Download Psychology in Film Assignment 2022

AP Psychology, BIPH
Dr. Nelson, 2021-22
Psychology in Film
Post AP Exam Project
For this end-of-year assignment, watch a movie you have not seen and write about the
psychological concepts contained in the film. Choose one of the ten films below. The first is a jury
deliberation after a murder trial—a classic film and an excellent choice. Number 2 is also one I
highly recommend, an Oscar-winning film. Others are good, too. Click the link to read about
them, see trailers, and watch the film on fsharetv.com. (You can watch more than one film, but
you only need to report on one of them.)
1. 12 Angry Men (1957)
2. Ordinary People (1980)
3. Good Will Hunting (1997)
4. Remember the Titans (2000)
5. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
7. Mean Girls (2004)
8. It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010)
9. Inside Out (2015)
10. Words on Bathroom Walls (2021)
After viewing, write a 2-3-page review (double-spaced) with three parts.
Part 1: Write a plot summary of the film in 1-2 paragraphs. Include the main characters, their
motivations, and the events of the film.
Part 2: Define the eight psychological terms listed below for your chosen film. You can list them
in bullet point or numbered form. Cite your sources.
Part 3: Relate the psychological terms from Part 2 to the film. Describe how each term relates
to: a character, a scene, or a situation. You should write at least a couple of sentences
for each term and its application to or representation in the film.
Psychological Terms for Each Film
I highly recommend watching with the psych terms and notepaper in front of you. Pause as needed.
12 Angry Men (1957)—memory, fundamental attribution error, bystander effect, conformity,
frustration-aggression hypothesis, nature vs. nurture, homeostasis
Ordinary People (1980)—major depressive disorder vs. bereavement, cognitive therapy, selfharm, suicide, denial, unconditional positive regard, parenting styles
Good Will Hunting (1997)—social psychology, conformity, giftedness, talk therapy, clinical
psychology, frustration-aggression hypothesis, attitude, self-disclosure
Remember the Titans (2000)—social psychology, groupthink, in-group bias, racism, prejudice,
discrimination, stereotypes, superordinate goals
1
A Beautiful Mind (2001)—delusions, schizophrenia, clinical psychology, psychotherapy,
intelligence, genius, intelligence quotient, antipsychotic medication
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)—-long-term memory, sympathetic nervous
system, introvert, extrovert, hippocampus, amygdala, lacunar amnesia, episodic memory
Mean Girls (2004)—social psychology, in-group bias, out-group, just-world phenomenon,
relational aggression, conflict, culture shock, groupthink
It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010)—stress, catastrophizing, generalized anxiety disorder,
depression, self-harm, cognitive therapy, group therapy, theories of attraction
Inside Out (2015)—theories of emotions, sublimation, facial feedback theory, amygdala,
personality theory, encoding memory, hippocampus, REM sleep
Words on Bathroom Walls (2020)—psychotic break, hallucinations (auditory & visual)
delusions, schizophrenia, clinical drug trial, psychotherapy, paranoia, side effects
N.B., if you choose 12 Angry Men, I have some documents that could help you as you watch. When I first
taught psychology in 2016 (a one-semester intro), writing an essay on this film was the final exam. Let me
know if you choose it.
GRADING RUBRIC—CRITERIA
Max.
Points
Student identifies specific words/actions of characters that demonstrate
insight and understanding into their behavior and mental processes
using appropriate psychological terms
25
Student follows all instructions, meets all requirements of assignment
20
Paper conforms to conventions: spelling, grammar, punctuation, style,
APA formatting
5
Total
Your
Score
50
2