Psych Theories in Film Exam 2

What type of dysfunction does Leonard suffer from in "Memento"?

anterograde amnesia

MBTI Typology

extraversion/introversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling, judging/perceiving

Short-term memory

holds about seven items for up to 20 seconds before the material is forgotten or transferred to long term memory

hero

in greek origin half human and half god, now refers to characters that, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self sacrifice; began as exemplifying courage/prowess later shifted to demonstrate good morality (Hercules, Achilles, Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker); hero's departure: harvey dent is kicking ass and putting all the organized criminals in jail

Retrograde amnesia

inability to retrieve memories from the past

Anterograde amnesia

inability to store new info

Cluster B

includes people who often appear dramatic, emotional or erratic (antisocial, borderline, narcissistic, histrionic)

Cluster A

includes people who often appear odd or eccentric (paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal)

Cluster C

includes people who often feel anxious or fearful (avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive)

schizotypical pd

suspiciousness and paranoia; inappropriate emotional expression; limited number of friends and relatives; odd, eccentric or peculiar behavior; ideas of reference and abnormal beliefs; unusual perceptual experiences and odd thinking/speech;

histrionic PD

using physical appearance as means of getting attention; perceiving relationships as more intimate than they are in reality; inappropriate irritability and speaking in an impressionistic manner; being uncomfortable when not the center of attention; displaying superficial expression of emotions; showing inappropriate sexually seductive and extreme emotionality;

The Mentor

(Old Man, Wise Old Man or woman); represented as a kind and wise, older father type figure who uses personal knowledge of people and the world to help tell stories and offer guidance ; may occasionally appear as an absent minded professor, losing track of his surroundings because of his thoughts; wise old man is often seen to be in some way "foreign" ,that is, from a diff culture, nation, or occasionally even a different time, than those he advises (zeus, odin, hera, yoda, obi-wan, dumbledore, mr. miyagi)

Central executive

(visual-spatial working memory):short term memory as an active workspace where info is accessible for current use. (central executive, auditory working memory, visual spatial working memory); material can enter conscious workspace from senses or from long term memory

factors influencing eyewitness testimony

1. cross race identification, 2. question wording, 3. misleading info)

In "The Dark Knight" Batman was the shadow of Bruce Wayne, however Batman became a more integrated part of his ego because:

Batman is the self that has overcome the trials and tribulations of self discovery and does not comprise only the unconscious, instinctual side of Bruce Wayne

Classical conditioning (US, CS, UR, CS)

Before Conditioning: unconditioned stimulus (meat powder) ——-> unconditioned response (salivation) neutral stimulus (bell)————> no unconditioned response (no salivation) During conditioning: Neutral stimulus (bell) + unconditioned stimulus (meat powder) ———> unconditioned response(salivation) After conditioning: Conditioned stimulus (bell)———> conditioned response (salivation)

(extraversion/introversion

Extraversion: people, activity, talking (external world) readily takes initiative, "act first think later", enjoys wide variety and change in people and relationships, very approachable, develops ideas through discussion Introversion:thoughts, feeling, writing (internal world) think then act, needs private time to reflect, one on one relationship or conversations, great listeners, enjoys focusing on a project

Differences in self-esteem between girls, boys, bullies, bully/victims (Pollastri paper)

In childhood and adolescence, girls typically begin to experience a decrease in self esteem whereas the self esteem of boys typically increases or stays the same In this study, although girls in the noninvolved group reported a reduction in self esteem consistent with this literature, girls who bully reported an increase in self esteem the social advantage for girls of bullying appear to be related to an increase in these girls' sense of global self worth Bully/victims exhibit more disturbed psychosocial functioning as compared to pure victims, pure bullies, and uninvolved children First, the self esteem scores of bully/victims were significantly lower than those of pure bullies And second, the girls in the pure bully group reported a significantly greater increase in self-esteem over time than the girls in the bully/victim group

