Psychological horror
The subgenre frequently overlaps with the related subgenre of psychological thriller, and often uses mystery elements and characters with unstable, unreliable, or disturbed psychological states to enhance the suspense, horror, drama, tension, and paranoia of the setting and plot and to provide an overall creepy, unpleasant, unsettling, or distressing atmosphere.
[1] This idea is referred to in analytical psychology as the archetypal shadow characteristics: suspicion, distrust, self-doubt, and paranoia of others, themselves, and the world.
The genre sometimes seeks to challenge or confuse the audience's grasp of the narrative or plot by focusing on characters who are themselves unsure of or doubting their own perceptions of reality or questioning their own sanity.
Additionally, restricting the characters' and audience's view of potential danger through strategic lighting and visual obstructions—like in Bird Box (film)—can heighten suspense and engage the imagination, leaving much of the threat unseen.
In contrast, splatter fiction and monster movies often focuses on a bizarre, alien evil to which the average viewer cannot easily relate.
Lovecraft's explanation for the fascination of horror stems more from the lack of understanding of a humans true place and our deep inner instinct we are out of touch with, and the basic insignificance of one's life and the universe at large.
The genre allows audiences to navigate the complexities of human experiences that prompt viewers to connect with characters confronting conflict.
Hitchcock's Rear Window places the main character as the primary information source for the viewer; their confusion is pervasive.
Films with minimalistic, limited soundtracks leave audiences unable to predict coming scenes and often lead to more pronounced emotional responses when a sound is added.
"[13] Academic Susan Hayward described them as a post-World War II phenomenon and giving examples of psychological horror films as Psycho (1960) and Peeping Tom (1960).
[14] She wrote that in both film genres, the male had a dependence on the female for a sense of identity derived from his difference from her, and often killed them with items like knives or chainsaws.
While such games may be based on any style of gameplay, they are generally more exploratory and "seek to instigate a sense of doubt about what might really be happening" in the player.
[24] Scary, disturbing, and unsettling characters in horror media tend to be heightened and exaggerated personifications of our actual anxieties and fears.
To deal with the threat of horror in the game, players are driven to strengthen and protect their characters, and their success translates to both achievement and a cathartic experience having overcome their fears and anxieties.
Research also indicates that some players even noted diminshed fear in their real lives after playing horror video games.
