PsycCRITIQUES Blog

When Does Science Go Too Far?

Project Nim is a documentary film depicting the life of the now-famous chimpanzee Nim Chimpsky who was raised by humans and taught to read sign language. In gathering research data on their subject over several years, scientists put Nim through a variety of hardships such as various transfers, poor living conditions at times, and forcing him into a variety of situations he was unprepared for.

The project revealed a number of insights about human–animal communication and the science of animal learning. At the same time, there is controversy as to whether the experiment should have even been started, in addition to whether the research study went on for too long. In her review of the film, Judith Stillion observes that this is an example where psychology lost its way and learned from it. Stillion goes on to say,

The film tries to show that there were no real villains in Nim's case, just human beings who did not have the vision to understand the consequences of their actions. With the benefit of hindsight, all of the principals in the project who were interviewed in the film were unanimous that this study was a mistake.

In considering the risks and benefits of these kinds of projects (also recall the Zimbardo Prison Experiment and the Milgram studies), to what extent do you believe scientific pursuit should compromise the well-being of other beings? How might a researcher best balance consideration of harm and the promise of scientific findings? To what extent do your views change when the subjects are humans, dogs, primates, or rats?

Read the Review

Psychology: Losing Its Way and Learning From It
By Judith Stillion
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2012 Vol 57(15)

Romance Gone Bad...But Why?

The popular film Blue Valentine is an engaging and interesting drama that explores the vicissitudes of a romantic relationship, times when it is going well and vibrating with excitement, periods when it is languishing into a downward spiral, and those mundane experiences somewhere in between. In her review of the film, Karen Conner notes that there is a paucity of research that explores the origins of those emotional dynamics that lead to early divorce (e.g., stonewalling, defensiveness, cynicism). In this vein, she poses some interesting questions for viewers/readers to consider, including the following: What happens to a relationship when one partner is in romantic love and the other is not? Under what circumstances does such a relationship survive and thrive, or devolve into one of wounding accusations and bitter disappointment?

Read the Review

The Love That Wasn't
By Karen Conner
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2012 Vol 57(4)

Amazing Potential Meets Hidden Dangers

The film Limitless, about a protagonist who must deal with newfound supermental powers, raises some interesting themes of interest to psychologists and the general public. Mary Spiers, in her review of the film, reflects on the film's core theme by discussing the current trends and research in neuroenhancement, in which drugs are used or studied as methods for improving cognitive performance. Addiction and physical and psychological side effects loom large with these drugs, yet uncharted self-improvement and societal change hold an irresistible allure for many.

What would you suggest are the ethical parameters for the use of such medications? Should a line be drawn with such medications? What are the hidden, potential dangers of pursuing neuroenhancement? In your future practice, a client will likely be speaking to you about similar medications; how might you provide a balanced point of view to help him or her arrive at a useful decision?

Read the Review

Neuroenhancement: Do “Smart Pills” Have Limits?
By Mary V. Spiers
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2011 Vol 56(31)

Law and Psychology at the Movies

In his review of the film The Lincoln Lawyer (2011), Jason A. Cantone notes the importance of diversifying psycholegal research, arguing that:

Much psycholegal research presents police officers as the bad guys, with experiments examining forced confessions and biased line-ups. The Lincoln Lawyer bucks this trend, presenting the police and prosecutors as people trying to do the right thing, while [the protagonist's] legal representation poses the larger ethical quandaries. This is not to say that research should stop investigating the negative impact of false confessions, biased line-ups, and the pitfalls of eyewitness and earwitness testimony. For example, Kassin et al. (2010) should be commended for their excellent article on police-induced confessions, which concluded with a recommendation to mandate the recording of all interrogations. Instead, it is a comment on the relative dearth of psycholegal research on attorney misconduct.

As psychologists and legal theorists seek to bridge the gap between research in psychology and law, what research should be done to better understand the role attorney misconduct plays in the judicial process? How can psychology examine the legal and ethical quandaries faced by attorneys? How can psychology be utilized to encourage adequate representation of counsel for all clients?

Read the Review

Unequal Justice
By Jason A. Cantone
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2011 Vol 56(30)

Mental Illness, Beauty, and Character Strength

In the poetic, experimental film Crooked Beauty: Navigating the Space Between Brilliance and Madness, director Ken Paul Rosenthal weaves photographic images and film of the mercurial weather patterns of the San Francisco Bay area with voice-over storytelling and artwork by activist/artist Jacks Ashley McNamara, a woman who suffers from a severe mental illness. This short film is stunning as a positive psychology film, one that depicts psychological struggle and turmoil, while simultaneously depicting the resilience, creativity, humanity, and ultimately triumph therein. The film elicits important questions for psychologists in the domain of mental illness and its treatment as well as the domain of positive psychological functioning. Here are some themes that offer reflection.

