Everyone Loves a Serial Killer: Correlates of Morbid Curiosity
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Graduate
Major
Experimental Psychology
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Jana Hackathorn
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
Purpose. Morbid curiosity is a mixture of excitement, fear, and compulsion that stimulates a need to know about horrid subjects, such as death and terror (Harrison & Frederick, 2020). Although normal, it can motivate and predict behaviors and preferences (Scrivner, 2021). Seeing how morbid curiosity could help individuals cope with threatening information, being morbidly curious could give an evolutionary advantage (Scribner, 2021; Zuckerman & Litle, 1986). However, little is known about how the purpose or origin of morbid curiosity. The current study examined potential individual differences that might correlate with morbid curiosity such as death anxiety, avoidance, or empathy. The current study examined what correlates with an active curiosity in morbid topics.
Procedure. Participants (N = 126) were recruited to complete a brief online survey that measured paranormal beliefs (Tobacyk, 2004), avoidance of personal death and death in general (Howell & Sheppard, 2016), state and trait anxiety (Spielberger et al., 1968, 1977), empathy (Caruso & Mayer, 1998), morbid curiosity (Scrivner, 2021), and Christian religious internalization (Ryan, Rigby, & King, 1993).
Results. A series of Pearson’s r correlations indicated that morbid curiosity was correlated with low personal and general death avoidance, higher trait anxiety, and higher beliefs in the paranormal (i.e., psychic abilities, witchcraft, spiritualism, aliens, and pre-cognitions).
Implications/Conclusions. The results indicate that individuals who are not avoiding death and/or are anxious are more likely to be interested in morbid topics. Additionally, those interests may overlap considerably with other novel beliefs, such as witchcraft. Seeing as trait anxiety, but not death avoidance, was correlated with paranormal beliefs as well, it is unclear at this time which better predicts morbid curiosity, or if morbid curiosity is really a separate factor of paranormal beliefs.
Fall Scholars Week 2022 Event
Psychology: Completed Projects
Everyone Loves a Serial Killer: Correlates of Morbid Curiosity
Purpose. Morbid curiosity is a mixture of excitement, fear, and compulsion that stimulates a need to know about horrid subjects, such as death and terror (Harrison & Frederick, 2020). Although normal, it can motivate and predict behaviors and preferences (Scrivner, 2021). Seeing how morbid curiosity could help individuals cope with threatening information, being morbidly curious could give an evolutionary advantage (Scribner, 2021; Zuckerman & Litle, 1986). However, little is known about how the purpose or origin of morbid curiosity. The current study examined potential individual differences that might correlate with morbid curiosity such as death anxiety, avoidance, or empathy. The current study examined what correlates with an active curiosity in morbid topics.
Procedure. Participants (N = 126) were recruited to complete a brief online survey that measured paranormal beliefs (Tobacyk, 2004), avoidance of personal death and death in general (Howell & Sheppard, 2016), state and trait anxiety (Spielberger et al., 1968, 1977), empathy (Caruso & Mayer, 1998), morbid curiosity (Scrivner, 2021), and Christian religious internalization (Ryan, Rigby, & King, 1993).
Results. A series of Pearson’s r correlations indicated that morbid curiosity was correlated with low personal and general death avoidance, higher trait anxiety, and higher beliefs in the paranormal (i.e., psychic abilities, witchcraft, spiritualism, aliens, and pre-cognitions).
Implications/Conclusions. The results indicate that individuals who are not avoiding death and/or are anxious are more likely to be interested in morbid topics. Additionally, those interests may overlap considerably with other novel beliefs, such as witchcraft. Seeing as trait anxiety, but not death avoidance, was correlated with paranormal beliefs as well, it is unclear at this time which better predicts morbid curiosity, or if morbid curiosity is really a separate factor of paranormal beliefs.