Sociology 1
Castelli
Due Tuesday, Feb. 9
Overview
In addition to entertaining us, movies offer detailed portrayals of human social behavior. Your task in this assignment is to analyze -from a social-psychological perspective -- the behaviors and events depicted in one of the films listed below. You are not being asked to
critique the film in terms of its value as a work of art or as entertainment. Rather, you should think carefully about the human actions
and events portrayed in the film.
Assignment
Choose one of the films listed below. Most should be available at any video rental store. View the film you choose at least once. (Two
viewings may offer an advantage). Then, after reviewing your notes and readings, identify 2 different social-psychological principles that
appear to be operating in the events or individuals depicted in the film . For each principle that you identify:
(a) Provide a clip to show in class. You may assume that we will have internet access, or you can bring in a DVD (or even a VHS tape),
or you may create the entire presentation on DVD to show in class.
(b) describe in detail the social-psychological principle you believe is relevant. Your job here is to demonstrate that you understand the
principle or theory, and that you can describe it in your own words. You don’t need to do library research for this – using your text or
your lecture notes as resources is fine. You need you to show us that you have a good understanding of the concept/principle. It’s best if
you are specific about the principles you discuss. For example, don’t just indicate that your scene illustrates helping, or conformity, or
persuasion, or aggression. Instead, indicate what specific theory, or principle or aspect of helping/conformity/persuasion/aggression, etc.
that your scene illustrates.
(c) Elaborate on how the selected scene illustrates the principle you have identified. It’s also ok to write about how a scene might fails to
follow predictions derived from the social-psychological principle or theory. It's very important that you do more than simply say
something like “this scene illustrates conformity." You must be specific on precisely how and in what form the scene illustrates conformity,
or how it fails to support what you learned about conformity in the class.
Remember, you must identify 2 DIFFERENT SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES that are relevant to your film. Your verbal
description should be given in your own words and, to the extent that you can, not read off a paper. You will also hand in a written
summary of your presentation for grading purposes. Here’s how I will assign points:
Has relevant video clips and we can successfully watch it on the due date--No technical glitches unless they are on the school’s end --(5 points) Principle 1:
Scene description (2 points), principle description (3 points), how scene maps onto principle (5 points); Principle 2: Scene description (2 points), principle
description (3 points), how scene maps onto principle (5 points);
Movies Illustrating Social Psychological Phenomenon:
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Issues dealing with prejudice, discrimination, attitudes, attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, helping
behavior, empirical methods, parenting styles commentary, competition
Lord of the Rings
Issues dealing with attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, obedience, person perception, self, altruism, interpersonal
attraction, personal relationships, helping behavior, aggression
Chocolat
Issues dealing with prejudice, discrimination, attitudes, compliance, conformity, obedience, attitude change, person
perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping behavior
One-hour Photo
Issues dealing with social construct theory, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, attitude change, person
perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, aggression
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, conformity, attitude change, person perception, self,
social influence, personal relationships, social facilitation
Footloose
Issues dealing with prejudice, discrimination, attitudes, obedience, attitude change, person perception, self, social
influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships
The Breakfast Club
Issues dealing with prejudice, discrimination, attitudes, violence, compliance, conformity, obedience, attitude change,
person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping behavior, social
facilitation
Titanic
Issues dealing with prejudice, discrimination, attitudes, compliance, conformity, obedience, attitude change, person
perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping behavior, competition
The Cell
Issues dealing with attitudes, violence, deception, person perception, self, social influence, personal relationships,
aggression
What about Bob
Issues dealing with prejudice, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience, attitude
change, person perception, self, social influence, personal relationships, helping behavior
Pulp Fiction
Issues dealing with attitudes, violence, obedience, person perception, self, aggression
Braveheart
Issues dealing with prejudice, discrimination, attitudes, violence, compliance, conformity, obedience, person perception,
self, personal relationships, helping behavior, aggression
Forrest Gump
Issues dealing with optimism, discrimination, attitudes, deception, compliance, obedience, attitude change, person
perception, self, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping behavior
Goodfellas
Issues dealing with prejudice, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience, attitude change, person
perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping behavior, aggression
Saving Private Ryan
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
Schindler’s List
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
Beauty and the Beast
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
The Shawshank Redemption
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
Fear
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
Clueless
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
Dumb and Dumber
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
Silence of the Lambs
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
The Fugitive
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
Toy Story
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
Monsters Inc.
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
Single White Female
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
The Temp
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
Matrix
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
The Unforgiven
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
Chicken Run
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
Wallace & Grommit: Close Shave
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
Shrek
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, violence, deception, compliance, conformity, obedience,
attitude change, person perception, self, social influence, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping
behavior, aggression
Being John Malkovich
Examines person perception, self, attitudes, attitude change, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, gender
Summer of Sam
Deals with person perception, prejudice, social influence, aggression
Boys Don’t Cry
Issues dealing with prejudice, gender, discrimination, attitudes, attitude change, person perception, self, social influence,
interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, helping behavior, aggression
Pretty Woman
Addresses person perception, attitude change, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships, gender, helping behavior,
aggression
American Beauty
Deals with social cognition, person perception, self, attitude change, interpersonal attraction, personal relationships,
aggression
Philadelphia
Examines social cognition, person perception, self, attitude change, prejudice, personal relationships, aggression
The Abyss
Deals with social cognition, self, attitudes, social influence, personal relationships, group behavior, helping behavior,
aggression
Fight Club
Addresses person perception, attitudes, social influence, group behavior, aggression
Shaft (old one)
Issues with person perception, attitudes, prejudice, aggression, helping behavior
Eat, Drink, Man, Woman
Examines social cognition, person perception, self, attitudes, personal relationships
Cast Away
Issues dealing with social cognition, self, attitudes and attitude change
Remember the Titans
Addresses social cognition, person perception, attitude change, prejudice, interpersonal attraction, group behavior
Quiz Show
Examines social cognition, person perception, attitudes and attitude change
Twelve Angry Men
Issues with social cognition, person perception, attitudes, prejudice, social influence, group behavior, aggression, helping
behavior
The Joy Luck Club
Addresses social cognition, person perception, self, attitudes, and personal relationships
The Boiler Room
Examines attitudes and attitude change, aggression, social influence, group behavior
Overboard
Genderstereotypes
Other possible movies:
Sweet Home Alabama
Knockaround Guys
To Kill a Mockingbird
Fried Green Tomatoes
Vanilla Sky
Training Day
Dead Poet’s Society
The Wedding Planner
Adaptation (2002)
Before Sunset (2004)
Casablanca (1942)
Closer (2004)
Do the Right Thing (1989)
ET (1982)
Finding Neverland (2004)
The Godfather (1972)
Heavenly Creatures (1994)
I ♥ Huckabees (2004)
The Incredibles (2004)
The Joy Luck Club (1993)
The Laramie Project (2002)
Lone Star (1996)
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Needful Things (1993)
Philadelphia (1993)
Ray (2004)
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Sideways (2004)
A Simple Plan (1998)
Something’s Gotta Give (2003)
Spellbound (Hitchcock, (1945)
Trading Places (1983)
Unforgiven (1992)
The United States of Leland (2003)
Vera Drake (2004)
A Very Long Engagement (2004)
Victor/Victoria (1982)
Working Girl (1988)
Donnie Brasco