigated the personality traits associated with different film genres and found some surprising associations (as well as some not-so-surprising ones, like the fact that rom-com fans tend to believe in true love).
Here’s what your favorite film genre says about you, according to science:
HORROR: YOU ARE EXTRAORDINARY
If you’re a horror fan, the good news is that your penchant for watching people in clown masks slash and mutilate innocent victims doesn’t mean you’re a psychopath.
In fact, watching horror movies means you’re more likely to be an outgoing or extroverted person.
What does watching horror movies like M3GAN say about you? (Getty)
A study conducted by the University of Lleida in Spain found that extroverts tend to be attracted to action and horror movies, but are bored by game and news shows.
Another study found that sensation seekers salivated more during a 20-minute segment of the horror movie Friday the 13th, showing they were more alert.
Some studies have suggested in the past that people who enjoy horror movies are less likely to show empathy (i.e., care about others), but a 2022 study cast doubt on this.
The pre-print study found that “horror movie enjoyment was unrelated to affective empathy, negatively associated with coldness, and positively associated with cognitive empathy.”
In fact, enjoying horror movies isn’t much different than kids playing games like chase and hide and seek, says psychologist Mathias Clasen, in Psychology Today.
Clasen said a recent study showed that horror movies appear to make fans more resilient, and fans are better able to cope with COVID lockdowns.
Classen said: “Presumably, we evolved to find pleasure in threat simulation because of the learning potential of such simulation. When we play with fear, we can learn important lessons about the dangers of the world, as well as about our own responses to danger. We learn “What it feels like to be afraid and we practice and perfect fear regulation strategies. We can even become more resilient in the process.”
ROM-COMS: DO YOU BELIEVE IN TRUE LOVE
There’s some pretty weird science about why we watch rom-coms, including research out of the University of Colorado at Boulder that found that people tend to want to watch rom-coms when it’s cold.
But, perhaps unsurprisingly, many studies have found that people who believe in “true love” tend to enjoy romantic movies.
What does your taste for romantic comedies say about you as a person?
A 2019 study by Valerie Kretz found that people who like romantic movies not only believe in the idea that “love conquers all,” but are also more likely to be happy in their relationships.
Kretz wrote: “Watching television dramas and romantic movies were the strongest predictors of believing in love conquers all and relationship satisfaction, while watching soap operas was the strongest predictor of believing in soul mates.”
In fact, a 2014 study found that watching romantic movies together was as effective as some counseling methods when it comes to staying together.
Using a “movie and talk” approach reduced the divorce and separation rate from 24 percent to 11 percent.
Lead author Ronald Rogge of the University of Rochester said: “It’s incredibly portable.”
‘There are some really excellent marriage intervention programs out there now, but most require trained therapists to administer them.
“If couples can do this themselves, it will be much easier to help them.”
SCI-FI: YOU MAY HAVE NARCISSISTIC TRAITS
What does interacting with ‘geek culture’ like Dune or Star Wars say about you as a person?
A controversial 2015 study suggests that people who do this are narcissists looking to escape the real world.
Did you enjoy Dune 2? Here’s what that says about you.
The researchers wrote: “These studies present evidence that individuals may engage in geek culture to maintain narcissistic views of themselves (the great fantasy migration hypothesis), to satisfy needs for belonging (the belongingness hypothesis), and to satisfy needs for creative expression (the need for commitment hypothesis).
“Geek engagement has been found to be associated with elevated grandiose narcissism, extraversion, openness to experience, depression, and subjective well-being across multiple samples.”
But that’s not the full picture. Writing in The Conversation, Dr Gavin Miller, Senior Lecturer in Medical Humanities at the University of Glasgow, said psychologists tend to dismiss the fact that science fiction often confronts real problems in the world.
Others suggest a link between an affinity for fantasy, science fiction, and creativity.
Cognitive psychologist Dr. Kevin Brown said in an interview: “Those who are drawn to fantasy tend to be people with a more creative mind.” It is an often underestimated form of intelligence, but it is an important form.
‘Creativity tends to be undervalued in our society. Interestingly, many who do not necessarily have a creative mind still have a visceral need for the creativity of others through literature or music.’
Research by the University of Oklahoma supports this and suggests that science fiction fans are “open to experience” and happy to explore new ideas.
The researchers write: ‘Its openness to adventure and a variety of experiences makes sense in correlation with science fiction, which is characterized by these traits.
COMEDY: YOU HAVE BAGS OF ENERGY
People who watch comedies tend to have “hyperthymic” traits, according to a study.
Hyperthymic temperament refers to people with abnormally large amounts of energy and enthusiasm.
Watching comedies like The Hangover could mean that you are an energetic and outspoken person.
Other studies have suggested that people who enjoy comedies tend to be more open to new experiences and more creative than others.
There’s also good news if you ARE a comedy fan: A 2016 study found that watching comedies is actually good for reducing levels of stress hormones like cortisol.