MOVIES, MIND, AND MAKING SENSE

Monica Baehr, PhD Psychology Department, Mount Royal University Calgary, Alberta, Canada [email protected]

Why Films? • How can movies be used to make sense in education and in life? • How can movies be linked with psychology? • How can movies be part of philosophy?

Why Use Films in Education? • Part of a larger tradition of storytelling that includes myths, poetry, and prose in oral, written, and dramatic forms • Offer a unique combination of visual, auditory, narrative, and symbolic content

Learning with Films: Research Project • Students’ responses to the use of films were used to determine the extent and value of films in teaching complex concepts • Study used multiple strategies to find out 1. Students’ perceptions of the nature and value of various media, including cinematic films, in learning about theories and concepts 2. Different aspects of learning from media

Research Project • Study used multiple strategies to determine 1. Students’ perceptions of the nature and value of various media, including cinematic films, in learning about theories and concepts, and 2. Different ways of learning from media

Research Project • Comparison was made of how students evaluated: – Instructional videos – Biographical text extracts, and – Feature Films (e.g., Ordinary People, 1980; The Secret Garden, 1993)

Research Project • Ultimately, 33 categories leading to 8 major themes were formulated to account for all relevant comments – (See back of handout)

Themes and Categories represented as “leaves” on a tree • Numerous categories were compiled into eight major themes of what students liked about using media • Most students showed a preference for film over video or text material

What The Students Said: Outcomes • Students clearly preferred using movies for assignments • Videos came second, and biographical text (reading) was far behind (!)

Outcomes • There were some differences in the how often certain themes came up among the three media

Outcomes • Based on the relative frequency of each theme, pedagogical qualities most emphasized by students were: 1. Opportunity to link theories to real-life examples, and 2. The challenge to engage in higher-level thinking and analysis

Outcomes • Students also expressed positive feelings about: – The opportunity to become engaged with characters and stories – The variety and novelty provided by films – The ease with which they can learn through films, and – The opportunity for active discussion through interaction with peers and instructor

Themes and Metathemes: Future considerations • Metathemes are another level of conceptualizing what students value most about using media in the classroom • Set the stage for further practical and theoretical exploration “Tree” diagram inspired by Wolcott (2001, p.90).

Challenge Engagement Attractiveness Stimulation

Fields of Application: Examples • Counselling and Psychotherapy • Teaching, e.g.,

– History

– Psychology, Psychiatry, Social Work

– Religion

– Education

– Medicine, Nursing

– Sociology, other Social Sciences

– Other Professions, such as Architecture and Urban Planning

– English

– Philosophy

Cognition and Learning • Different media stimulate different learning processes • Cognitive frameworks for films: Examples – Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences – Bandura’s Social Cognitive Approach – Constructivism (e.g., Vygotsky) – Bloom’s taxonomy of learning (revised)

Neurobiology • Principles of Neurosciences – Plasticity of “emotional” areas of brain and neurogenesis – Emotions & feelings in concert – No distinction: imagery & real perception – Unconscious processing of information

“Heart” Intelligence • Mirror Neurons – Hardwired for Empathy – Emotions on Film “move us” • (Pearsall’s Research)

Cognition, Emotion, and the Brain – Perception: moving image; illusion vs. reality – Information processing: memory models; associations; constructing meaning – Cognition and emotion  Relation to structure and function of different regions of the brain: activation; convergence of function (channels)

Application of Theories and Concepts

Example: Cognitive-Behaviorism B.F. Skinner; Albert Bandura

Person/Cognition

Environment

Behavior

Film Analysis and Psychological Theories • Feature films can be interpreted according to different theories • Conversely, theories can be understood through the analysis of characters, narratives, and cinematic techniques

Films for Analysis: Examples • Bridges of Madison County

• What Dreams May Come

• Shawshank Redemption • A History of Violence • Dances with Wolves • Billy Elliot • Once Were Warriors • The Lives of Others • The First Wives’ Club • Dragonfly • The Fisher King