Anima

In the unconscious of the male, the archetype anima finds expression as a feminine inner personality whereas the animus is expressed as the masculine inner personality in the females unconscious; utmost important factor in the psychology of a man in terms of emotions and affects;

judging/perceiving

Judging: planned, orderly, reach closure quickly, get things done, punctual, likes to make a list, structure and order, Perceiving: flexible, spontaneous, stays open, lives for the moment, works well under pressure and deadlines, creative, multitasks, avoids commitments, it interferes w flexibility

Relational aggression in the media (Cecil paper)

Mix of popularity and aggressive behavior "...girls are socially competitive creatures and that, in their efforts to be popular and powerful, they inflict lifelong damages on their victims" the media is a powerful tool in people's construction of reality While films typically portray aggression by teenage males as a serious moral issue, the mean girl is typically depicted in a comedic fashion

In "Gone Girl", Amy is captivated by Nick's interview and wants to return to him. Which personality disorder is this characteristic of?

Narcissistic

Operant conditioning (positive/negative reinforcement, positive/negative punishment)

Positive reinforcement: Present stimulus, increases behavior (give money) Negative Reinforcement: Remove stimulus, increases behavior (take away chores) Positive Punishment: Present stimulus, decreases behavior (give chores) Negative Punishment: Remove stimulus, decreases behavior (take away money)

____________ personality disorder involves a pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of emotional expression in interpersonal settings.

Schizoid

sensing/intuition

Sensing:facts, real, tangible-now, carefully thought out conclusions, lives in the present, "do something" rather than "think about it", fantasy is a dirty word, common sense solutions Intuitive: possibilties, inspiration-future use personal feelings to make decisions, comfortable with fuzzy data, inventing new possibilities is automatic, sometimes considered absent minded

Why are girls more likely to engage in relational aggression?

Society frowns upon open conflict in women which socializes them to use hidden aggression.

Vicarious reinforcement/punishment

The substitution of others experience for one's own

thinking/feeling

Thinking: decision thru logic and truth, more important to be right than liked, viewed as unemotional, focus on tasks, provides objective and critical analysis Feeling: decision thru emotion, follow hunch to make quick conclusions, sensitive to feelings of others, toxic reaction to disharmony, prefer to accommodate, takes things too personally

In "Gone Girl", Amy gets pregnant through in vitro fertilization. What was her motivation in manipulating Nick to stay with her?

To try to find a stable identity through her pretense with Nick

When the likelihood of carrying out a behavior is increased by simply watching the behavior and its consequences being reinforced by someone else, this is known as:

Vicarious reinforcement

narcissistic PD

a belief that one is special or unique; need for excessive admiration, sense of entitlement; exploitation of others for personal ends, lack of empathy; envy of others or the belief that others are envious of oneself; arrogant, haughty, behaviors or attitudes; a grandiose sense of self importance, preoccupation with success

borderline PD

a pattern of strained interpersonal relationships; significant, consistent, unstable self perception; inappropriate irritability or expression of anger; recurrent suicidal behaviors, gestures, or threats; impulsivity in at least 2 destructive areas; chronic feelings of emptiness and emotional instability

Operant conditioning emphasizes ________ whereas classical conditioning emphasizes ________.

active learning; passive learning

antisocial personality disorder

age at least 18 with evidence of conduct disorder before 15; regular irresponsibility; impulsivity or lack of planning skills, irritability; failure to conform to social norms with repeat to the law

If you memorize a list of words, you are most likely to remember the words

at both the beginning and end of the list.

Automatic attitude activation

attitudes are activated automatically on encounter with attitude-objects

avoidant PD

avoidance of interactions of others unless sure of being liked; avoidance of intimacy in close relationships for fear of rejection; preoccupation with fears of being negatively evaluated; discomfort and reluctance in new social interactions due to fear of criticism; feelings of social inferiority and social inadequacy; avoidance of occupational activities because of fear of rejection

The Five factors comprise a person's

basic tendencies.

