BILL WATTERSON, THE CREATOR OF CALVIN & HOBBS, IS A CARTOONIST THAT IS A MASKED PSYCHOLOGIST IN HIS OWN RIGHT. CALVIN & HOBBS IS USED IN THIS PRESENTATION FOR THE SIMPLE FACT THAT THERE IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL REPRESENTATION. ENJOYMENT ON YOUR PART IS HOPEFUL.

PSYCHOLOGY 101 INTEREST ING KEY POINTS EXPL A INED WITH THE HELP OF CALVIN & HOBBS

CASEY HINES

PSYCHOLOGY

• PSYCHOLOGY is the study of the mind and behavior of humans and animals.

EMP IR IC ISM• EMPIRICISM is the view

that knowledge originates through experience.

• This does not speculate, have a belief, or use common sense.

• Calvin is explaining this concept clearly to Hobbs in this strip. Although Hobbs aids in the explanation.

CALVIN IS IDENTIFYING A PROBLEM, CONDUCTING RESEARCH, AND FORMULATING A HYPOTHESIS.

Scientific Method

CORREL AT ION

• Exists when two variables are related to each other.

• Correlation Coefficient-Numerical Index referred to as an “r” (r=-.2). This can a be a positive or a negative, weak or strong. Represented in a number from a range of +1 to -1.

• Here, Hobbs is correlating Calvin’s Business model to his future success.

NERVOUS SYSTEM

• AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM-Things that a person cannot control.

• SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM-The “fight of flight” response.

• PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM-Rest.

• Calvin’s fight response is clearly visible by him running after the car in the first part of this cartoon sequence, than after he wrecked the their family car his fear makes him make the flight choice.

CALVIN HAS JUST LEARNED SOMETHING THAT IS SHOWN BY HIS SO -CALLED CHANGED BEHAVIOR.

LEARNING

Conditioning

• Classical Conditioning—Phenomenon in which two stimuli are associated, thus creating a reflex response.

• Operant Conditioning—Form of learning which organisms associate their actions with consequences.

• In these two strips, the top one shows a classic conditioning, and the bottom one shows a form of operant conditioning known as a variable-interval schedule.

CALVIN AND HOBBS ARE MODELING SOCIETAL CONFORMITY IN THE F IRST CARTOON, AND CALVIN IS MODELING CHAMELEON CONFORMITY IN THE SECOND

CARTOON.

CONFORMITY

PARENT ING STYLES

• Authoritarian—Very rigid, lots of rules, demands respect.

• Authoritative—Has rules and boundaries, but allows independence.

• Neglectful—No emotion, and no attachment.

• Permissive—Overly involved, no rules, no boundaries, and the parent wants to be a friend to the child.

• Calvin, in this single pane cartoon, is showing Calvin’s knowledge of parenting styles and is concerned that he is being parented well.

PS YCHO LO G ICAL D ISOR D ERS

• Schizophrenia-Paranoid, delusions, hallucinations (hearing and sight), and catatonic states.

• Amnesia-event that causes memory mishaps.

• Hypochondria-Abnormal anxiety about one’s health.

• In the top strip Calvin is exhibiting schizophrenia behavior, in the middle strip Calvin is showing signs of a memory mishap due to overwhelming stress, and in the last strip Calvin is modeling Hypochondriac behavior.

TREATMENT OF BEHAV IORAL D ISORDERS

• Insight Therapies—These are known as the “talk therapies”. Uses Psychoanalysis which recover unconscious conflicts, motives, and defenses.

• Cognitive Therapy—Emphasizes recognizing and changing thoughts and maladaptive beliefs.

• Behavior Therapy—Application of principles of learning to change clients’ maladaptive behaviors.

• Biomedical Therapies—Treating psychological disorders with pharmaceuticals for treatment of biological factors.

• Calvin is demonstrating a biomedical therapy in the bottom pane, and Calvin is representing the cognitive therapy in the top strip.

CALVIN IS DEFINITELY MODELING HOW A TEENAGER WOULD ACT DUE TO THEIR FRONTAL LOBE NOT BEING FULLY MATURED AND THEIR L IMBIC SYSTEM FULLY MATURED IN THE LEFT PANE, AND IN THE RIGHT STRIP CALVIN TALKS ABOUT HOW BEHAVIOR CAN CHANGE WITH AGE.

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

“ W EL L , I HO P E YO U EN J OY E D I T. ”

-CASEY HINES-