• The Secret Garden • Ordinary People

Interpretive Frameworks • Freudian • Humanistic/Existential • Mythological – Joseph Campbell: Hero’s Journey – Bolen: Gods and Goddesses – Pearson: The Hero Within

• Jungian – Dream Analysis

Recurrent Themes in Film • Personal Challenges • Transitions • Conflicts – Intrapersonal – Interpersonal – Cultural; generational

• Controversies

Example: Psychoanalysis Freud and Post-Freudians

Movie Examples for Application of Psychodynamic Concepts • The Secret Garden (1993) portrays some of the struggles of childhood (albeit in fantasized form), including attachment issues and dealing with loss

From: The Secret Garden (1993) Application of Concepts

Movie Examples: Psychodynamic Concepts • A History of Violence (2005) more starkly portrays the struggles between primitive drives, reason, and morality • Both movies raise the question of how much, and in what way, circumstances influence personality and behaviour

Example: Jungian Themes • Individuation Process • Midlife Passage • The Monomyth • Archetypal Patterns • Symbols • Synchronicity

Movie Examples for Application of Humanistic Concepts – Ordinary People (1980) looks at personal growth through overcoming obstacles • Each character dealt with tragedy in very different ways

– Billy Elliot (2000) likewise portrays the struggle to overcome obstacles and follow one’s own values

Ordinary People (1980) The accidental death of the older son of an affluent family deeply strains the relationships among the bitter mother, the good-natured father, and the guilt-ridden younger son. Based upon the novel by Judith Guest.

Ordinary People is an intense examination of a family being torn apart by tension and tragedy. Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore star as the upper-middle-class couple whose "ordinary" existence is irrevocably shattered by the death of their oldest son in a boating accident. Timothy Hutton is the younger son, struggling against suicide and guilt left by the drowning. Judd Hirsch is the empathetic psychiatrist who provides his lifeline to survival. Mary Tyler Moore gives a riveting portrayal of the inexplicably aloof mother. Robert Redford’s achievement as director…..earned him an Oscar. (Timothy Hutton won best supporting actor award)

Existential Psychology: Rollo May (1909-1994)

Some Existential Issues Applied to Film • Pervasive powerlessness in response to: – enormous cultural, social, and economic problems, and – rapid technological change, threat of war, terrorism (more recently)

• Anxiety is caused by the threat to some value deemed necessary to human existence

• Powerlessness leads to anxiety and the loss of values • Possible outcome may be: – impotence and apathy, or – violence and further alienation

• In the face of obstacles and despair, the challenge is to move beyond • Consciousness, creativity and courage • Striving for significance and meaning in life • Examples in film?

Mother and Son

Breakdown and Breakthrough

It Doesn’t Work Any More

How Film and Philosophy Connect (IMHO) 1. Films are stories that explain and guide. 2. Films connect the abstract with the concrete. 3. Films help us formulate and seek answers to fundamental questions.

1. Films provide narrative. – Stories and myths help us explore the nature of the world, provide structure, and guide behaviour – They emerge and are transmitted in a sociocultural context, which shape as well as maintain our beliefs (cohesion)

2. Films connect the abstract with what is “real.” – Work in different “channels” at sensory, physiological, emotional, and cognitive levels – Help us understand events and dilemmas in ways that are engaged and more “real”  Make it possible to continue asking questions and seek answers

3. Films help us seek basic truths. • We try to understand the world in essential, universal ways by asking fundamental questions: – Who are we? Questions of identity – What causes our behaviour? Questions of determinism vs. free will

Search for truth (cont’d) – What is right and wrong? Questions of morality – What is reality? Questions of how we know (or not) – Why are we here? Questions of metaphysics and the meaning of life

Can watching movies really help? • We may never find definitive answers, but we seem to need to know nonetheless. • Movies can provide a platform for asking questions, presenting arguments and possibilities, and giving us an experiential way to explore.

