Chills and Thrills: Impact of Music on Rating of Suspense in Film
Ashanti Burton
Co-Presenters: Individual Presentation
College: College of Liberal Arts
Major: Psychology/Forensic Psychology
Faculty Research Mentor: Verneda Hamm-Baugh
Abstract:
Music, a universal form of human expression, serves as a multifaceted medium that transcends mere entertainment. It embodies emotion, communication, and social bonding, playing a critical role in rituals, education, and even therapeutic practices. Its cultural and personal significance is deeply rooted, with the music industry appearing in the late 19th century, revolutionizing sound recording and distribution. Within the realm of horror cinema, music takes on an even darker, more ominous role, manipulating emotions to heighten suspense and fear. From eerie background scores to jarring sound effects, it creates an atmosphere of tension, leaving audiences gripped by dread. The present study was designed to investigate the impact of music on the experience of suspense in film. Participants were split into two groups. The first group saw a short clip from the movie, Silence of the Lambs, with no manipulated background music. The second group was presented the same clip but with manipulated music that was upbeat and did not match the events on the screen. Each participant then rated the suspense they felt from the movie clip on a scale from 1 to 10.It was hypothesized that participants would report higher levels of suspense when the music has sudden shifts in volume and tempo as originally designed than when the scene was watched with the manipulated background music.