Psychology at the Movies

List of Illustrations and Figures xi
 
Acknowledgments xiii
 
1. Introduction--The Many Sides of Psychology and the Many Faces of the Movies 3
 
Goals of Psychology at the Movies 6
 
Story, Entertainment and Art in the Movies 9
 
A Liberal Use of Psychology 10
 
A Symbolic Framework for the Psychology of Film 12
 
Organization of Psychology at the Movies 14
 
Further Reading 16
 
2. The Search for Meaning--Psychological Interpretations in the Movies 19
 
Human Behavior in the Movies 21
 
Unconscious Conflict in the Movies 24
 
Archetypes in the Movies 28
 
Ideology in the Movies 30
 
Spectators in the Movies 33
 
Closing Shots: The Boons and Banes of Interpretation 37
 
Further Reading 39
 
3. Psychopathology, Psychotherapy and Psycho--Psychologists and Their Patients in the Movies 43
 
Representations of Psychological Disorders 44
 
Representations of Psychologists and Psychological Treatment 49
 
Closing Shots: The Impact of Representations of Psychology 55
 
Further Reading 60
 
4. Crazy Genius--The Psychology of Filmmakers 63
 
Psychobiography and Filmmakers 64
 
Auteurs: Profiles of Directors 65
 
Star-Gazing: Profiles of Actors 69
 
Psychology for Filmmakers: The Case ofWoody Allen 73
 
Closing Shots: Evaluating Psychobiography 76
 
Further Reading 77
 
5. Picturing the Audience--Psychological Profiles of Moviegoers 81
 
Movie Audiences through the Years 83
 
The Movies PeopleWatch 85
 
The Movies People Like 88
 
Closing Shots: The Viewers behind the Numbers 91
 
Further Reading 91
 
6. The Cinematic Moment--Emotions and the Comprehension of Movies 95
 
Cognitive Psychology and the Movies 96
 
The Perception of Movies 97
 
The Narrative Comprehension of Movies 99
 
The Emotional

Skip Dine Young is a Professor of Psychology at Hanover College in Indiana. He is a licensed clinical psychologist with interests in popular culture, narrative psychology and human development.

"From the beginning of the text, Psychology at the Movies draws the reader in and provides a clear direction and foundation to be built upon through the remainder of the text. Young's ability to do so, not only allows this text to be read and applied in various fields, but also could be used in any level of study. From the movie buff who seeks to learn about their past time to psychology and other social science students, this text offers a balanced amount of both breadth and depth." ( The Journal of Popular Culture , 29 August 2013) "In sum, Psychology at the Movies offers the basis for a useful survey course in film and psychology, packaged in an engaging format. As Young asserts, "Once you start looking for it, you can't escape psychology in the movies" (p. 6). And he adds, "Sometimes ... a movie stays with us, and we reflect on it--for an hour, a week, a year or a lifetime" (p. 114). With the increasing prevalence of massive open online courses (MOOCS), Young's seminar has potential to interest a very wide audience." ( PsycCRITIQUES , 6 February 2013)

"From the beginning of the text, Psychology at the Movies draws the reader in and provides a clear direction and foundation to be built upon through the remainder of the text. Young's ability to do so, not only allows this text to be read and applied in various fields, but also could be used in any level of study. From the movie buff who seeks to learn about their past time to psychology and other social science students, this text offers a balanced amount of both breadth and depth." ( The Journal of Popular Culture , 29 August 2013)

"In sum, Psychology at the Movies offers the basis for a useful survey course in film and psychology, packaged in an engaging format. As Young asserts, "Once you start looking for it, you can't escape psychology in the movies" (p. 6). And he adds, "Sometimes . . . a movie stays with us, and we reflect on it-for an hour, a week, a year or a lifetime" (p. 114). With the increasing prevalence of massive open online courses (MOOCS), Young's seminar has potential to interest a very wide audience." ( PsycCRITIQUES , 6 February 2013)