On Wednesday, July 23, from 3-5PM, Elizabeth Kurtzman will defend her dissertation, "Chilling Affect: Sensory Engagement and Participation in Immersive Horror Experiences."

This dissertation explores how the affective properties of immersive forms of horror can evoke physical, mental, or emotional responses in audiences. These case studies demonstrate how experiential forms of entertainment use sensory stimuli to train visitor response, and they provide insights into the relationship between emerging technology and its users. Understanding how these sites affect their audiences and how those experiences propel action beyond the narrative end of their experiences provides insight into the role of media and art in contemporary culture. The technologies and environments in this project—which include scare attractions, escape rooms, podcasts, and digital media--utilize horror storytelling and affective devices to push audiences to participate and to perform in various ways, and in the process, to have more intense and personal experiences. Though these sites differ greatly in form and in storytelling methods, they all provide outlets for audiences who are frustrated and sometimes anxious about a world both monotonous and frighteningly unpredictable.

Chair: Michelle Granshaw

Committee members: Kathleen George, Patrick McKelvey, and Michael Chemers (UC Santa Cruz)

This defense will be entirely remote. To attend virtually, please email emk123@pitt.edu or mkg31@pitt.edu.