PSY3506 PORTRAYAL OF MENTAL ILLNESS IN MOVIES
| Course Code: | 2333506 |
| METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week): | 3 (3.00 - 0.00) |
| ECTS Credit: | 7.0 |
| Department: | Psychology |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
| Level of Study: | Undergraduate |
| Course Coordinator: | |
| Offered Semester: | Fall Semesters. |
Course Objectives
This course introduces the basic psychoanalytic concepts defining the mental illnesses to the students. The students will be able to gain a psychoanalytic perspective in evaluating mental illnesses through analyzing certain movies. The students will be able to detect a mental illness in a movie and earn a wide understanding about its effects on and relation to the individuals. The students will be able to sketched out the representation of a mental illness in daily life and in a certain culture. The students will acquire the ability to clinically evaluate an individual's mental illness.
Course Content
Mental illness, mental health professionals, psychological treatments, and mental health institutions are frequently portrayed in popular movie films with either high or low level of realism. Realistic movie films are useful to review basics of clinical profession whereas unrealistic popular films are beneficial to improve critical thinking about how culture views mental illness. The course intends to give the students a realistic perspective about mental health issues, and to improve students critical thinking abilities about movie films that portray mental illness and mental health professionals.
Course Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, the students will be able to identify and analyze portrayals of mental illness, mental health professionals, and treatments in various movies. They will apply key psychoanalytic concepts to critique and understand these representations. The students will evaluate the realism of film portrayals of mental illness and differentiate them from exaggerated of fictionalized accounts. They will assess how movie portrayalsof mental illness shape and reflect cultural attitudes and beliefs about mental health. The students will develop and articulate critical perspectives on the representation of mental illness in popular films, highligthing both accurate and problematic depictions. They will engage in informed discussions about the intersection of psychology, media, and culture, with a focus on psychoanalytic theory. Additionally, the students will conduct in-depth abalyses of specific films, considering both psychological theories and cultural contexts, and present their findings in written and oral formats, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the course material.
Program Outcomes Matrix
| Level of Contribution | |||||
| # | Program Outcomes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1 | Solid background in basic theories and approaches in psychology. | ✔ | |||
| 2 | Skills to obtain and interpret new information in the light of acquired theoretical knowledge. | ✔ | |||
| 3 | Skills to follow both national and international publications and developments in the discipline. | ✔ | |||
| 4 | Basic applied skills and knowledge of the various disciplines of psychology that do not require specialization. | ✔ | |||
| 5 | Awareness of the value of continuing educational practices such as in-service training, seminars, and conferences to keep career-relevant knowledge and skills up-to-date. | ✔ | |||
| 6 | Skills to conduct research based on basic knowledge related to testing and measurement, research methods, and statistics. That is, skills related to forming research hypotheses, designing the research, collecting data, applying basic statistical analysis, and reporting. | ✔ | |||
| 7 | Knowledge and skills about conducting research and practice by adhering to ethical guidelines. | ✔ | |||
| 8 | Skills in oral and written communication both in Turkish and English. | ✔ | |||
| 9 | Skills to work in teams that involve disciplinary and interdisciplinary projects. | ✔ | |||
| 10 | Critical thinking skills in following the psychological literature together with the psychology-related information appearing in popular media. | ✔ | |||
| 11 | Skills to generate practical and culture-sensitive solutions to problems. | ✔ | |||
| 12 | Awareness of societal, environmental, and economic factors in professional practice and research. | ✔ | |||
| 13 | Skills to lead and pioneer in the profession of psychology, either in academia or professional practice. | ✔ | |||
| 14 | Skills in independent and team work. | ✔ | |||
0: No Contribution 1: Little Contribution 2: Partial Contribution 3: Full Contribution