The Social Background to the School Ghost Story Boom: Based on a Psychological Understanding of the Paradox of Fear
Academic Archives of Yamaguchi Prefectural University:Bulletin of Department of General Education Volume 16
Page 97-106
published_at 2023-03-31
Title
｢学校の怪談」ブームの社会的背景：恐怖のパラドックスの心理学 的理解に基づいて
The Social Background to the School Ghost Story Boom: Based on a Psychological Understanding of the Paradox of Fear
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the social background to the boom in school ghost stories in Japan in the 1990s, in the light of the latest psychological research on the paradox of fear. Until now, the reason for children to seek out scary stories has been explained as them overcoming the crisis of adolescence. However, recent psychological research has proposed a coactivation-based model of fear and enjoyment. In the light of this, this study indicates that in contemporary society children are not allowed to enjoy experiencing fear. The study concludes that the school ghost story boom was a result of children being deprived of opportunities to experience fear in their lives.
Source Identifiers
Creator Keywords
学校の怪談
恐怖のパラドックス
同時活性化アプローチ
子ども文化
保護フレーム
school ghost story
paradox of fear
coactivation-based approach
children’s culture
protective frame
Resource Type
departmental bulletin paper
Date Issued
2023-03-31
File Version
Version of Record
Access Rights
open access
Relations
[ISSN]2189-4825