An Infectious Curiosity: Morbid Curiosity and Media Preferences during a Pandemic

Abstract In this study conducted during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic, I explored how trait morbid curiosity was related to interest in 1) factual information about that specifically morbid; 2) general Coronavirus; 3) pandemic and virus genres of films TV shows; 4) film shows center around threat more broadly. Participants (n = 125) who scored high reported increased interest, compared usual, pandemic/virus as well horror thriller genres. Morbidly curious participants were also interested Coronavirus. Furthermore, disgust sensitivity unrelated these preferences. These results provide initial evidence can predict particular media preferences face a real threat, may reflect an adaptive predisposition some individuals toward learning dan­gerous disgusting aspects threat.