Every Halloween, hordes descend upon Pittsburgh's ScareHouse, wandering through its elaborately chilling sets in search of adrenaline-spiked terror. But beyond the ghouls, darkness, and oppressively tight spaces, chances are there is a woman hidden behind the walls, monitoring the panic and startled jumps of visitors. That would be Dr. Margee Kerr, the University of Pittsburgh sociologist, whose forthcoming book, Scream: Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear (PublicAffairs, Oct.), is a manifestation of her eye-opening days at ScareHouse.
"I was getting my Ph.D. in medical sociology, working on my dissertation, and I was about to explode. I've always turned to places like amusement parks and haunted houses when I'm stressed, so I went to ScareHouse on opening day," recalls Kerr. "I had so much fun and knew I wanted to be involved with it, so I asked the owner if I could work there. With my background I started analyzing data, and as I looked at the surveys I started to see fear from a different perspective. Before it had always been that fear is this toxic force. Instead, this was flipping the coin and seeing how people engage with fear for entertainment."
The book is Kerr's attempt to show readers that partaking of thrilling activities can be amusing, and enlightening as well. "One of the things I learned is how much we grow when we push ourselves beyond our comfort zones. I really did experience a personal transformation, and I want everyone to do something they are afraid of and see what happens as these emotions develop in the moment," Kerr says.
There is a distinct, three-pronged process most visitors to the haunted house undergo, Kerr points out, and that usually begins with astonishment, followed by screams. Once they determine there is no real fear, they "tumble into laughter. It's what made me start thinking in my research agenda that fear is just a process, a conversation between our automatic reflexes and our brain. As soon as our brain realizes it's safe, we reappraise the situation."
Kerr has such a solid grasp on the sociological forces of fear that she walks through ScareHouse's sets with the artists in tow, pointing out how the addition of, say, certain tactile and auditory elements can heighten the room's disturbing appeal for patrons. "I also suggest sounds and smells. Smell is such a powerful trigger for memories," she notes. "If you catch a whiff of gasoline, something associated with being negative, instantly that has you thinking about a chainsaw-wielding maniac."
Today at 3 p.m., Kerr signs books—alongside a gray zombie and the ScareHouse's own bunny—in Perseus's booth (738).
This article appeared in the May 27, 2015 edition of PW BEA Show Daily.
