Dr. Margee Kerr, a sociologist, who professionally studies fear.
Kerr says, "We have a negative bias" by which she means, given a choice in certain experimental studies of visual stimuli, most people will pay more attention to a negative (scary) image than a beautiful one. Psychologists have said this for a long time and shown it true in experiments. Now, to assume this is our human nature (or natural)? is another question Kerr does not debate but merely reads Psychology unproblematically, which is the problem I have with her "scientific" bias as a sociologist. That said she does look at the culture of fear in this short video worth watching "The Science Behind Why We Live in a Culture of Fear." go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQIgToDwL-o
I attended one of her lectures at SIUC some years ago, and I questioned her on her bias in studying fear. She was reluctant at best to engage me. Several emails later, and trying to have a good quality conversation with her and for her to look at my work, she ignores all contact. Too bad. I wonder what she is afraid of? From what I can tell she has built her growing career (and income) as a "horrorologist" of sorts, in that she likes to promote the good things that can happen when people enter into fearful experiences, like at horror shows and extreme sports or entertainment events like horror houses (that was the topic of her dissertation). I am very critical of all of that in ways she isn't.
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