The central idea behind the concept of operant conditioning is that

behavior is changed by manipulating its consequences.

schizoid pd

being neutral regarding praise or criticism; lack of enjoyment in activities; general lack of emotionality; preference for isolation; lack of desire for relationships; few friends

In "Gone Girl", Amy went to great lengths to avoid abandonment by Nick. Which personality disorder is characterized by fear of abandonment?

borderline

Which disorder is characterized by impulsiveness, inappropriate anger, drastic mood shifts, chronic feelings of boredom, and attempts at self-mutilation or suicide?

borderline

Francisco cannot hold a job and has experienced a long series of intense, but unstable relationships. He is impulsive, has an unstable self-image and seems to have a difficult time controlling his temper. What personality disorder does Francisco likely have?

borderline personality disorder

Conscientiousness

competent, dutiful, achievement striving, self disciplines

Agreeableness

conformity, friendly, compliance, like ability, warmth, cooperative, rate others more positively, smoke less, women tend to be higher than men; involved in religious activities, psychologically well adjusted, healthy heart, recover quickly from accidents or illness

Confabulation

confusion of an event that happened to someone else with one that happened to you; a belief that you remember something when it never actually happened (most likely occurs when 1. you have thought or heard about the events many times, 2. the image of the event contains many details, 3. the event is easy to imagine)

ego

conscious part of personality, embodies the sense of self, similar to frauds concept of ego

The Trickster

embodies the energy of mischief and desire for change; cut big egos down to size, and most importantly, provide comic relief that eases tension and brings the Hero (and audience) down to earth, also work to make fun of/highlight hypocrisy; still the tricksters motives and loyalty can be in doubt. Ally or independent agent working some hidden agenda?; character is so dedicated to laughing at the "status quo" and mocking everything around him that his true motives can remain in doubt (Loki, Hermes, Raven, Anansi, Coyote)

Neuroticism

emotional instability, negative emotionally; Hostile, selfconscious, impulsive, Ineffective problem solving; strong negative reactions to stress; sensitive to social threats; negatively correlated with happiness, physical well being and health

psychopathy checklist

emotional/interpesonal traits; social deviance associated with an unstable or antisocial lifestyle

obsessive compulsive PD

extreme devotion to productivity to exclusion of leisure activities; rigidity, stubbornness, and extreme strictness about morality; inability to discard old, useless objects even when they lack sentimental value; reluctance to delegate tasks or to work with others unless in strict control; miserliness with money strictly saved for future catastrophes; preoccupied with rules, orderliness, structure, etc.; often perfectionist

In terms of personality, Bruce Wayne would score high on this factor, but Batman would score low on this factor in "The Dark Knight".

extroversion

A(n) __________ will use more energy when attending primarily to outside events

extrovert

What are the defining characteristics of antisocial personality disorder?

failure to respect the law and impulsivity

paranoid pd

fears info will be used against him/her; questions loyalty and trustworthiness; suspects infidelity in a sexual or romantic partner; reads negative meaning into benign comments; is quick to rebut in an angry manner; believes others tend to harm or deceive

In "Memento", Leonard's heartbreak over his wife does not seem to lessen because:

he always wakes up expecting her to be there

main characteristic of psychopath

he is able to outwardly mimic a normally function person with precision, masking or disguising his impaired internal personality structure to achieve his self centered goals in a repeated and purposeful way that is often destructive to himself and others

Narcissism

high explicit self esteem is combined with low implicit self esteem

Serial position curve

indicates the tendency to recall more items from the beginning and end of a list than from the middle. Both groups of subjects showed primacy effects. Only the no delay group showed recency effects.

Results of Implicit Association Test (IAT) studies indicate that our attitudes and feelings ________.

influence our behavior without us knowing why

animus

influences womens interactions with men and her attitudes towards them;

collective unconscious

inherited images common to all humans

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test is based upon four pairs of preferences. One of the following pairs is especially useful for gathering facts of a situation

intuition/sensing

The wise old man archetype represents

meaning and wisdom.

