scream

Look up scream, shout, holler, or yell in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

A painting by Edvard Munch entitled Skrik (Scream).

A scream, shout, holler, vociferation, or yell is a loud vocalization in which air is passed through the vocal cords with greater force than is used in regular or close-distance vocalization. Though technically this process can be performed by any creature possessing lungs, the preceding terms are usually applied specifically to human vocalization.

Motivation

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Reasons for shouting vary, and it may be done deliberately or simply as a reaction. The core motive, in essentially all situations, is communication. These outbursts convey alarm, surprise, displeasure or outrage, or perhaps to gain the attention of another person or an animal.

Fear & Surprise

When frightened, human beings tend to yelp, or cry out. This is both to convey fear and to call attention to themselves, and thusly possible asisstance and/or help. This action also serves as a possible defense tactic, as shouting may frighten off an assailant or cause them to falter, allowing a chance to escape.

Also, when people are not expecting something and it comes suddenly, they are surprised. If a person approaches another and jumps on them or shouts in their ear, or possibly shakes or jolts them, the targets of such pranks usually scream in shock or surprise. When shouts are caused thusly, perhaps in a practical joke, these startled shouts can be a source of embarrassment and anger, and may result in another form of vociferation: shouting match.

Two people arguing in a "shouting match".

Happiness

People may yell out when overcome by joy or excitement, such as when winning a game, contest, competition, either one being played (like Monopoly), or one being watched (Football). One may scream when winning a prize, such as a Bingo (which may also be considered a competition) or the lottery. People may scream in delight, such as when meeting a loved one after a long interlude. Again, the purpose is to convey the positive emotions to others, and may be accompanied by clapping, dancing, singing, or other such celebratory behaviors.

Danger & Pain

Shouting to inform others of danger is an evoluntionary process within social animals. Such an action can be considered altruistic, as it announces the danger to others, while at the same time revealing the position of the one announcing the danger.

When people suffer injuries or other painful experiences, such as broken bones or gun shot wounds, they often scream in pain or surprise. These vociferations are often accompanied by crying and sobbing, and when done so, the synonym "wailing" may very well be used to describe this type of vocalization. These cries may be used to deal with the shock of the incident and can be used by others also as a way to avoid such hazards.

Purpose

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Dialogue

Some people, when arguing begin to raise their voices to the point that they are screaming at each other in anger while continuing their debate exchange. Terminology includes "shouting match".

Military

Drill instructors frequently use this tactic and its associated fear and intimidation to train recruits whilst fostering obedience and expedience.

Music

Sometimes, screaming or louder-than-normal vocals are used in music, and are an increasingly common vocal technique.

Audio

The decibel levels of scream pitches may be very high, and this has become an issue in the sport of tennis, particularly with regards to Maria Sharapova's loud tennis grunts which have been measured as high as 101.2 decibels.^[1] The human range for screaming in decibels is between 0 and 112.8 which is the world record held by Alan Myatt.^[2] The pitch varies depending on the justification for a scream.

The loudest scream by a crowd was a scream by a group of Scouts (all Finland) and was measured to reach a level of 127.2 dBA, in the grounds of Toivala's Metsakoulu, Siilinjarvi, Finland on 16 April 2005.^[3]

Popular culture

The Wilhelm scream is film's most familiar scream and has been used into many movies since 1951.

See also

• Rebel yell
• Battle cry
• The Shout
• Death Growl

Also used in popular phrases in the literature of Fred Light, "her scream was so high pitched, it caused pigeons to drop out of the sky dead."

External links

• Manchester Science Festival on-line experiment to find the scariest scream for 2009 Halloween

References