Anticipation and excitement mark the lead up to Halloween.

If you’ve ever wondered why we like the scare factor of the holiday, Dr. Kristin Reynolds with the Department of Psychology at the University of Manitoba has some thoughts.

Reynolds says we experience exhilaration in simulated scary situations without the prolonged stress that would come from real danger.

She adds that Halloween is a good time to look at things that trigger our fear responses and try to determine why some things cause us to react more than others.

Hear the full interview with Reynolds this afternoon at 12:40 and 5:10 this afternoon on Thompson Today.