Psychology And Cinema: What Do They Have In Common?

Psychology and cinema have many points in common. These enclaves of connection between both disciplines have been little exploited. But what exactly do psychology and cinema share? Perhaps you have thought that you can answer this question based, for example, on some of the many films, which are based on psychological disorders, for example.

The relationship between psychology and cinema will gradually become closer, as happened, for example, with hypnosis. This will make their way forward as united disciplines. Like hypnosis, there will be a significant expansion and interest in your knowledge.

Psychology and cinema in the 19th century

Both psychology and cinema were born practically at the same time, at the end of the 19th century. It is obvious that the study of the human being is as old as the history of thought itself. However, there is a key date in the birth of scientific psychology: 1879.

It was in 1879 when Wilhem Wundt created the first experimental psychology laboratory. There is a great proximity to another date: December 28, 1895, the Lumiére brothers created a series of projected images. This milestone is considered the origin of cinema.

Thus, the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th were periods of great relevance, both for psychology and for the seventh art. In fact, in many films we can appreciate different psychological theories, not to mention the emotions that they can generate.

In addition, the cinema has also been a precursor of certain behaviors that have been the object of study in psychology. This is so because, in their representations, the actors function as social models. And it is that the actors are admired and followed by a large number of people.

The functions of the psychologist in the world of cinema

Delving into the potentialities of both disciplines, we can outline what the functions of the psychologist in the audiovisual world may be. Let’s see them.

Psychologists can conduct studies on the script. Its function would be to provide guidance on behavior in the face of different personality styles or on different psychopathologies. In this way, the psychologist would act as an expert consultant to show an undistorted reality and bring it closer to society without magnifying or caricaturing it.

Another function of psychologists in the cinema would be to guide the actors. Guiding the performance of the actors about certain psychopathological conditions could prevent overacting. This would contribute to the improvement of interpretive techniques.

A very important function is to mediate in the transmission of values. What we observe usually leads us to consider it normal and have a negative influence. This is especially so in young people, although it also occurs in adults.

Both in television series and in some films we are surprised how promiscuous or violent behaviors are normalized. However, they do not show us with due attention the possible consequences of such acts.

As an example we can cite the repeated samples of coping strategies based on the consumption of potentially addictive substances due to their effect on our reward circuit. These are viewed by the population on the big screen, having consequences that are difficult to limit.

Furthermore, the psychologist can be a good film critic. The profession that best understands human behavior and its disorders is psychology. Any movie shows behaviors, attitudes, etc. that can be reviewed and commented on by psychologists specializing in this subject.

When the cinema shows the profession of psychologist

The cinema has served as a promotion for the profession of psychologist. Suffice it to remember Bruce Willis in the movie The Sixth Sense . However, it has also contributed to distorting their job performance. The cinema has generated a lot of myths and misconceptions about clinical interventions.

Almost exclusively, contrary to what happens in most consultations in our environment, the cinema has shown us sessions on the couch with psychoanalysts. This bias in favor of a way of doing psychology, which in Europe we could consider as a minority, does not stop distorting the image that a large part of society has regarding clinical procedure.

There are also numerous films where actors and actresses have served as psychotherapists. In the vast majority of films , the profession of psychiatrist and psychologist are not differentiated  . As we have seen, the convergences between psychology and cinema are many and varied, which has been a source of value for both disciplines.