(1) In their PsycCRITIQUES review of Crooked Beauty, Larry Leitner and Hideaki Imai cite studies that have found people with schizophrenia can achieve better outcomes in particular treatment programs without medication. The pervasiveness of psychiatry and the medical model can often lead to the alternative: "The net result is that the client can be condemned to a lifetime of medication, and many of them will shorten the client’s life span by as much as 20 years." What do you believe are the limitations of psychiatric treatment? Should people with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, be encouraged to employ treatments without medication, or should treatments only be selected in conjunction with medication?

(2) Many psychologists, such as Dean Simonton, have done studies on the interrelationship of creativity and mental illness. In the film, Jacks discusses this connection as it relates to her life. What about other character strengths in addition to creativity? Which character strengths are most important for people suffering from a mental illness to employ? What will help them become more resilient and triumph over their suffering? Is it the character strengths of hope, wisdom, spirituality, perseverance, zest, kindness, humor, or self-regulation that make the critical difference, or is it some intricate combination of these strengths?

Read the Review

Many People Labeled Mentally Ill Have Broken Hearts
By Larry M. Leitner and Hideaki Imai
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2011 Vol 56(10)

What Film Would Win If Psychologists Gave Out Academy Awards?

The decision to add selected psychologically relevant films to PsycCRITIQUES (a practice introduced by E. G. Boring, the first editor of Contemporary Psychology) has been widely applauded, and many readers report they read the film reviews before turning to the more pedestrian reviews of books.

Some of the films that have been (or will be) reviewed in PsycCRITIQUES include The Secret in Their Eyes, Solitary Man, Black Swan, Peacock, Inception, The Social Network, Life During Wartime, Temple Grandin, Skin, and The Kids Are All Right.

If you were organizing awards for psychologically relevant films, which movies would you nominate?

Read the Reviews

No Man Is an Island, or Is He?
By Meera Rastogi
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2011 Vol 56(8)

• A review of the film Solitary Man

Of Two Minds
By Etzel Cardeña and Sophie Reijman
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2010 Vol 55(51)

• A review of the film Peacock

The Tenacity of an Idea
By Keith Oatley
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2010 Vol 55(50)

• A review of the film Inception

A Life With Autism
By Donald Oswald
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2010 Vol 55(44)

• A review of the film Temple Grandin

A Roller-Coaster of Intelligences
By Jeremy Clyman
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2010 Vol 55(49)

• A review of the film The Social Network

Muddling Through
By Steven N. Gold
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2010 Vol 55(39)

• A review of the film The Kids Are All Right

When She Was White: The Value of White Skin During Apartheid
      By Kellina M. Craig-Henderson
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2010 Vol 55(43)

• A review of the film Skin

Unforgiveable
By Keith Oatley
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2010 Vol 55(48)

• A review of the film Life During Wartime

Autism and Alternative Treatments

Dr. Donald Oswald, a renowned scholar in autism spectrum disorders, reviewed The Horse Boy, a film about a family who takes extensive measures to identify an alternative treatment for their son's autism. Oswald reviews the literature on complementary/alternative treatments for autism, including the use of animals in treatment (e.g., horses, dolphins, dogs), and he explores the issues parents confront as they search for miracles: "Faced with parents' desperate inclination to try any new intervention that is promulgated on TV or the Internet, clinicians are frequently called upon to take some stance."

As a clinician, have you had to take a stand in favor of or against a controversial treatment suggested by one of your clients? How did you approach the situation with your client?

Autism in particular has received significant media attention over the last decade. One of the issues raised and recently debunked has been the idea that vaccinations cause autism. How much of an impact do the media have on important decisions parents will make for their children? How might parents best balance contradictions from what they hear in the media and what health professionals say? What role do you, as a psychologist, have to play in this?

Read the Review

Horses and Autism
By Donald Oswald
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2011 Vol 56(6)

Revenge and Retribution

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a poignant and gripping story, based on a widely popular novel from Swedish author Stieg Larsson. There are a number of relevant psychological themes in the film—revenge, trauma, aggression, and trait anger—each discussed by Lauren Seifert in her review of the film. After one protagonist, Lisbeth, is abused and raped, she seeks revenge in a similar manner—surprising, aggressive, and brutal. Seifert cites research in her review that "one of the most important aspects of revenge is the avenger's expectation that the message of retribution will be understood by the other party." Do you agree? In your experience, is this the key psychosocial aspect of revenge? If you viewed this film, is there a parallel process akin to satisfaction that occurs for you as the viewer witnessing Lisbeth get her revenge? What is the meaning behind such occurrences?

