Psychology in Films

Psychology and movies have gone  hand in hand for years. They truely began to appear with greater frequency by the late 1960s. Movies such as "Good Will Hunting" and "One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" (both oscar winning films) depicit the 'patient' and psycharatrist/psychologist relationship.
 Other films such as Stanley Kuprick's "A Clockwork orange" can test our moral views with the experimental corrective treatment the protagonist is forced to indure, which involves repeated viewings of unspeakable acts which gives him pains which are then triggered again if he tries to commite a violent act. This is used to prevent him from commiting violent crimes. In the film, following a presentation of a temptation test, where which Alex (the protagonist) restrains because of the triggered pain, the priest inturrupts and say;


"Choice! The boy has not a real choice, has he? Self-interest, the fear of physical pain drove him to that grotesque act of self-abasement. The insincerity was clear to be seen. He ceases to be a wrongdoer. He ceases also to be a creature capable of moral choice."

This raises the etical questions on psychological treatments, though the treatment in the film is fictional, is it better to correct the beaviour rather then treat the cause of the behaiour. Ethics has recently been brought up in Research & Stats and in Perception & Ergonomics and my thoughts have turned to this film, I now look back at films with a new psychology perspective which covers a vast amount of films.

Famous films such as "Reighn on me" which dipict the protagonist suffering PDSD following 9/11, "Rain Man" stars a main charector whom has Autism and "Lars and the Real Girl" dipicts the struggle of the protagonist over coming a Delusional disorder.

One of my favourite films "12 Angrey Men" can aslo be read as a 'illustration of Social psychological concepts' as a group of 12 strangers of a jury must decide and agree whether the accusied is guilty or innocent.

According to 'All-about-psycholog.com' There was much concern (and still is) over the portrayl of psychologist and the portral of people suffering psychological disorders, so in 1998, members of the media psychology division of the American Psychological Society established a Media Watch Committee to examine the way psychologists, particularly therapists were portrayed in movies, television shows and books which survives to this day.

Films ask all the questions and many of which connect with the same questions psychologist ask but where the answer is not always certain, films have the ability to make us ponder who we are, why we are and what is right or wrong.

A short list of excellent psychological films can be found here; http://www.smccd.edu/accounts/merrill/PSYCHOLOGY%20AND%20MOVIES.htm


And heres a really  interesting article on 4 Cliché Movie Moments Explained by Psychology that you should also check out!