Knee Jerk Startle Response to Five Nights at Freddy's
The popular horror game, "Five Nights at Freddy's," is known for its jump scares. Jump scares are when a loud noise accompanies a character jumping in front of the screen. It is meant to scare the player, which is unfair. It is unfair because jump scares trigger a knee-jerk reaction, due to the sudden nature of the noise and appearance of the character. A knee-jerk is an involuntary reaction to a fearful stimulus. It elicits a startle response, which is an automatic defensive reaction to that fearful stimulus.
Think of when you see a spider, if you're afraid of them, you'll jump, yell, run away, etc. The same goes for Five Nights at Freddy's, where the player will shout, jump, or raise their hands in defense once hearing the jump scare.
Horror video games and other media aren't the only way people can have a knee-jerk reaction.
Hypervigilance in PTSD also causes a triggered reaction to stimuli similar to the traumatic event. One symptom of hypervigilance is an increased startle effect, which, according to 'verywellmind' is when someone jumps at any sudden noise, reaction, or uncomfortable event similar to the traumatic event. Such as a war veteran jumping at the sound of fireworks.
In these cases, we can lessen the startle response from CBT, exposure therapy, and other methods that help them unlearn from the fearful stimulus.
Resource(s):
Tull, M. (2023, January 23). Hypervigilance in PTSD and other disorders. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/hypervigilance-2797363
Hi Janiya, I really enjoyed reading your post! I’ve never played Five Nights at Freddy’s, but your explanation helped me understand how something as simple as a jump scare can activate an involuntary startle response. What really stood out to me was how you connected that overall reaction to hypervigilance in PTSD. It made me think about how fear-based responses can become conditioned over time, especially when someone repeatedly associates certain stimuli with danger. I wonder if this kind of startle reflex could also be reinforced in other mental health conditions, like other anxiety disorders or OCD, where individuals may be highly sensitive to unexpected changes or triggers in their environment.
ReplyDeleteHi Janiya, I am a sucker for the five night at Freddy's franchise. My younger cousin and I enjoyed playing the games when we were around 10 years old and still find time to play the game. I found it very interesting how when you play the game you are being hypervigilant. you are scared that you will get jumped scared by the animatronics characters. I think it was quite interesting that you used the fnaf franchise to describe how hypervigilance in PTSD.
ReplyDeleteHi, I really liked your post! I like how you were able to explain these responses with an example, but still made it understandable for people who may have never played Five Nights at Freddy's.
ReplyDelete