Psych Attack

What makes something scary?In Part 2 of the 2026 Halloween special, I catch up with Holly Helprin to explore the kinds of fear we enjoy — and the kinds of fear that cross the line into something genuinely uncomfortable.We talk about our personal experiences of horror and the films that have scared us, entertained us, or stayed with us long after watching them. We discuss why some horror is more enjoyable when experienced with other people, how horror can be subversive and challenge social norms, and how filmmakers use horror to explore discrimination, identity and social relationships. We also explore some of the features that can make horror particularly effective, including:Suspense and uncertaintyJump scares and unexpected threatsIsolation and the loss of safetyBody horror and physical reactionsHumour and comedy in horrorThe familiarity and predictability of horror conventionsSocial connection and shared fearOutsiders, belonging and social exclusionThe subversion of innocenceRepresentation and social commentaryHolly and I share some of our favourite horror films and the kinds of horror we find less enjoyable. We discuss films including Saw, Hellraiser, Halloween, Talk to Me, Hereditary, The Monkey, Get Out, and Evil Dead II, as well as childhood favourites such as Little Monsters, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and Goosebumps.Specific horror films and scenes are discussed, including some spoilers.We also talk about how our responses to horror can change over time. Something that terrified us as children can become funny or fascinating as adults, while other kinds of horror can remain deeply unsettling.The conversation ends with Carrie, which brings together several of the themes we've discussed, including suspense, teenage isolation, belonging, safety and the role of gender and perspective in horror. Holly reflects on the different perspectives that have shaped the story, from Stephen King's novel to Brian De Palma's film adaptation.About Holly HelprinHolly Helprin is a researcher with expertise in youth mental health, program evaluation and culturally responsive methods. Outside of work and study, her special interest is horror films.A special Halloween contribution from Dr Will DobudThe episode also includes a special contribution from Dr Will Dobud, who shares a story about Markoff's Haunted Forest in Maryland.Will reflects on his experiences of the haunted forest, including taking his children there, and considers why being scared together can sometimes increase our sense of connection.Sensitive content warningThis episode discusses horror, violence, bodily injury, stalking, murder, discrimination, social exclusion and other frightening or potentially disturbing content.Cite this episodeMacDonald, J. B., Helprin, H., & Dobud, W. (2026). Halloween Special (Part 2): What Makes Horror Scary? (No. 34) [Audio podcast episode]. In Psych Attack. www.psychattack.comTranscriptThe transcript for this episode was developed using transcription software. There may be errors in the content as I do not have capacity to review for accuracy.AcknowledgementsPsych Attack is created and hosted by Dr Jasmine B. MacDonald. The video and audio for this episode was edited by Morgan McRae. Special thanks to Holly Helprin and Dr Will Dobud.

Why do we enjoy being scared?For this year's Halloween special, I catch up with Holly Helprin to explore the psychology of fear. We start with what happens in the brain and body when we encounter a threat, before turning to a bigger question: why do some of us actively seek out frightening experiences?We discuss the amygdala, the fight-or-flight response, adrenaline, cortisol, dopamine and the limits of what we can actually measure about fear. We also consider how people can respond differently to frightening stimuli, including the fascinating case of a woman known as SM, who had damage to her amygdala and showed a reduced behavioural response to fear.We then work through several theories about why people enjoy fear, including:Sensation seeking – Marvin Zuckerman's theory that some people seek out novel, varied and intense experiences.Excitation transfer – Dolf Zillmann's theory that the physiological arousal associated with suspense and fear can contribute to enjoyment when a threat is resolved.The philosophy of horror – Noël Carroll's theory that horror attracts us partly because monsters represent violations of our culturally defined categories and norms.Recreational fear – Andersen and Clasen's theory that fear and enjoyment can coexist, with an optimal level of fear producing a kind of "sweet spot" for enjoyment.Morbid curiosity – Coltan Scrivner's theory that our interest in potentially dangerous things may help us learn about threats and their possible consequences.We also discuss what might be missing from these theories, including feminist approaches to horror from scholars such as Carol Clover, Barbara Creed and Julia Kristeva.Want to find out what kind of scary stuff you're into?Before recording the episode, Holly completed a couple of the measures we discuss and shares her results during our conversation:Zuckerman's Sensation-Seeking Scale – measures different aspects of sensation seeking, including thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking, disinhibition and boredom susceptibility.Scrivner's Morbid Curiosity Test – measures different aspects of morbid curiosity, including interest in dangerous people, violence, bodily injuries and paranormal dangers.About Holly HelprinHolly Helprin is a researcher with expertise in youth mental health, program evaluation and culturally responsive methods. Outside of work and study, her special interest is horror films.Cite this episodeMacDonald, J. B. & Helprin, H. (2026, October 27). Halloween Special (Part 1): Why Do We Enjoy Fear? (No. 33) [Audio podcast episode]. In Psych Attack. www.psychattack.comTranscriptThe transcript for this episode was developed using transcription software and may contain errors. AcknowledgementsPsych Attack is created and hosted by Dr Jasmine B. MacDonald. The video and audio for this episode was edited by Morgan McRae. Special thanks to Holly Helprin for sharing your time and expertise.Sources: BiologyAdolphs R. (2013). The biology of fear. Current Biology, 23(2), R79–R93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2012.11.055Cannon, W. B. (1915). Bodily changes in pain, hunger, fear and rage: An account of recent researches into the function of emotional excitement. D Appleton & Company. https://doi.org/10.1037/10013-000Feinstein, J. S., Adolphs, R., Damasio, A., & Tranel, D. (2011). The human amygdala and the induction and experience of fear. Current biology, 21(1), 34–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2010.11.042Steimer T. (2002). The biology of fear- and anxiety-related behaviors. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 4(3), 231–249. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2002.4.3/tsteimerSources: Theories of why we enjoy fearAndersen, M. M., Schjoedt, U., Price, H., Rosas, F. E., Scrivner, C., & Clasen, M. (2020). Playing With Fear: A Field Study in Recreational Horror. Psychological science, 31(12), 1497–1510. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797620972116Clasen, M., Kjeldgaard-Christiansen, J., & Johnson, J. A. (2018). Horror, Personality, and Threat Simulation: A Survey on the Psychology of Scary Media. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences, 14(3), 213–230. https://doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000152Hoffner, C. A., & Levine, K. J. (2005). Enjoyment of Mediated Fright and Violence: A Meta-Analysis. Media Psychology, 7(2), 207–237. https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532785XMEP0702_5Martin G. N. (2019). (Why) Do You Like Scary Movies? A Review of the Empirical Research on Psychological Responses to Horror Films. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 2298. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02298Scrivner, C. (2021). The psychology of morbid curiosity: Development and initial validation of the morbid curiosity scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.111139Tudor, A. (1997). Why Horror? The Peculiar Pleasures of a Popular Genre. Cultural Studies, 11(3), 443–463. https://doi.org/10.1080/095023897335691

