PsycCRITIQUES Blog

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?

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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?

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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?

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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?

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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?

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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?

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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?

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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)