Introduction to Psychology

Assignment:

This week you will complete your “Psychological Disorders and the Movies” paper. For this assignment, you will 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 that most interests you).

In your analysis paper, you must analyze the movie and create a cohesive response that addresses the following questions (do not answer the questions in numerical order, create a paper that addresses all the questions):

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


• What are the typical symptoms and behaviors of an individual with this disorder?


• 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?

Movie Options (or you can select a different movie with prior approval):

• A Beautiful Mind (Psychosis)


• As Good As It Gets (Anxiety Disorder)


• Benny and Joon (Psychosis)


• Clean and Sober (Subst 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

Assignment Expectations:

• Length:
  
  
  
  • 1200 words (not counting title or reference page)
  
  
  
  


• Structure:
  
  
  
  • Formatted in APA style; must include title and reference page (you do not need an abstract)
  
  
  
  


• References:
  
  
  
  • Minimum of 3 references related to the targeted psychological disorder