Psychological Analysis of Name Background Name: Fiction or Non-Fiction Birthday or Age depicted: Nationality: Occupation: Important Background information: Approach and Perspective Approach that you will take when investigating the subject: Provide background on the perspective and specific psychologists that you plan to use when you analyze the character. Or, if you decide to take an eclectic approach, describe the eclectic approach and why you chose this approach and briefly outline some of the psychologists and ideas you will use. *note your may want to do this slide last as it is sometimes easier to explain what you did and why you did as oppose to what you plan to do. Works cited slide Include at least five sources that in proper MLA format. Nature vs. Nurture Family history Parenting styles (Diana Baumrind) Attachment (Mary Ainsworth) Siblings (especially twin research) Family history of disorders Psychosocial Development Erik Erikson’s Stages in Development (consider key events in life that shaped his/her future) Did each crisis (stage) have a successful outcome in which a virtue obtained? If not, explain how this impacted the character moving forward. Is the subject in a current stage? Moral Development Lawrence Kohlberg- stages of moral development Consider decisions in the character’s past. Did he/she make decisions that demonstrated specific levels of moral development. Biological Bases of Behavior and/or Sensation and Perception Is there any evidence that suggest that you character has a biological abnormality or damage to specific areas of the brain? Was an autopsy conducted on your character after the died and if you what did they discover? Are there specific issues with the character’s nervous system or endocrine systems that may explain their behavior? States of Consciousness Discuss the impact of sleep on the subject. Discuss the impact of drugs and alcohol on the subject. Psychoanalytic/psychodynamic Freud- id/ego/superego Dream analysis Anna Freud- defense mechanisms Carl Jung- especially for fictional character – does your person represent a specific archetype or an aspect of our collective unconscious. Alfred Adler – does your person seem to have an inferiority complex? Personality Use the Myers-Briggs or O.C.E.A.N.S Big Five test to determine the personality type of the subject. This can be accomplished in two ways. 1. Research to see if legitimate research has already been conducted or 2. Use what you know and with evidence to take the test from their perspective (I would not recommend this method for a nonfiction character). Loci of Control Learning Are there instances where reinforcement and/or punishment of subject’s behavior impacted their future behavior? Consider examples of stimulus generalization, discrimination, and extinction. What aspects of the character’s behavior can be attributed to shaping? Does your person demonstrate and internal or external locus of control? Learned helplessness Cognition Does your person demonstrate divergent thinking and creativity or does your person suffer from functional fixedness? Does it appear that your subject uses algorithms and deductive thinking, or does he/she rely heavy on intuition, heuristics and bias? Testing, intelligence, and individual difference Has there been any research or documentation that would indict the subjects I.Q.? Who you the intelligence of your subject as fluid or crystallized? (Raymond Cattel) Does your person seem to demonstrate multiple intelligence? (Howard Gardner) Motivation What motivates your subject? Find evidence that supports anyone of the theories below. Drive-reduction theory? Optimal Arousal Maslow’s hierarchy of needs Incentive theory Emotions often generated and display rules Reaction to stress (GAS) Social Psychology How has society impacted your subject and/or how has your subject impacted society? Below are some concepts to consider. Stereotyping and attitudes Does the character demonstrate examples of the fundamental attribution error and/or self-serving bias? Self-fulfilling prophecy Cognitive dissonance In-group bias, stereotyping, and ethnocentrism Other social psychology concepts? Abnormal Psychology and Treatments History of abnormal psychology within subject or in subject’s family Diathesis-Stress Model Is there reason to suspect a psychological disorder? If so what disorder and what is your evidence (use criteria outline in DSM-V)? If you have concluded that the subject does have a psychological disorder what type of intervention (treatment/therapy) do you recommend and why do you feel it would work for this person.
