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We report results of an online survey of U.S. undergraduates ( N\u00a0=\u00a0202) who indicated how frequently they consumed various subgenres of horror films, in addition to their tendencies to dehumanize and stigmatize those experiencing mental illnesses. Only psychological horror consumption was associated with these ascriptions. However, and contrary to predictions, greater psychological horror consumption was associated with less stigmatization and dehumanization of mental illness. We provided updated empirical findings and theoretical conceptualizations to provide context for these unexpected findings and discuss the broader potential benefits of the horror genre in reducing stigmatization. <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1027\/1864-1105\/a000421","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,14]],"date-time":"2024-03-14T07:46:01Z","timestamp":1710402361000},"page":"183-189","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Consumption of Psychological Horror is Associated With Reduced Stigmatization of Mental Illness"],"prefix":"10.1027","volume":"37","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6017-5070","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Donald F.","family":"Sacco","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA"}]},{"given":"Megan","family":"Walters","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA"}]},{"given":"Mitch","family":"Brown","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Arkansas, USA"}]}],"member":"101","reference":[{"key":"c1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0956797620972116"},{"key":"c2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0146167292183005"},{"key":"c3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1948550618755873"},{"key":"c4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/a0028087"},{"key":"c5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0146167200265004"},{"key":"c6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/sah0000460"},{"key":"c7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/sah0000256"},{"key":"c8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/sah0000157"},{"key":"c9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/00224545.2019.1671301"},{"key":"c10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s40806-021-00285-x"},{"key":"c11","unstructured":"Brown, M. & Sacco, D. 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