Psychology at the Movies

by Dine Young, Skip

• ISBN13: 9780470971772
• ISBN10: 0470971770
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-04-09
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Psychology at the Movies explores the insights to be gained by applying various psychological lenses to popular films including cinematic depictions of human behavior, the psychology of filmmakers, and the impact of viewing movies. Uses the widest range of psychological approaches to explore movies, the people who make them, and the people who watch them Written in an accessible style with vivid examples from a diverse group of popular films, such as The Silence of the Lambs, The Wizard of Oz, Star Wars, Taxi Driver, Good Will Hunting, and A Beautiful Mind Brings together psychology, film studies, mass communication, and cultural studies to provide an interdisciplinary perspective Features an extensive bibliography for further exploration of various research fields

Author Biography

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.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations and Figures	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Introduction-The Many Sides of Psychology and the Many Faces of the Movies	p. 3
Goals of Psychology at the Movies	p. 6
Story, Entertainment and Art in the Movies	p. 9
A Liberal Use of Psychology	p. 10
A Symbolic Framework for the Psychology of Film	p. 12
Organization of Psychology at the Movies	p. 14
Further Reading	p. 16
The Search for Meaning-Psychological Interpretations in the Movies	p. 19
Human Behavior in the Movies	p. 21
Unconscious Conflict in the Movies	p. 24
Archetypes in the Movies	p. 28
Ideology in the Movies	p. 30
Spectators in the Movies	p. 33
Closing Shots: The Boons and Banes of Interpretation	p. 37
Further Reading	p. 39
Psychology, Psychotherapy and Psycho-Psychologists and Their Patients in the Movies	p. 43
Representations of Psychological Disorders	p. 44
Representations of Psychologists and Psychological Treatment	p. 49
Closing Shots: The Impact of Representations of Psychology	p. 55
Further Reading	p. 60
Crazy Genius-The Psychology of Filmmakers	p. 63
Psychobiography and Filmmakers	p. 64
Auteurs: Profiles of Directors	p. 65
Star-Gazing: Profiles of Actors	p. 69
Psychology for Filmmakers: The Case of Woody Allen	p. 73
Closing Shots: Evaluating Psychobiography	p. 76
Further Reading	p. 77
Picturing the Audience-Psychological Profiles of Moviegoers	p. 81
Movie Audiences through the Years	p. 83
The Movies People Watch	p. 85
The Movies People Like	p. 88
Closing Shots: The Viewers behind the Numbers	p. 91
Further Reading	p. 91
The Cinematic Moment-Emotions and the Comprehension of Movies	p. 95
Cognitive Psychology and the Movies	p. 96
The Perception of Movies	p. 97
The Narrative Comprehension of Movies	p. 99
The Emotional Comprehension of Movies	p. 101
Bram Functioning and the Movies	p. 107
Closing Shots: An Unlikely Partnership	p. 109
Further Reading	p. 110
Reflecting on the Screen-The Reception of Movies	p. 113
Viewer Enjoyment of Movies	p. 115
Viewer Interpretations of Movies	p. 120
Closing Shorts: The Challenges of Audience Response	p. 126
Further Reading	p. 127
The Movies Made Me Do It-The Effects of Film	p. 131
Effects on Behavior	p. 133
Effects on Thoughts and Emotions	p. 139
Propaganda and Effects on Culture	p. 143
Closing Shots: The Great Debate over Media Effects	p. 145
Further Reading	p. 149
Movies as Equipment for Living-The Functions of Film	p. 153
Professional Functions of Movies	p. 155
General Functions of Movies in Everyday Life	p. 159
Personal Functions of Movies in Everyday Life	p. 161
Closing Shots: Seeing Movies from a Different Angle	p. 168
Further Reading	p. 169
Conclusion-Putting the Pieces Together	p. 173
An Appeal for Interdisciplinarity	p. 177
Movies as Art	p. 179
Mental Health Professionals in Top Box Office Grossing Movies, 1990-1999	p. 181
Three Top 50 Lists of Acclaimed Movies	p. 183
Emotionally Arousing Movie Scenes	p. 187
Therapeutic Movies	p. 139
Endnotes	p. 191
Bibliography	p. 219
Filmography	p. 239
Index	p. 249
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.