The prevalence and intensity of fright reactions to mass media: Implications of the activation‐arousal view

This paper reports data from a survey of college students that indicates that the experience of intense, enduring fright after media exposure is common. In order to understand why some individuals experience such intense levels of fright, the activation‐arousal framework is explicated and linked to these responses. Mehrabian's Stimulus Screening Scale and Miller's Behavioral Style Scale are taken as indicators of a bias toward activity in the arousal system. The data shows that individuals who experience intense, enduring fright from mass media exposure are likely to receive high scores on these measures. Limitations and future research are discussed.