The Psychology of The Simpsons
Encyclopedia
The Psychology of The Simpsons: D'oh! is a non-fiction
book analyzing psychology
themes in the television series The Simpsons
. It contains content from several contributors, including psychologist
s, counselors and school therapists. The book was edited by Alan S. Brown, Ph.D., and Chris Logan, and was published on March 1, 2006 by BenBella Books. It has received praise from reviewers.
, the X-Men
, and The Matrix
. The BenBella psychology series was inspired by a similar pop philosophy series from publisher Open Court Publishing Company
. The editors of the book were Alan S. Brown, Ph.D., and Chris Logan. Brown is a professor of psychology, and Logan is a lecturer in the field. The book is meant to appeal both to fans of The Simpsons, and academic students of psychology.
s, counselors and school therapists. It also includes content from Brown and Logan. General topics discussed in the work include family
, alcohol abuse
, relationships
, self-esteem
, sex
and gender
, and personality
. Specific topics in the field of psychology include clinical psychology
, cognition
, abnormal psychology
, evolutionary psychology
, gambling addiction, pavlovian conditioning and family therapy
. Contributor Denis M. McCarthy, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Missouri
, analyzes risk factor
s for alcoholism
presented in The Simpsons. McCarthy cites Bart's passive-avoidance learning as a risk factor, and notes that Maggie is at a high risk for substance abuse
due to violent tendencies.
Though each chapter contains material comparing The Simpsons episodes to academic psychology themes, the chapter titles are less serious, including "Which One of Us is Truly Crazy" and "Looking For Mr. Smarty Pants." Editor Chris Logan explained: "The book’s content is very serious, but it's not presented in an overly serious way." The Simpsons Archive also described the balance between humor and academia in the book, noting: "Fortunately, despite numerous references to various psychological theories and academic studies, the essays steer clear of becoming too serious, and manage to stay entertaining throughout the book."
. In the introduction to an interview with one of the book's editors, the interviewer noted: "Get past the goofy cover, with its illustration of Homer’s beer- and TV-saturated brain, and you find analysis aimed at both TV viewers and students of psychology." The book also received positive mention in The Times
, where Andrew Billen wrote: "I can commend D'Oh!: The Psychology of The Simpsons and Reading The Sopranos, since both shows are sturdy enough to support the intellectual studies." An article at The Simpsons Archive
also wrote positively of the work: "The connection to the show and its events is solid and psychological points are illustrated using explanatory snippets from the Simpsons."
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
book analyzing psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
themes in the television series The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. It contains content from several contributors, including psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
s, counselors and school therapists. The book was edited by Alan S. Brown, Ph.D., and Chris Logan, and was published on March 1, 2006 by BenBella Books. It has received praise from reviewers.
Background
The book was published on March 1, 2006 by BenBella Books, and is part of their "Psychology of Popular Culture Series," or "Smart Pop" for short. Other books in the series include works which analyze psychology and pop culture themes as related to SupermanSuperman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
, and The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
. The BenBella psychology series was inspired by a similar pop philosophy series from publisher Open Court Publishing Company
Open Court Publishing Company
The Open Court Publishing Company is a publisher with offices in Chicago and La Salle, Illinois. It is part of the Carus Publishing Company of Peru, Illinois.-History:...
. The editors of the book were Alan S. Brown, Ph.D., and Chris Logan. Brown is a professor of psychology, and Logan is a lecturer in the field. The book is meant to appeal both to fans of The Simpsons, and academic students of psychology.
Content
The book contains content from twenty-nine contributors, including psychologistPsychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
s, counselors and school therapists. It also includes content from Brown and Logan. General topics discussed in the work include family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
, alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse, as described in the DSM-IV, is a psychiatric diagnosis describing the recurring use of alcoholic beverages despite negative consequences. Alcohol abuse eventually progresses to alcoholism, a condition in which an individual becomes dependent on alcoholic beverages in order to avoid...
