A Visit to ‘Hell House’
MONMOUTH, Ill. – Just in time for Halloween, a film shown at Monmouth College is set in a haunted house.
“As a social psychologist, I’m drawn to films that portray some aspect of our everyday lives and leave us feeling unsettled or curious about human nature,” said Sylaska, who now teaches at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis. “Hell House introduces us to members of a church community that put together a haunted house each year. Each ‘room’ or scene depicts a different sin being committed.”
Sylaska said the intended frights are not people jumping out and scaring visitors, but rather the fear of being in one of those situations or the ultimate fear of ending up in hell.
“Halloween has religious origins, and this film depicts how some groups are trying to take what has become a secular holiday and infuse the secular themes into their own persuasive appeals,” she said.
Those appeals utilize fear.
“Through the lens of social psychology, I see this as a strategy of fear-based persuasion,” said Sylaska. “If someone can elicit fear, that has the potential to change our behavior. Fear can be a powerful motivator; social psychologists interested in persuasion have long recognized its role in behavior change.”
“If someone can elicit fear, that has the potential to change our behavior. Fear can be a powerful motivator.”
– Kateryna Sylaska, psychologist
The film is not only timely because of Halloween, but also because of the midterm elections, she said.
“Politicians often rely on similar fear-based appeals in garnering support,” said Sylaska, who will also lead a post-film discussion. “Let’s be informed consumers of the information around us. Our post-film discussion will focus on general tips for spotting and responding to fear-based messages. Social psychological research has lots to share with us. I encourage everyone to come learn about it.”
Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies Ermine Algaier organized the Public Philosophy and Film Series, which began last spring.
“This series provides an informal, multidisciplinary platform for raising awareness of pressing contemporary public issues,” said Algaier. “Both educational and entertaining, the series aims to provide the campus and Monmouth community with an informal space that intellectually challenges the broader community, while also creating a safe space to confront culturally diverse topics and ideas.”
Related Stories
-
Episode 26: April 22, 2022
Read MoreArt seniors Natalie Takahashi, kneeling and Mark Thigpen, and art professor Stacy Lotz, center, discuss the senior art exhibition (also pictured art senior Julia Smith, right); music professor TIm Pahel previews the April 30 concert of Faure’s Requiem and Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, featuring the Monmouth Chorale, Monmouth Concert Choir, Galesburg Community Chorus and members of the Knox-Galesburg Symphony (interview starts at 10:58).
-
49 Years Late
Book due nearly a half-century ago is returned to Monmouth College library by Alumni Board member John Carlson ’74.Read More
