Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard Coltan Scrivner (on morbid curiosities)
Dec 10, 2025
Coltan Scrivner is a psychologist and researcher specializing in morbid curiosity and horror psychology, and author of "Morbidly Curious." He discusses his preference for hands-on research, including studying fear responses in Danish haunted houses. Coltan introduces his four domains of morbid curiosity, explores the appeal of true crime, and debunks myths connecting horror media to violent behavior. He even shares surprising ghost-hunting experiences. Plus, he provides insights into how children can safely engage with scary content.
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Fear Has A 'Fun' Sweet Spot
- People enjoy fear most at a sweet spot around 7/10 rather than maximum terror.
- Coltan Scrivner found heart-rate and self-reports peak when scares are intense but still controllable.
Haunted-House Field Study In Denmark
- Coltan ran an empirical study in a Danish haunted-house with heart-rate monitors and video.
- He used facial coding and interviews to link physiological arousal with reported fun.
Three Motivations For Enjoying Horror
- Horror fans cluster into types: adrenaline seekers, white-knucklers, and dark copers.
- These groups enjoy fear for different reasons like thrill, mastery, or emotional processing.
