Discussion Board Topics

You will post responses online in your group's discussion area to the following topics as scheduled:

Date	Discussion Board Topics
9/16	Dispositional Perspective Movie: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966, won 5 academy awards, nominated for 13; a shocking black comedy) The motive approach to personality suggests that behavior is a set of underlying needs. As a need becomes more intense, it is more likely to influence behavior. Murray attempted to catalog human needs (see your book page 295-296) such as need for achievement, power, and affiliation. Using two of the characters from this movie, briefly describe how these 3 needs are represented in each of the 2 characters behavior. Be specific in naming the character, the needs and the example of how the need is expressed by the character.
9/30	Psychoanalytic Perspective Movie: Ordinary People (best picture 1980; Robert Redford’s directorial debut) Topic: Freud felt that defense mechanisms assist us in escaping or controlling anxiety. With this concept in mind, explain how the 3 central characters (Conrad, Beth and Calvin) use defense mechanisms in this movie and give at least 2 specific examples of how each of the 3 characters uses them to control anxiety.
10/14	Learning Perspective Movie: All about Eve (1950, nominated for 14 academy awards and won 6 of them) Topic: Analyze the behavior of Eve Harrington utilizing the concepts of behaviorism and learning theory (conditioning and social); give 3 specific examples to support your analysis.