Other Ideas from the Philosophers?

Selected Bibliography • Bluestone, C. (2000). Feature films as a teaching tool. College Teaching, 48 (4), 141-146. • Decker, K.S., & Eberl, J.T. (eds.) (2005). Star Wars and philosophy: More powerful than you can possibly imagine. Chicago: Open Court. • Gabbard, G.O. (Ed.) (2001). Psychoanalysis and film. London: Karnac. • Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century. New York: Basic Books. • Grau, C. (ed.) (2005). Philosophers explore The Matrix. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Bibliography (cont’d) • Hill, G. (1992). Illuminating shadows: The mythic power of films. Boston: Shambhala. • Indick, W. (2004). Psychology for screenwriters: Building conflict in your script. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese. • Indick, W. (2004). Movies and the mind: Theories of the great psychoanalysts applied to film. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. • Irwin, W. (ed.) (2002). The Matrix and philosophy: Welcome to the desert of the real. Chicago: Open Court. • McGinn, C. (2005). The power of movies: How screen and mind interact. New York: Pantheon.

Bibliography (cont’d) • Rothschild, B. (2004). Mirror mirror: Our brains are hardwired for empathy. Psychotherapy Networker, Sept.,Oct. Retrieved March 10, 2006, from http://home.webuniverse.net/babetter/mirror.htm • Simon, S. (2002). The force is with you: Mystical movie messages that inspire our lives. Charlottesville, VA: Hampton Roads. • Sprau, R., & Keig, L. (2001). I saw it in the movies: Suggestions for incorporating film and experiential learning in the college history survey course. College Student Journal, 35(1), 101-111. • Thompson, K.M. (2007). Apocalyptic dread: American film at the turn of the millennium. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Bibliography (cont’d) • Tudico, P. (2005). Movies and the Meaning of Life: Philosophers Take on Hollywood. Chicago: Open Court • Voytilla, S. (1999). Myth and the movies: Discovering the mythic structure of 50 unforgettable films. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese. • Wartenberg, T.E. (2007). Thinking on screen: Film as philosophy. London: Routledge. • Wedding, D., Boyd, M.A., & Niemiec, R.M. (2005). Movies and mental illness: Using films to understand psychopathology (2nd rev. & expand. ed.). Cambridge, MA: Hogrefe & Huber. • Wolz, B. (2005). E-motion picture magic: A movie lover’s guide to healing and transformation. Centennial, CO: Glenbridge.

Web Links There are a large number of sites These are just a few to explore: • http://home.epix.net/~tcannon1/psychmovies/home. html • http://wikigogy.org/Teaching_with_movies • http://www.teachwithmovies.org/index.html • http://www.imdb.com/

Q7b. Please add any comments you might have about the overall use of films.

Date

Response

16 Apr, 2005

I enjoy the films you use, although perhaps it would be better if you used more recent films. Otherwise, I like how we use what we have learned on the characters in the movie. It really puts many concepts in perspective in a more real situation than just studying in text.

13 Apr, 2005

I think the films are a nice break from lectures, especially for a night class. The discussion assignments about the movies also helped clarify concepts. This type of teaching provides more of a practical application useful in the real world rather than just memorizing concepts.

11 Apr, 2005

great way to help give examples of concepts. Shows how people act in everyday life rather than just in certain situations. worked great.

10 Apr, 2005

Yes the Secret Garden was a good movie, and very helpful in applying the theories to real life concepts, it felt like we overdid the Secret Garden. Maybe if we could have talked less about the Secret Garden and more about Ordinary People. It just felt like too much Secret Garden.

13 Apr, 2005

Ordinary People is a really interesting movie that captures the blatant honesty about how people can really be. I think it was a good portrayal of people and their relationships and provides insight into our own relationships that we don't always want to admit or address. The therapist character also probably helped reduce some stereotypes about "shrinks" and could make people more comfortable about seeking therapy.

