True crime stories are everywhere, and no one is completely immune from their sinister grasp. They plague big cities and seep into small towns across the globe. They’re the tales of the usual suspects and the ones no one saw coming — the scorned lovers, the disgruntled employees, the sociopaths, and the all-American kids from otherwise normal neighborhoods.
And the media is paying attention. From Netflix’s Making a Murderer to the seat-gripping podcasts of This American Life, the genre has exploded in popularity. You can even watch true crime series around the clock by flipping on one of the seemingly endless array of true crime TV programs.
But what about true crime keeps us glued to our screens and speakers? Why is true crime so popular, and why do we find such fascination in the darkest corners of human behavior?
We wanted to get to the root of it, so we turned to the experts, did some digging, and examined the psychology of it all. Let’s explore why human nature continues to fuel this fiery cultural phenomenon.
Danger Just Feels So Good—From Your Couch
It’s no secret that true crime stories can be as thrilling as they are horrifying. University of Derby Online Learning Psychology Lecturer Dean Fido explains, “As humans, we are always looking for something new and novel. Whether it’s good or bad, we need something that creates an element of excitement. When we mix this desire with insight and solving a puzzle, it can give us a short, sharp shock of adrenaline, but in a relatively safe environment.”
Does it all boil down to being a controlled adrenaline rush? Are we simply looking for a way to satisfy our deep-seated human desire for excitement—without any real risk? Maybe that’s one piece of the pie.
True crime tales are a dark blend of insight, challenge, and safety that provides both rewarding and engaging stimulation. And when we engage in activities that satisfy this blend, we’re not just entertaining ourselves. We’re stimulating cognitive faculties related to problem-solving and pattern recognition, which are vital for our mental health and cognitive development.
It’s a way of exercising our brains while indulging in our primal instincts for exploration and discovery. So, for many of us, seeking novelty and solving puzzles is both a source of entertainment and a way of maintaining cognitive health and emotional well-being.
The “Whodunit” Thrill of Famous True Crime Stories Draws Us In
Why do we love unraveling mysteries? Cognitive satisfaction plays a significant role. Subjecting ourselves to true crime stories lets us test our wits and intuition against the unfolding narrative. It adds that interactive layer to our viewing experience. At the same time, it satisfies a deeper psychological itch for puzzle-solving and understanding complex human behaviors.
“By following an investigation on TV, people can play armchair detective and see if they can figure out ‘whodunit’ before law enforcement authorities catch the actual perpetrator.”
— Scott Bonn, Criminology Professor, Drew University
Let’s get a little perspective on this. Puzzles come in all styles, each with its own rules that guide us toward the solution. Take the classic jigsaw puzzle, for example. We get every piece we need upfront, and we know they’ll all fit together somehow. Our job is simply (or not so simply) to figure out where each piece goes, connecting them bit by bit until a complete picture forms.
This is pretty much what it’s like when we dive into a true crime mystery. We have all these facts and clues scattered around, and we need to piece them together to see the full picture and solve the crime.
Great, that makes some sense — but what true crime has that jigsaw puzzles don’t is human nature’s complexities. Each suspect or witness brings a layer of psychological depth that affects how they fit into the larger picture.
Are they reliable? What might they be hiding? Asking ourselves these questions adds a challenging dimension to the puzzle. The solution becomes more than just a matter of logic; it’s coalesced with empathy and intuition. The real-life stakes are a little higher than connecting the last piece of your jigsaw puzzle to reveal all the cats in leather jackets playing poker and smoking cigars.
At the end of the day, the human element can be just as crucial as linking hard forensic evidence. It begins to reflect just how intertwined our actions are with our inner motives and fears — a scary proposition to face while sitting alone in the dark at midnight glued to the ID channel.
Do We Find Our Humanity in the Heart of Darkness?
Interestingly enough, many folks believe that consuming true crime helps them develop a stronger sense of empathy. One YouGov poll of 1,000 respondents in 2022 revealed a compelling insight into American attitudes towards true crime media.
It found that 61% of Americans feel that engaging with true crime content fosters greater empathy. 63% believe that it enhances their understanding of the criminal justice system, while 72% of Americans engage with true crime media because they think it makes them more informed about the world.
