The Psychology of Harry Potter

In the Harry Potter series, the Sorting Hat is a magical hat that assigns new students to one of four houses at Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. How does the Sorting Hat know which student to assign to which house? Is it based on the traits each house values most? The Gryffindor house values courage, daring, nerve, and chivalry. Hufflepuff values hard work, loyalty, tolerance, and fair play while Ravenclaw values intelligence, creativity, wit, and wisdom. Finally, the Slytherin house values ambition, cunning, and resourcefulness. Does that mean that the Sorting Hat is matching each boy's character strengths with the values of the house? Perhaps. However, the philosopher Schopenhauer differentiated between the world of appearance and will. Thus, instead the Sorting Hat could be matching based not on traits or character strengths (appearance) but rather on what lies beneath (will/human motivation).

Bottom of Form

Lawrence and Nohria described in their book Driven: How Human Nature Shapes Our Choices, the holistic and humanistic theory of motivation divided into four categories: the drive to acquire, to bond, to learn, and to defend. The authors described these drives as distinct and ubiquitous and that individuals actively attempt to fulfill them. As for the four houses at Hogwarts, let us examine which house values which drive.

Lawrence and Nohria explain that the drive to defend is physically and socially protective. The drive to defend originates from the response to dangerous situations and can extend to a protection of relationships, acquisitions, and belief systems. The house of Gryffindor values courage and nerve because these are character strengths that are vital to protect and defend. The authors emphasized that the drive to defend is not proactive but reactively triggered by perceived threats.

Next, Lawrence and Nohria discussed the drive to bond, which is a social motivation to form relationships and develop mutual caring commitments. The house of Hufflepuff values loyalty, tolerance, and fair play because these are characteristics necessary for mutually beneficial relationships. The drive to bond explains why individuals choose to identify themselves with that of a group or a common good.

Third, Lawrence and Nohria illustrated the drive to learn as the intention to understand the world around us and satisfy curiosity. This drive exemplifies Ravenclaw since it values intelligence, creativity, and wisdom; these are all traits motivated by the desire to learn. The desire to learn fulfills our need to explore and grow, and cultivate other virtues since, for Aristotle, the one cardinal virtue necessary for moral character is practical wisdom (called phronesis), which allows us to discover the virtuous mean between characters.

Finally, the drive to acquire, Lawrence and Nohria mentioned, is the motivation to seek, take, and control objects and personal experiences. This drive correlates with the Slytherin house, which values ambition, cunning, and resourcefulness, which are important to the drive to acquire.

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, we notice that the Sorting Hat is considering placing Harry Potter into the house of Slytherin. The Sorting Hat recognizes that Harry exemplifies the traits of ambition and resourcefulness, as do other students in Slytherin. However, if we remember that the Sorting Hat might not be sorting by ostensible traits but by tacit motivations, then we can understand why the Sorting Hat placed Harry in Gryffindor rather than Slytherin.

Defining Human Flourishing

Based on our understanding of the four-drive theory (to learn, to bond, to acquire, and to defend) and the four houses of Hogwartz, we can define human flourishing as seeking, experiencing, sharing, and defending that which we believe is good, while not stymieing another's ability to seek, experience, share, and defend his/her belief in the good. Additionally, based on our new understanding, we can state that we desire not only to pursue happiness, but also to experience it (individually and communally), as well as protect our previously acquired happiness.

For details of the Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour click here

The psychologist Allport stated "what
motivates each person is not some element common to all individuals, but his own particular pattern of tensions." By understanding and appreciating the value of the different cardinal motives in individuals, we can understand how to achieve a balanced collective of motives within a group of individuals, which in time can contribute to collective flourishing.


And if this has inspired you to look more into the secrets of Harry Potter.... maybe you would like to join me in the tour!

Published on July 14, 2009 by Adoree Durayappah, MAPP in Thriving101

Psychology in Film

There is a long list of films that qualify for the title of  'Psychological Thriller' but many more that have a huge psychologically based content that can be used to help us understand human behaviour.  Many of these are actually grounded in psychological theories and models.
Here is my 'Top Ten List'  If you can think of any that you think would better justify a place in the list please feel free to suggest them.

1. “Primal Fear” This bone-tingling thriller from director Gregory Hoblit stars Richard Gere as a high-profile defence lawyer who volunteers to defend a Kentucky altar boy (Edward Norton) accused of murdering an archbishop. The film features riveting performances by Gere and Norton, whose character is diagnosed with multiple personality order. 
2. “Good Will Hunting” features breakthrough roles for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who also co-scripted this story of a rebellious MIT janitor who also happens to be a mathematical genius. Robin Williams picked up an Oscar for his role as a compassionate therapist who teaches Damon’s character to confront his troubled past.
3. “A Clockwork Orange” This 1971 film set in a futuristic dystopia solidified Stanley Kubrick’s position as one of the great filmmakers of his generation. Darkly satirical and at times both shocking and hilarious, “A Clockwork Orange” tells the story of an impudent delinquent forced to undergo experimental corrective treatment that involves repeated viewings of unspeakable acts.
4. “Girl, Interrupted” Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, 19-year-old Susanna played by Winona Ryder is committed to an all-female psychiatric institute in this 1999 drama. The film also features stellar performances by Angelina Jolie as the resident hellraiser and Vanessa Regrave as Susana’s psychiatrist. 
5. “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” This outstanding film adaptation of the popular Ken Kesey novel of the same name picked up a slew of Oscars including best actor for Jack Nicholson and best director for Milos Forman. The film stars Nicholson as the free-thinking psychiatric patient who leads his fellow inmates to rebel against the oppressive Nurse Ratched.
6. "We Need To Talk About Kevin"  
   

   This film explores attachment theory and the nurture nature debate to great effect. A thought provoking, well acted, well researched and well written film which will introduce you to all aspects of the nurture nature debate..... are serial killers born or made? 
   
   
7. “Shooting Dogs”  A powerful, based-on-fact film, Shooting Dogs follows John Hurt's priest and Hugh Dancy's idealistic young teacher as they watch bureaucracy, institutional racism and generations of hate lead to mass murder in Rwanda. A comprehensive study of genocide and the social influences at work in causing it. 
8. “Memento” This suspenseful, complex film by the director Christopher Nolan follows a man suffering from short-term memory loss as he tries to reassemble his life after the brutal killing of his wife. With its reverse narrative and clever twists and turns, Nolan’s film works on multiple levels despite its unusual structure.
9. “I am Sam” Sean Penn gives an Oscar worthy performance as an autistic man trying to bring up his daughter on his own. This emotive study of the consequences of labelling and the ethics surrounding a diagnosis of mental illness is enhanced greatly by the musical score almost exclusively provided by The Beatles.
10. “A Beautiful Mind” This fascinating true story portrays the life of prominent mathematician John Forbes Nash who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. Nash, played by Russell Crowe, works to expose what he perceives to be a government controversy as his wife, Jennifer Connelly comes to terms with his disorder.