Read the Review

Absorbing Loathing
By Lauren S. Seifert
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2010 Vol 55(37)

A Horrific Dilemma

In so many films these days, the use of violence is gratuitous—there to shock viewers and to sell tickets. The acclaimed French film A Prophet appears to be a notable exception. PsycCRITIQUES film reviewers Gabriel Rupp and James Atkison describe one particularly violent scene this way: "This scene, like so many in the movie, is neither a Tarantino-esque cartoon of violence nor a slick, film noir realism, but rather something hurtful, disturbing, and inevitable." What do you believe is the purpose and meaning of the violence in this film?

Rupp and Atkison explain,

[T]he film is what we call a successful failure in that it presents all too accurately the human condition in a world of uncertainty, violence, and suffocating social roles. The success is in the director's masterful choice of very human actors living out prescribed roles. The failure, we believe, is in current society itself, where underneath the surface of civilization lurks the bestial, the violent.

Part of this poignant description emerges from a major plot device in the film in which the protagonist, Malik, finds himself in a situation where he must murder a fellow prisoner in order to save his own life. How is the director commenting on today's society by presenting this dilemma? Do you believe Malik had exhausted his options? What psychological mechanisms must be employed to commit such an act? How might you have handled the situation?

Read the Review

A Prophet: A Study in the Dialogics of the Social and the Psychological
By Gabriel V. Rupp [and] James Atkison
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2010 Vol 55(33)

Coping Mechanisms as Depicted on the Screen

In a review of the psychological drama/thriller The Lovely Bones, Ngoc Bui discusses several themes in the film, including bereavement and loss. Bui cites research describing two types of bereavement stressors that are readily apparent in the film: "Loss-oriented stressors involve the primary stressors in losing a loved one…the restoration-oriented stressors include denial and avoidance of the grief and dealing with the psychosocial changes or transitions in regard to identity or roles that accompany the loss."

Are these the main types of stress the family experiences in the loss of the young girl? What are the healthy and the unhealthy coping mechanisms they display? How does the serial killer cope with the loss?

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Letting Go and Moving on
By Ngoc H. Bui
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2010 Vol 55(17)

Why Do We Laugh?

In his review of the quirky French comedy Welcome to the Sticks (2008), Keith Oatley notes this film is "not of the kind in which one might laugh at someone slipping on a banana skin. Instead the director and actors have contrived a joining-in-together laughter, in which they take part." He goes on to comment on the film in the context of an early 20th century philosopher's take on why people laugh—that laughter is completely human, that we do not laugh unless we are a bit detached, and that laughter is social so we only laugh when we are in touch with others. How well do you believe these ideas hold true? How might you expand or edit these points? What other key principles would you add based on the latest science?

Read the Review

Just for a Laugh
By Keith Oatley
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2009 Vol 54(45)

Self-Regulation on the Silver Screen

In our review of the widely popular film Twilight, Jeremy Clyman and I take a closer look at the character strength of self-regulation, one of the least endorsed strengths across the world and one of the least portrayed in film. One of the film's protagonists, Edward Cullen, is a paragon for self-regulation in the way in which he maintains exquisite, healthy control of his emotions, impulses, and instincts. We note:

Edward tries hard to display self-control as he faces a crescendo of challenges in which he must continue to develop his "muscle" of self-control. Numerous scenes show him resisting. Although he struggles honestly, exclaiming, "I still don't know if I can control myself," he is successful in his efforts.

Is self-control a strength that can easily be built up? What are the best ways for a therapist to help a client enhance their self-control/self-regulation?

What makes this such a popular film?

The second film in this series, New Moon, just arrived in various cities around the world. Does Edward's character strength of self-regulation/self-control continue as strongly through this film as well? What evidence do you see to support your view?

Read the Review

Temperance: The Quiet Virtue Finds a Home
By Ryan M. Niemiec [and] Jeremy Clyman
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2009 Vol 54(46)

Is Genius Mad?

One of the long-standing debates in discussions relating to psychopathology, clinical psychology, developmental psychology, and creativity surrounds the relationship between mental illness and creativity. Indeed, there is some connection but to what extent are they related? Is there a typical psychological makeup or certain diagnoses to which this link is most prominent? Which comes first: madness or genius? Does one cause the other? One individual that has forged ahead in examining these issues over the decades is creativity researcher and luminary Dean Keith Simonton. In his review of two documentary films that offer some insight on these issues, Between Madness and Art: The Prinzhorn Collection and Hidden Gifts: The Mystery of Angus MacPhee, Simonton begins the exploration with some questions of his own: "First, is genius born or made? Second, does a high IQ a genius make? And third, is genius mad?"

How would you respond to these questions? What research supports your perspective? Do you have any clinical case examples that support your views?

