Your movie preference may not be a personal choice after all; it may be deep in your brain.
Scientists discovered that people have a go-to genre because it activates pleasurable emotions in the complex organ that keeps them coming back for more.
They discovered that people like it comedy and action had more activity in the region associated with excitement and reward compared to people who preferred thriller and documentary.
However, the latter group had increased activity in attention networks and sensory areas, indicating that they derive satisfaction from intellectual stimulation.
Your movie preference may not be a personal choice after all; it may be deep in your brain. Scientists discovered that people have a favorite genre because it activates pleasant emotions in the complex organ
Multiple scientific studies have examined the personality traits associated with different movie genres, but the new study from German scientists was the first to investigate whether preference is linked to the brain.
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in behavioral neuroscienceincluded 257 participants – 129 men and 128 women.
To assess movie preferences and media consumption, participants were asked to select their two favorite genres from eight options: action, crime/thriller, horror, drama, romance, comedy, documentary, and science fiction/fantasy.
The two most popular combinations were comedy/action and thriller/documentary.
Each person was then shown images of fearful and angry faces while wearing electrodes that monitored their brain activity.
The electrodes monitored the amygdala, the brain’s main emotion processing center, and linked our emotions to many other brain capacities, especially memories, learning and your senses.
Participants who preferred action/comedy movies showed increased activity in the amygdala and increased activity in another region critical for motivated behavior when viewing negative emotional stimuli.
The researchers suggested that this was because they enjoy the intense emotions that the genres often evoke.
Scientists found that people who liked comedy and action (right) had more activity in the region linked to excitement and reward, compared to people who preferred thriller and documentary (left)
The team also found that comedies activate reward pathways in response to emotional stimuli in which the person appreciates the genre’s involvement.
While action movie fans get their fill of adventure from the high stakes and emotional experiences.
Thriller/documentary fans showed reduced limbic system activity, indicating a lower emotional response to fear and anger.
The limbic system is a small group of structures in your brain that regulate emotions, behavior, motivation, and memory.
The lower emotional reactivity suggested that the group feels reward through cognitive engagement, rather than through emotional arousal.
The findings also suggested that crime/thriller fans may find greater satisfaction in solving mysteries or navigating suspense.
And documentary fans are less focused on arousing strong emotions, but may prefer intellectual stimulation over emotional experiences, the team suggested.
“Rather than ‘one size fits all,’ the findings suggest that movie viewers form preferences that align with their neuronal tendencies to respond to and approach certain cinematic stimuli,” the researchers shared in the study.