ABSTRACT
Frightening entertainment has long remained a paradox and has presented researchers with many challenging questions. Among the most intriguing are: What types of images and events in the media provoke fear, and why do children often experience fear from watching fare that adults would not consider scary? How commonly do fright reactions linger for long periods of time after the entertainment experience has ended? Why do audiences experience fear while witnessing mediated events that they know are fictional? Why do long-term memories of traumatic media exposure often result in irrational behavior? And, finally, what methods are best suited to reducing emotional trauma caused by media exposure? This chapter pulls together a variety of theories and findings in an effort to grapple with these questions.
