Wells conducted a small focus group study in 2000 involving horror film audiences of different age groups. He found that their interests and fears aligned with the real world horrors of their era. Older groups were less scared by graphic violence after experiencing World War 2, while younger groups were desensitized to gore from increased on-screen exposure. Cohen's theory of moral panic posits that the media can define certain groups as societal threats, influencing viewers. The film The Purge uses the moral panics of crime and gun control in America as sources of fear. More recent horror also taps into modern moral panics like online privacy issues in films like Unfriended.

1. Well’s Research and
Cohen’s Moral Panic

2. Paul Well’s Research in to Horror Audiences
• Well’s conducted a small focus group study in 2000 involving
12 members of each of the following age groups: 16-25, 26-
40, 41-55, 56-80
• He asked them what horror film they had first seen and what
the most recent one was too see how different age groups
reacted to the different types of horror as well as what
interested them about it because the genre has changed
over time

3. His Results
Age Group Earliest Film Latest Film Conclusions
56-80 years
(1920-1944)
Nosferatu Dead of Night They had an interest in horror when they
were younger. Most were scared of the dark
but no supernatural elements as they
experienced the real horror of WW2 and
therefore dislike imaginary horror.
41-55 years
(1945-1959)
House of Wax Halloween Most disliked horror as a whole. They found
more modern films, such as The Excorist, too
violent and frightening.
26-40 years
(1960-1974)
Night of the Living Dead Silence of the Lambs Disengagement with the whole genre. They
disliked the predictability of the films and
often preferred US horror to British horror.
Noticed that women had more important,
less passive, roles.
16-25 years
(1975-1984)
The Exorcist Jurassic Park They enjoyed the spectacle created –
bloodletting and gore. Understood that the
film was artifice and engaged with the
production of the film.

4. Overall
• The results of the experiment show that as time passes, people’s fears
change and adapt to the horrors of the real world at that time as well as
general situations taking place
• In the earliest days of horror people were terrified of blood and gore but
once films, such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre, came about people became
more desensitised to these effects and therefore this became less scary,
allowing other aspects to scare instead, such as Religion
• The youngest group appeared hardest to scare or shock as they’ve seen it
all and old scares, such as gore, became more commonplace in general on-
screen narratives and are now fairly normal to see
• This small sample of people can show the general outline of how people
are reacting to horror but it may not be completely accurate due to the
lack of people involved

5. Stanley Cohen’s ‘Moral Panic’
• Stanley Cohen’s theory of moral panic occurs when a condition,
episode, person or group of people emerges to become defined as a
threat to societal values and interests
• The media plays a massive role in enforcing moral panic by its
constant broadcasting. The media’s response and representation of
the certain situation helps to define it, communicate it and influences
those who view media on any platform to observe and adopt the
‘panic’

6. Applying to a Horror Film
• ‘The Purge’ (2013) is a good example of moral panics being used as
the fear in a horror film as it portrays a corrupt Government in the US
• The moral panic here is crime, especially the lack of gun control and
with the third instalment of the film series, The Purge: Election Year,
having been released this year, it shows the fear America is in
regarding the presidential election
• Other examples of moral panics being used in more modern horror is
films such as ‘Unfriended’ where the horror is all online, this can
evoke fear because people are living a lot more digitally in the present
day and everyone relies on technology now