Overview

Providing intriguing insights for students, film buffs, and readers of various genres of fiction, this fascinating book delves into the psychology of 100 well-known fictional characters. Our favorite fictional characters from books and movies often display an impressive and wide range of psychological attributes, both positive and negative. We admire their resilience, courage, humanity, or justice, and we are intrigued by other characters who show signs of personality disorders and mental illness—psychopathy, narcissism, antisocial personality, paranoia, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, among many other conditions. This book examines the psychological attributes and motivations of 100 fascinating characters that include examples of both accurate and misleading depictions of psychological traits and conditions, enabling readers to distinguish realistic from inaccurate depictions of human behavior. An introductory section provides a background of the interplay between psychology and fiction and is followed by psychological profiles of 100 fictional characters from classic and popular literature, film, and television. Each profile summarizes the plot, describes the character's dominant psychological traits or mental conditions, and analyzes the accuracy of such depictions. Additional material includes author profiles, a glossary of psychological and literary terms, a list of sources, and recommended readings.

Full Product Details

Author:   Dean Haycock, PhD ,  Tara Deliberto
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint:   Greenwood Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 2.80cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.748kg
ISBN:  

9781440836985

ISBN 10:   1440836981
Pages:   368
Publication Date:   29 August 2016
Recommended Age:   From 7 to 17 years
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Tara Deliberto, PhD Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Character Profiles Part 1: Mental and Personality Disorders 1.Neurodevelopmental Disorders 2. Psychotic Disorders 3. Bipolar Disorder 4.Depressive Disorders 5.Anxiety Disorders 6.Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder 7.Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders 8.Dissociative Disorders 9.Somatic Symptoms 10.Eating Disorders 11.Sleep-Wake Disorder 12.Gender Dysphoria 13.Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders 14.Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders 15.Neurocognitive Disorders 16.Personality Disorders 17.Paraphilic Disorders 18.Other Disorders and Syndromes Part 2: Positive Psychological Traits Part 3: Negative Psychological Traits and Features Part 4: Emotional Instability/Neuroticism Part 5: Freudian Themes Part 6: Psychologists in Films Part 7: Psychological Growth, Development, Maturity, Loss, and Aging Appendix A: List of Characters and Their Psychological Traits Appendix B: The VIA Classification of Character Strengths Glossary of Psychological and Literary Terms Sources and Recommended Readings Index

Reviews

This title, which has potential for real-world application, pushes readers to consider an individual's life in context: a crucial characteristic of an empathetic and effective psychologist. This text may expand viewpoints of the effects of mental illness. Recommended for psychology students and practitioners. - Library Journal

Characters on the Couch offers to laypersons a wider and deeper knowledge of mental illness, dispelling many stereotypes and often giving readers a glimpse of the livedexperience of those living with psychological disorders. For clinicians, the book provides an opportunity to think critically about presentations of disorders with which they may or may not be familiar. Finally, for educators, Characters on the Couch does present some interesting pedagogical applications with respect to psychopathology and assessment. - PsycCRITIQUES This title, which has potential for real-world application, pushes readers to consider an individual's life in context: a crucial characteristic of an empathetic and effective psychologist. This text may expand viewpoints of the effects of mental illness. Recommended for psychology students and practitioners. - Library Journal

Author Information

Dean A. Haycock is a science and medical writer.

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