In the lab, psychology professor David Zald studies how fast adults react to fear. At his home this time of year, he watches kids adjust to it.
Zald, a professor at Vanderbilt University, turns his house in Nashville, Tenn., into a Halloween fear lab with a reward of candy for those who brave it.
Skeletons hang from the tree, motion-activated sensors move objects around in a scary way and there’s a creepy fog floating around the house. Zald decorates in classic horror motif for fun, but the shrink in him can’t help but observe the classic fear response in children.
“They want the candy, but they’re not sure they want to come up,” says Zald, who in the past has dressed up as a devil but this year will be costumed as kitschy Disco Stu from the animated TV series, “The Simpsons.”
By the end of the night, even the young children aren’t fazed by ghouls and goblins. They control their fear to get the reward of candy, Zald said, and they learn a healthy lesson.
Fear is a negative emotion and for millions of Americans, it’s disabling. Yet people love horror movies, and Halloween is a holiday that celebrates fear while rewarding children with sweets. There are scientific reasons for this odd mix.
“One of the odder aspects of human nature is our willingness to pay money to actually get scared,” Zald said. “Essentially we get off on the excitement. We get a high arousal state and we actually find that appealing.”