Themes and Categories represented as “leaves” on a tree • Numerous categories were compiled into eight major themes of what students liked about using media • Most students showed a preference for film over video or text material

Broaden  perspectives

Encourage  critical and in‐ depth thinking

Link to concrete  examples Apply to real  situations

Help understand  theory Process through  sensory perception

Identify with  character

Help remember  concepts and  facts

Process through  imagery Relevant to  themes Clear in content and  presentation

Experience real‐life  resonance

Connect with  story

Evoke interest  and curiosity

Informative Make learning  enjoyable

Easy to  process

Complex Arouse through  action and senses

Familiar

Draw attention Allow control

Useful

Enjoy medium  in general Enjoy sharing

Convenient

Engage through novelty  and variety

Learn with  others Enjoy specific  medium

Provoke  emotional  response

Create meaning

Use creativity  Draw on  resources

Categories of Reasons for Working with Specific Media Categories Allow control Convenient Easy to process Familiar Useful Broaden perspectives Encourage critical and in-depth thinking Help remember concepts and facts Help understand theory Process through imagery Process through sensory perception Draw attention Engage through novelty and variety Evoke interest and curiosity Make learning enjoyable Arouse through action and senses Provoke emotional response

Apply to real situations Connect with story Experience real-life resonance Identify with character Link to concrete examples Enjoy medium in general Enjoy sharing Enjoy specific medium Clear in content and presentation Complex Informative Relevant to themes Create meaning Draw on resources Learn with others Use creativity

Categories of Reasons Grouped Within Themes Themes Basic appeal

Challenging the mind

Creating interest and motivation

Engaging emotions

Categories Allow control Convenient Easy to process Familiar Useful Broaden perspectives Encourage critical and in-depth thinking Help remember concepts and facts Help understand theory Process through imagery Process through sensory perception Draw attention Engage through novelty and variety Evoke interest and curiosity Make learning enjoyable Arouse through action and senses Provoke emotional response

Basic appeal: The medium addresses practical needs and provides a level of comfort. It is considered easy to access and utilize.

Challenging the mind: The medium facilitates cognitive processes. It enhances learning through increased understanding, memory, multimodal input, and opportunities for higher-level thinking.

Creating interest and motivation: The medium provides stimulation and a desire to learn more. It has new and different ways of presenting ideas, stimulates curiosity, and generally grabs the individual's attention. It also makes the learning of theory and concepts more enjoyable.

Engaging emotions: The medium increases arousal and elicits emotional responses. The individual reports being more involved by reacting to events on screen or in the text.

Categories of Reasons Grouped Within Themes Making theory come to life

Providing entertainment

Qualities of the medium

Setting the stage for active learning

Apply to real situations Connect with story Experience real-life resonance Identify with character Link to concrete examples Enjoy medium in general Enjoy sharing Enjoy specific medium Clear in content and presentation Complex Informative Relevant to themes Create meaning Draw on resources Learn with others Use creativity

Making theory come to life: Events and characters are perceived to have "real life" qualities, so that a person will connect what happens in the show or text to actual experiences. The medium provides practical examples for illustration and application of abstract concepts. The individual can also become more involved through perceived similarities between a character and him- or herself.

Providing entertainment: The individual likes engaging in the medium in everyday life, such as watching movies or reading. In other comments, the emphasis is on how much the specific show or text content was enjoyed. A third component is the pleasure gained from engaging in the medium in the company of others.

Qualities of the medium: Certain characteristics of the medium seem to increase its appeal and usability beyond simple convenience. The qualities noted include clarity of content and presentation, amount of relevant information provided in the medium, and sufficient complexity. The medium is seen to have a certain degree of substance.

Setting the stage for active learning: Opportunities are provided for creative application of concepts, construction of meaning, interactive learning with peers, and feedback from instructor. Also included in this theme is the integrated use of other resources with the medium.