Read the Review

How Thin Is the Partition? Where Does It Reside?
By Dean Keith Simonton
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2009 Vol 54(26)

Slumdog Millionaire is a Winner

David Wall and Jacqueline Remondet Wall enthusiastically endorse Slumdog Millionaire as a film that psychologists should see. They note,

the strong emotional tie-in that [Director Danny] Boyle hits in almost every scene is the underdog status of the three protagonists. It is almost as if he were specifically referencing the underdog psychology research. Did we feel emotionally manipulated by Boyle's effort? Perhaps we did. Did we feel good and happy when we left the theater? Definitely we did. Do we recommend the film? By all means. It is definitely our pick for the Best Underdog Film for 2008 and maybe for all time.

Can psychological science help us understand the widespread international popularity of this film?

Read the Review

Nominations for the Best Underdog Picture Are…and the Winner is…
By David G. Wall [and] Jacqueline Remondet Wall
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2009 Vol 54(8)

Using Films to Develop Moral Reasoning

In two retrospective reviews of acclaimed director Krzysztof Kieslowski's film series The Decalogue, Keith Oatley emphasizes the storytelling power of these ten 1-hour films. He remarks that each film is a vignette raising provocative moral questions about the effects of good and bad actions on others. Specifically, he notes:

Vignettes have become useful in psychology, as they tap moral intuitions such as the one discovered by Waldemann & Dieterich (2007), that most people think it is right to affect the path of an inanimate agent such as the trolley so that it kills one rather than five people, but wrong to act on people themselves, for instance by pushing them under the trolley or in some way that directly condemns them to death.

Can films really teach us about moral reasoning and moral development? If so, what is the most effective teaching method for integrating such films in the classroom? Can a person of poor moral character be positively impacted by a portrayal of a character of high moral integrity?

Read the Reviews

What Should We Do? and Rules We Live By
By Keith Oatley
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2009 Vol 54(1)

When Is Sex Gratuitous?

Dean Keith Simonton, reviewing Ang Lee's film Lust, Caution, notes that "Although the story Lust, Caution (2007) centers on a heterosexual love affair, Lee pushes the limit in a different direction: Where Brokeback [Mountain] stayed within the bounds of an R-rated film, Lee thrusts Lust, Caution quite emphatically into NC-17 territory. The sex is not only explicit but brutal." Simonton later notes "explicit sex becomes far more artistically critical to the very extent that it departs dramatically from what we would usually expect on the silver screen."

When is sex in films essential, and when is it simply gratuitous?

Read the Review

Practicing Essential Cinematic Sex
By Dean Keith Simonton
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2008 Vol 53(50)

The Psychological Relevancy of the Love Story Genre

In her review of Feast of Love, Linda Young contends, "Viewers are given only superficial glimpses of the characters' histories … [and] … not given any indicators of how the characters work through the impasses and conflicts that are usually necessary to achieve relational growth. Growth and healing seem to happen spontaneously and magically."

Given that there are countless films that deal with love, but few that teach us about love itself, what are your criteria for a love film that is both psychologically relevant and educational? Does Feast of Love educate the viewer about important dynamics about love, or does it simply use love as an empty plot device?

Read the Review

Fast-Food Love Feast
By Linda R. Young
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2008 Vol 53(43)

Are Children Almost Always Better Off with Their Biological Parents?

In her review of Gone Baby Gone, Kim Kirkland argues that even desperately poor children belong with their biological parents, and she cites the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights to support her position.

Does psychological science have anything to contribute to this debate? How do you feel about this?

Read the Review

Parental Rights Are Human Rights
By Kimberly Kirkland
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2008 Vol 53(25)

Is Clint Eastwood Prejudiced?

In Kris Hagglund's review of Million Dollar Baby, he writes, "The disability community, by and large, has been incensed by this movie. It perpetuates the stereotype that people who experience a spinal cord injury, especially one that results in tetraplegia, would rather be dead—that life isn't worth living any longer. Maggie says "I can't be like this, not after what I done. People chanted my name. I want to die before I can't hear the voices." Maggie's plea is devastatingly romantic, reminiscent of other tragedies (e.g., Romeo and Juliet). However, the simple truth of the matter is that individuals who sustain traumatic, body-altering injuries do not want to die. Filmmakers and other artists have historically and irresponsibly perpetuated this myth."

How do you feel about Maggie's decision to die rather than to continue to cope with the limitations associated with her spinal cord injury?

Read the Review

Million Dollar Baby: An Oscar's Worth of Grit
By Kristofer J. Hagglund
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2005 Vol 50(36)

Do Diagnoses Really Matter in Films?

In his review of Lars and the Real Girl, Larry Leitner notes, “Lars, a tender and decent man [would] probably earn a DSM diagnosis of schizoid, avoidant, or perhaps even schizotypal personality disorder.”

What diagnosis would you give Lars?

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Healing Through Relationship
By L. M. Leitner
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2008 Vol 53(35)