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Draft:Coltan Scrivner

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Coltan Scrivner
Born (1991-11-23) November 23, 1991 (age 33)
Occupation(s)Behavioral scientist, author, horror entertainment producer
Known forMorbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can't Look Away (2025)
Websitecoltanscrivner.com

Coltan Scrivner (born November 23, 1991) is an American behavioral scientist, author, and horror entertainment producer known for his research on the psychology of horror, fear, and morbid curiosity.[1]

His work examines why people are attracted to frightening or macabre experiences and how engaging with fear through play and media can have positive effects on mental health.

He is the founder of the Nightmare in the Ozarks Film Festival.[2]

His 2025 book, Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can't Look Away, was published by Penguin Random House (ISBN 9780143137344) and reviewed in The New York Times.[3][4]

References

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  1. ^ "Coltan Scrivner, PhD". Penguin Random House. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
  2. ^ "First Nightmare in the Ozarks Film Festival listed among most prestigious horror celebrations in U.S." Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. October 19, 2024. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
  3. ^ "Book Review: 'Morbidly Curious,' by Coltan Scrivner". The New York Times. October 16, 2025. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
  4. ^ "Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can't Look Away". Penguin Random House. October 7, 2025. Retrieved 2025-10-26.


Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:American psychologists

Early life and education

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Scrivner grew up in Slaughterville, Oklahoma.[1] He earned his Ph.D. in Comparative Human Development from the University of Chicago.[2] His doctoral dissertation proposed that morbid curiosity derives from an evolved cognitive architecture for predator management and is amplified by human imagination.[3]

Academic career and research

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Scrivner conducted pioneering research on morbid curiosity, developing the Morbid Curiosity Scale to measure individual differences in people's attraction to dangerous or taboo subjects such as death and violence.[4] Published in 2021, the 24-item psychometric instrument established morbid curiosity as a distinct and measurable psychological construct. The scale assesses curiosity about threats and dangerous information across domains including minds (dangerous people and their psychology), bodies (bodily harm and death), violence, and paranormal phenomena.

He has also studied how "scary play"—including horror films, haunted attractions, and true-crime media—can promote emotional resilience and provide safe contexts for exploring fear and anxiety.[5] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Scrivner and colleagues found that horror fans were better psychologically prepared for pandemic stress and uncertainty.[6]

Scrivner's research framework defines morbid curiosity as an internal motivation to learn about threatening situations in one's environment, potentially as a mechanism for avoiding such situations in the future. His work argues that this trait serves an adaptive function, helping individuals prepare for and understand potential dangers.[7]

He previously served as a research fellow at the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University in Denmark, where he investigated how frightening entertainment functions as a form of emotional play.[8] He is currently affiliated with Arizona State University.[9]

Books

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The book explores the evolutionary and psychological basis of humanity's fascination with death, danger, and the macabre across contexts including horror films and true-crime media.[11] It received endorsements from scholars including Steven Pinker, Paul Bloom, and Tania Lombrozo.[12]

Horror and media production

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Scrivner is the founder and executive director of the Nightmare in the Ozarks Film Festival, a genre film festival held annually in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, dedicated to horror and macabre cinema.[13] The festival was founded in 2024 and was named one of "the top five Halloween film festivals worth traveling for" by The New York Times.[14]

He also organizes the Eureka Springs Zombie Crawl, one of the largest annual zombie-themed parades in the United States.[15] The event features thousands of participants in costume and includes charity food drives and community programming tied to horror culture.[16]

Selected publications

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  • Scrivner, C. (2021). "The psychology of morbid curiosity: Development and initial validation of the Morbid Curiosity Scale." Personality and Individual Differences.
  • Scrivner, C., Andersen, M. M., & Clasen, M. (2020). "Playing with fear: A field study in recreational horror." Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences.
  • Scrivner, C. (2024). "Bleeding-heart horror fans: Enjoyment of horror media is not related to lower empathy or compassion." Frontiers in Psychology.

Public engagement

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Scrivner is a frequent media commentator and speaker on topics related to morbid curiosity, horror psychology, and true crime.[17] His research and commentary have appeared in outlets including The New York Times, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, Time, National Geographic, Scientific American, Forbes, and The Guardian.[18] He also writes the Substack newsletter Morbidly Curious Thoughts, which explores the science and culture of fear and fascination.

See also

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Category:American psychologists Category:University of Chicago alumni Category:Arizona State University faculty Category:1991 births Category:Living people

References

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  1. ^ Borrelli, Christopher (October 14, 2020). "'You know you want to look': University of Chicago grad student has made a specialty of morbid curiosity". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  2. ^ Scrivner, Coltan W. (2022). The Psychology of Morbid Curiosity (PDF) (Thesis). {{cite thesis}}: Unknown parameter |school= ignored (help)
  3. ^ Scrivner, Coltan (2021). "The Psychology of Morbid Curiosity". Personality and Individual Differences. 183. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2021.111148.
  4. ^ Scrivner, Coltan (2021). "The psychology of morbid curiosity: Development and initial validation of the Morbid Curiosity Scale". Personality and Individual Differences. 183. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2021.111148.
  5. ^ Scrivner, Coltan; Andersen, Marc Malmdorf; Clasen, Mathias (2020). "Playing with Fear: A Field Study in Recreational Horror". Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences. 14 (3): 188–199. doi:10.1037/ebs0000172.
  6. ^ Yuhas, Alan (October 28, 2020). "Horror Fans May Be Better Prepared for the Pandemic". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  7. ^ Scrivner, Coltan (August 31, 2023). "Fear not: horror movies build community and emotional resilience". Aeon. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  8. ^ "Recreational Fear Lab – Researchers". Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  9. ^ Aktipis, Athena; Scrivner, Coltan (2023). "Why We Need Scary Play". Scientific American. 329 (4). Arizona State University Research Portal: 72. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican1123-72. PMID 39017414. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  10. ^ Scrivner, Coltan (2025). Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can't Look Away. Penguin Books. ISBN 9780143137344.
  11. ^ "Morbidly Curious by Coltan Scrivner". Penguin Random House. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  12. ^ "Morbidly Curious – Praise and Reviews". Penguin Random House. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  13. ^ "Nightmare in the Ozarks Film Festival". Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  14. ^ Piepenburg, Erik (October 1, 2024). "Five Horror Film Festivals Worth Traveling For". The New York Times. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  15. ^ "Eureka Springs prepares for annual zombie 'invasion' as family-friendly attraction expands". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. October 13, 2024. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  16. ^ "Eureka Springs Zombie Crawl". Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  17. ^ "Stories by Coltan Scrivner". Scientific American. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  18. ^ "Coltan Scrivner Media Mentions". Official website. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
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