How often do we really think about how consuming media, especially true crime, affects us psychologically and sociologically? Studies have shown some nuanced effects here. On one hand, these true crime stories can surely ramp up our empathy. We might find ourselves better understanding the victims’ experiences and the broader social implications of crime.
But on the flip side, there’s also a cautionary tale: too much exposure to violent content might actually render us numb. This desensitization means that over time, we might react less emotionally to violence.
For instance, our defenses might eventually wear down if we were constantly bombarded with tantalizing stories about cheeseburgers and french fries. We might even find ourselves in the drive-thru line instead of at the salad bar—we’re only human.
So, while these deep dives into true crime stories can make us more informed and empathetic, they could also lead us to a point where the shock value diminishes. It’s a delicate balance, meaning that how we consume and process true crime stories is as important as the content itself.
Females Tend To Be More Fixated on the True Crime Genre
Various studies, such as one conducted by the University of Illinois, show that women are particularly drawn to the true crime genre. But why?
Women’s marked preference for true crime over other violent genres like war or gang violence might stem from deeper psychological and evolutionary roots. Research led by Amanda Vicary and R. Chris Fraley reveals that women are more likely to select true crime stories and enjoy them more.
The research team studied Amazon reviews, finding that women wrote 70% of Amazon reviews for true crime books, whereas men dominated the reviews for war books.
However, women’s choice of true crime stories goes beyond mere interest, touching on survival instincts. These books often provide insights into the perpetrator’s mind and recount survival tactics used by victims—knowledge that could subconsciously equip female readers with strategies to avoid or escape potential threats.
This theory aligns with findings that women, more so than men, are driven by an underlying fear of crime, possibly reflecting an evolutionary advantage in being attuned to personal safety and threat cues.
The specific content of true crime stories appears to resonate differently with female readers. Women are particularly drawn to narratives featuring female victims or those detailing clever survival strategies. Men, on the other hand, showed less preference differentiation, indicating that different factors might influence their interests in true crime.
Let’s Blame Our Ancestors for This “Morbid Curiosity”
Evolutionary psychology offers another angle. Dr. Marissa Harrison’s theory posits that our ancestors benefitted from being alert to horrific events. She explains, “You would pay attention to, and have interest in, the horrific because, in the ancestral environment, those who “tuned in” to horrible events left more descendants, logically because they were able to escape harmful stimuli.”
This “morbid curiosity” could have been an evolutionary advantage, helping early humans avoid danger and survive.
Morbid curiosity conjures images of death and tragedy. It’s rooted in our instinctual drive to understand life’s unknown and potentially threatening aspects. Experts suggest that this curiosity stems from the need to assess risks and prepare psychologically for extreme situations.
In the psychological sense, morbid curiosity links to the broader concept of fear management. By learning about extreme or dangerous scenarios, we may feel more prepared and secure in our ability to handle similar situations, should they ever arise—like a coping mechanism that allows us to mentally ‘rehearse’ responses to threats.
From an evolutionary perspective, paying attention to dangerous or deadly situations could have offered survival advantages. Those who learned from others’ misfortunes could avoid similar fates. Therefore, the intrigue surrounding true crime stories, disaster news, and horror films is an extension of our survival instincts wrapped up in modern media.
Culturally, morbid curiosity may also reflect societal anxieties and the ways we collectively process fear and death. Nowadays, death feels almost sanitized or hidden away. Engaging with its realities through stories or controlled environments (like movies or books) might subconsciously provide us with a safe space to explore and discuss these otherwise taboo topics.
True Crime’s Darkness Connects to Our Inner Villain and Victim
True crime stories reflect societal fears and fascinations like a dark mirror. Our cultural obsession with villains and crimes gives way to underlying anxieties and moral questions. Media plays a significant role in shaping these narratives. As much as we might not want to admit it, it influences how we perceive crime and punishment.
There’s therapeutic potential, too—engaging with these stories can help crime victims process their experiences. However, excessive consumption can also lead to psychological harm, so moderation is key.
True crime’s allure is multifaceted, rooted in psychology, sociology, and even evolutionary biology. Whether it’s the thrill of solving a mystery, the controlled adrenaline rush, or the deeper understanding of human nature, our fascination with these tales shows no signs of waning.
