Assignment 4: Psychological Disorders and the Movies

Purpose:

The purpose is to help you identify and apply psychological concepts in terms of psychological disorders and/or treatment in movies

Product:

A paper at least 2 pages long, not including any reference section, typed and double spaced, with Times New Roman (12- point font) and 1-inch margins. Proofread for spelling and grammatical errors and provide in-text citations and reference any of your sources using APA format

Directions:

Watch one of the movies listed below and discuss the main characters and/or plot line in terms of psychological disorders and/or treatment. (Some of the movies portray several characters struggling with a disorder; you need to focus only on the one or two that most interests you.)

Movie Options: These movies have been previewed and pre-selected for their content and relevance; please do not make your own substitutions:

A Beautiful Mind (Psychosis)

As Good as It Gets (Anxiety Disorder)

Benny and Joon (Psychosis)

Clean and Sober (Substance Related Disorder)

The Deer Hunter (Stress Disorder)

The Fisher King (Variety of Disorders)

Gia (Substance Related / Mood Disorder)

Girl Interrupted (Variety of Disorders)

Off the Map (Mood Disorder)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Variety of Disorders)

Ordinary People (Mood Disorder)

Rachel at the Wedding (Substance Related Disorders)

Sybil (Stress Disorder)

Three Faces of Eve (Stress Disorder)

Transamerica (Gender Identity Disorder)

Twenty-eight Days w/ Sandra Bullock (Substance Related Disorders)

What about Bob? (Anxiety Disorder)

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape

Address the following questions:

➢ What psychological disorder was illustrated in this film? Did the person meet the criteria for “abnormal” in this portrayal?

➢ What symptoms of mental illness did you see in the movie? After considering typical symptoms and behaviors for this disorder, determine the extent to which you believe this was a realistic portrayal of this disorder.

➢ Were any causal factors for the character’s disorder suggested in the film? If so, which ones?

➢ What types of treatment, if any, did the person in the film receive? Provide specific examples. Based on what you’ve learned, is this form typical for individuals with this disorder? Why or why not?

➢ What impact did the person’s disorder have on others in his/her life? Do you think the impact was realistically portrayed? Why or why not?

➢ After viewing the movie, what do you think it would be like to live with this mental illness?

➢ What was your overall reaction to the movie and how mental illness was portrayed?

Grading

➢ This assignment is worth a possible 100 points