Classification task

measures strength of automatic associations between target and attribute categories

Constructive memory:

memory influences in various ways what is recalled; false memories may occur

Openness to Experience

most controversial trait; viewed by others as creative, imaginitve, open minded, clever, artistic; politically liberal; ways to view this trait: approach to intellectual matters or basic intelligence; value of cultural matters, creativity and perceptiveness; less replicable across samples and cultures. Life outcomes: drug use, artistic interests

dependent PD

needs others to be responsible for most aspects of his/her life; difficulty communicating disagreement for fear of rejection; difficulty initiating self directed activity due to lack of self confidence; going to extremes to garner caring and approval from others, feelings of discomfort when alone; need to seek out new relationships when one ends and preoccupation with fears of being independent; indecisiveness and need for excessive reassurance

Semantic memory

nonpersonal knowledge; facts

Five-Factor Personality

openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism

The Shadow

our unconscious selves, our unknown dark side; part of ourselves we deny or ignore; Batman appeals to our own need to face and manage our Shadow selves

One problem psychologists have with personality types is they

oversimplify personality.

personal unconscious

part of the unconscious mind containing an individuals thoughts and feelings

HM

patient HM got surgery to remove parts of the medial temporal lobes that were causing seizures and lost two thirds of hippocampus in the process which are critical ofr the formation of new memories. Procedural memory still in tact

Sensory memory

records info from the senses for up to 3 seconds

One significant problem with eyewitness testimony is that

people's memory sometimes fills in information that has been suggested to them, even though it did not happen.

Cady started acting like a Plastic in "Mean Girls" due to which type of operant conditioning?

positive reinforcement

Nondeclarative memory (implciit)

procedural memory; non conscious recollection

chunking

process of grouping distinct bits of info into larger wholes to increase short term memory capacity

What is actually measured by the Implicit Association Test?

reaction time

Long-term memory

relatively permanent, can hold vast amounts of info

Research on implanted (false) memories suggest that

repeatedly suggesting that something "might have" occurred may implant or distort a memory.

A female patient is exhibiting strange patterns of behavior, particularly in her perceptions. She is not delusional, but has several bizarre fantasies. She also expresses language in an odd way. What personality disorder is this patient likely exhibiting?

schizotypal personality disorder

The Mother

seen as both nurturing and caring, as well as volatile and temperamental; celebration of the uniquely female act of creation, and is one of the oldest celebrated symbols in human existence; associated with solicitude, wisdom, sympathy, helpful instincts; growth and fertility; negative side of mother is associated with secrets, darkness, the world of the dead, seduction and poison) (Hera, Isis, Galadriel from Lord of the Rings)

According to research, our short term memory store can hold about

seven items.

Someone asks you what time it is. You check your watch and answer. A few seconds later, after you have been distracted, someone asks what time you said it was. You have forgotten. According to the traditional information-processing view, what type of memory was this?

short-term

Declarative memory (explicit)

stored long term knowledge of facts about ourselves and the world (both semantic and episodic memories); elicited thru the conscious retrieval of recollections in response to direct questions

Procedural

stored long term knowledge of learned habits and skills (how to driv, ride a bike, tie shoes etc) (in movie: Sammy Jenkins knowing how to give his wife insulin shots)

According to Jung, a mental storehouse for unconscious ideas and images shared by all humans is

the collective unconscious.

Extraversion

warm, gregarious, assertive, active, excitement seeking, optimistic, ambitious React less to sensory stimuli Advantages: higher status, rated more as popular and physically attractive, more positive emotions Disadvantages: argumentative, need to be in control, poor time management Sensitive to rewards and positive emotions

Observational learning

we learn many behaviors before we attempt them for the first time Especially in humans, learning results from observing the behaviors of others and imagining the consequences without carrying it out 2 chief components are modeling and imitation