, relationships
Interpersonal relationship
An interpersonal relationship is an association between two or more people that may range from fleeting to enduring. This association may be based on limerence, love, solidarity, regular business interactions, or some other type of social commitment. Interpersonal relationships are formed in the...
, self-esteem
Self-esteem
Self-esteem is a term in psychology to reflect a person's overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs and emotions such as triumph, despair, pride and shame: some would distinguish how 'the self-concept is what we think about the self; self-esteem, the...
, sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
and gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
, and personality
Personality psychology
Personality psychology is a branch of psychology that studies personality and individual differences. Its areas of focus include:* Constructing a coherent picture of the individual and his or her major psychological processes...
. Specific topics in the field of psychology include clinical psychology
Clinical psychology
Clinical psychology is an integration of science, theory and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and personal development...
, cognition
Cognition
In science, cognition refers to mental processes. These processes include attention, remembering, producing and understanding language, solving problems, and making decisions. Cognition is studied in various disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, linguistics, and computer science...
, abnormal psychology
Abnormal psychology
Abnormal psychology is the branch of psychology that studies unusual patterns of behavior, emotion and thought, which may or may not be understood as precipitating a mental disorder...
, evolutionary psychology
Evolutionary psychology
Evolutionary psychology is an approach in the social and natural sciences that examines psychological traits such as memory, perception, and language from a modern evolutionary perspective. It seeks to identify which human psychological traits are evolved adaptations, that is, the functional...
, gambling addiction, pavlovian conditioning and family therapy
Family therapy
Family therapy, also referred to as couple and family therapy, family systems therapy, and family counseling, is a branch of psychotherapy that works with families and couples in intimate relationships to nurture change and development. It tends to view change in terms of the systems of...
. Contributor Denis M. McCarthy, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
, analyzes risk factor
Risk factor
In epidemiology, a risk factor is a variable associated with an increased risk of disease or infection. Sometimes, determinant is also used, being a variable associated with either increased or decreased risk.-Correlation vs causation:...
s for alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
presented in The Simpsons. McCarthy cites Bart's passive-avoidance learning as a risk factor, and notes that Maggie is at a high risk for substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
due to violent tendencies.
Though each chapter contains material comparing The Simpsons episodes to academic psychology themes, the chapter titles are less serious, including "Which One of Us is Truly Crazy" and "Looking For Mr. Smarty Pants." Editor Chris Logan explained: "The book’s content is very serious, but it's not presented in an overly serious way." The Simpsons Archive also described the balance between humor and academia in the book, noting: "Fortunately, despite numerous references to various psychological theories and academic studies, the essays steer clear of becoming too serious, and manage to stay entertaining throughout the book."
Reception
The book was received favorably in a publication of Southern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
. In the introduction to an interview with one of the book's editors, the interviewer noted: "Get past the goofy cover, with its illustration of Homer’s beer- and TV-saturated brain, and you find analysis aimed at both TV viewers and students of psychology." The book also received positive mention in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, where Andrew Billen wrote: "I can commend D'Oh!: The Psychology of The Simpsons and Reading The Sopranos, since both shows are sturdy enough to support the intellectual studies." An article at The Simpsons Archive
The Simpsons Archive
The Simpsons Archive, better known as snpp.com or simply SNPP , is a Simpsons fan site that has been online since 1994...
also wrote positively of the work: "The connection to the show and its events is solid and psychological points are illustrated using explanatory snippets from the Simpsons."
See also
- List of The Simpsons publications
- Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a GenerationPlanet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a GenerationPlanet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation is a non-fiction book about The Simpsons, written by Chris Turner and originally published on 12 October 2004 by Random House...
- The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of HomerThe Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of HomerThe Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer is a non-fiction book analyzing the philosophy and popular culture effects of the American animated sitcom, The Simpsons, published by Open Court. The book is edited by William Irwin, Mark T. Conard and Aeon J...
External links
- The Psychology of The Simpsons, preview, from official publisher's Web site.
- The Psychology of The Simpsons: D'oh!, book description at official Web site, The Simpsons Shop
- "Homer's Soul", excerpted portion of the book, hosted at Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...