The Social Background to the School Ghost Story Boom: Based on a Psychological Understanding of the Paradox of Fear

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.