'Backrooms' is 2026 film, currently in cinemas. It is a sci-fi / horror / psychological thriller that is gripping and deeply unsettling. After watching it at the cinema this long weekend, I needed someone to discuss it with, and who better than my friend Dr Alexander De Foe. Tune in for a taster if you haven't seen the film but are curious about it. Don't worry - we let you know when to switch off to avoid spoilers.Dr Alexander De Foe is a scholar and author based in Melbourne, Australia. Alex studies altered states of consciousness and how they can be understood within the context of cognitive psychology and philosophy of mind. He is also a university lecturer and counsellor, empowering clients during pivotal lifespan milestones, towards meaning-making and virtue-based living. Alex has over 10 years post-PhD experience in a range of research and educational roles, presently situated at Monash University as a researcher and educator.Sensitive content warningThis episode deep dives on the perceptual and mind state experience of liminal spaces and refers briefly to physical violence. Please take care while listening and if you are feeling discomfort and would benefit from some support, please reach out to your GP or contact a service like Lifeline.Cite this episodeMacDonald, J. B. & De Foe, A. (2026, June 8). Backrooms and liminal spaces (No. 32) [Audio podcast episode]. In Psych Attack. www.psychattack.com TranscriptThe transcript for this episode was developed using transcription software. There may be errors in the content as I do not have capacity to review for accuracy. AcknowledgementsPsych Attack is created and hosted by Dr Jasmine B. MacDonald. The audio for this episode was edited by Dr Jasmine B. MacDonald.

In this episode, I catch up with Dominique Barker (CIO) for a deep dive on project management and leadership. We discuss:Dom's professional experience and project management origin storyImplementing real change and making it stickQuantum thinkingFailing fast and forwardHarnessing executive sponsorshipProviding just-in-time informationGiving back to stakeholdersDoing project management in your personal life.About Dominique BarkerDominique Barker is a CIO (Chief Information Officer) with deep experience in IT strategy, enterprise leadership, AI, and organisation‑wide digital transformation across complex public‑sector and university environments. In this episode Dom shares experience gleaned from leading organisation‑wide adoption of new ways of working, delivering large and small‑scale generative and agentic AI implementations, and driving major technology uplift programs. Dom is known for bringing people along on the journey. She partners closely with business executives and delivery teams to ensure technology investments achieve measurable outcomes, hit strategic targets, and deliver lasting organisational change.More from DomDominique Barker on quantum thinking in the age of AI (Online article, Public Spectrum, March 2026)Coding, kids, and the invisible double shift of tech mums (Online article, ChannelLife, February 2026)Australia's AI outlook (Featured contributor, Moxie Insights, December 2025)Rewriting Your Career Mid-Flight – Dominique Barker on the Joyful Upsides of Tech Leadership (Podcast episode, Tech to Exec, September 2025)Books recommended by Dom #noprojects: A culture of continuous value. By Evan Leybourn and Shane Hastie The #noprojects online communityBad change: 50 ways why change doesn't work and 266 tips to make it better. By Peter Phan and Gilbert KruidenierBook websiteThe intangibles of leadership: The 10 qualities of superior executive performance. By Richard A. Davis Cite this episodeMacDonald, J. B. & Barker, D. (2026, April 29). Project management and leadership (No. 31) [Podcast episode]. In Psych Attack. www.psychattack.comTranscriptThe transcript for this episode was developed using transcription software. It may contain errors. AcknowledgementsPsych Attack is created and hosted by Dr Jaz MacDonald. The video and audio for this episode was edited by Morgan McRae and Dr Jaz MacDonald. Special thanks to Dominique Barker for sharing your time and expertise.Related Psych Attack EpisodesSelf-advocacy and professional relationshipsWriting and publishing a non-fiction bookAcademic mental healthRelated blog postsSelf-advocacy and professional relationships. By Max Loomes.Book recommendation: ‘The checklist manifesto’ by Atul Gawande. By Dr Jaz MacDonald.

Snack Attacks are short segments taken from a full episode, so you can have a quick topic taster.This Snack Attack comes from episode 30 'Apple Cider Vinegar: Panel discussion about the Australian TV drama'Dr Suzie Gibson explains what we can learn about ourselves and the society we live in by analysing fictional texts.For links to related research articles and books mentioned in this Snack Attack, go to the full episode show notes.