Does watching horror movies make time fly? The role of sound and suspense

What is it about?

This study explores how suspense and soundtracks in horror movies influence how we feel time passing. Researchers asked participants to watch short clips from horror movies and then estimate how long specific events lasted. While soundtracks made scenes feel more suspenseful, they didn’t seem to change how people perceived the duration of time. This suggests that suspense and time perception may not be directly linked.

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Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study highlights the role of sound in shaping our emotional response to movies, specifically in creating suspense. By distinguishing between two types of suspense—ambiguous (endogenous) and explicit (exogenous)—the research sheds light on how different cinematic techniques evoke tension. The findings are relevant for filmmakers aiming to craft immersive and suspenseful experiences in an age of rapidly evolving audiovisual technologies.

Perspectives

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This research highlights the interplay between psychology and film studies, demonstrating how interdisciplinary collaboration can uncover new insights into how we experience media. I found it particularly interesting how sound enhanced the suspense of ambiguous scenes more than explicit ones. While the lack of connection between suspense and time perception was unexpected, it emphasizes the complexity of how we process media. This study enhances our understanding of cinematic techniques and their effects on viewers, offering valuable contributions from both psychological and filmic perspectives.

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