#984 - Coltan Scrivner - Why We’re Drawn to Death, Crime, & Danger

Coltan Scrivner is a behavioral scientist, an expert on morbid curiosity in horror and true‑crime media, and an author.

Why are humans so curious about death? From car accidents to scary stories, roller coasters, and horror movies, some people are fascinated while others are repulsed. What draws us toward the very things we should naturally want to avoid?

Expect to learn why humans are drawn to dark or morbid content and the evolutionary logic behind watching something that disturbs us, why there is a gender gap of who is more interested in morbid curiosity, why some people find serial killers fascinating while others are repulsed, the biggest differences between terror and horror & the connection between disgust and fascination, what horror can teach us about emotional self-regulation, and much more…

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Why are We Drawn to Dark Content?

(7:20) The 4 Domains of Morbid Curiosity

(15:25) Morbid Curiosity in Evolution

(22:51) Individual Difference in Morbid Curiosity

(34:05) What is So Attractive About Serial Killers?

(37:46) Why are Certain Groups Attracted to Certain Types of Morbid Content?

(47:17) The Perfect Ingredients for a Horror Movie

(57:14) Why is There Increasing Desensitisation to Morbid Content?

(01:02:59) Find Out More About Colton

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