EVALUATING HORRIFIC CINEMA FROM THE HYPOTHESES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS ON COLLEGE STUDENTS OF TWO CITIES OF PAKISTAN.

The present study explores the psychological effects and to know the reasons which appeal the youngsters to watch horror movies. The exposure to horror movies consequently results some effects which are not same upon all the viewers in intensity and nature because of their gender, environment and prior beliefs about the objects which are shown in horror movies. Social cognitive theory provides a fundamental framework to this research. Applying social cognitive theory which claims that the viewers are proactive and their environment, self-efficacy and self-reflexiveness plays a major role in their learning process. The literature describes that what makes some people to love the horror movies and why some people avoid them? The data is collected from the 640 male and female university students of Sargodha and Lahore cities of Pakistan through survey research. The findings of the study reveal that horror genre is second most popular genre after romantic genre in movies. Entertainment and curiosity are the two main reasons of the youngsters for which they expose to horror movies. The female respondents have significant psychological effects of horror movies contrast to male. The pre-existing beliefs on horror characters or supernatural objects have relationship with the elements of fear. The results also reflect the repetitive effect that causes desensitization on viewers. The policy Implication of the study is to make obligatory movie rating and mass media literacy, can cap the psychological effects of horror movies on youth.