This semester you will write an Applied Final Project titled, Application of Psychology Paper. The final paper will be due during Week 7. The paper provides you an opportunity to apply psychological

Towards the end of their conversation, Arthur invites his neighbor to his first com edy show that he will be performing in. In this scenario, she seems to be very charmed by his demeanor and accepts his invitation. During Arthur’s performance, he becomes very uncomfortable and starts laughing hysterically and is not able to complete his a ct (Cooper et al., 2019). After Arthur’s failed comedy show act, it was not long after trouble finds him. On a subway ride home one late afternoon, Arthur notices four men harassing a woman. Instead of intervening, he starts laughing uncontrollably which draws the men over to him causing a fight to ensue. Once again, we as the audience are able to witness this vicious incident and empathize for this character and understand why he was pushed to becoming the notorious villain later known as the Joker. The g roup of men soon beat down Arthu r, and we see him fight back as self - defense. Later, Arthur pulls out a gun and murders the group of men who violently beat him, which later causes a great deal of media attention (Cooper et al., 2019). The murder on the tr ain station that Arthur committed becomes a major turning point in the movie. We first see Arthur as a socially awkward loner turn into a completely new person, one that seems very authentic. This new image of himself makes him feel more comfortable.

Once Arthur admits to the murders, he decides to appear on a nationally syndicated television 4 talk show. At this point, his style and look have dramatically changed. While on the show, there was a bit of a disagreement between Arthur and the talk show host. Art hur felt as though the media was covering this story heavily because of the men’s upper - class status. He felt that if he were one of the men, his story would’ve fallen through the cracks and been dismissed. This created tension in the room; Arthur starts g rinning and states, “What do you get when you cross a mentally ill loner with a society that abandons him and treats him like trash?!” (Cooper et al., 2019) and shoots the talk show host live on national television. The media responded by giving him praise to showcase the division between the upper and lower class, though the movie ends with him in what appears to be an asylum. Research Summary Schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) is a type of personality disorder that is said to be very similar to schizo phrenia in terms of psychotic features and social impairments ( American Psychiatric Association , 2013). The difference between schizophrenia and SPD, however, is that individuals might experience less cognitive deterioration, deficiency of social skills an d possibly fewer episodes though the dysfunction is more global and stable over time (Walsh, 2017) . In order to be diagnosed with SPD, an individual must experience symptoms such as odd beliefs, speech, behavior or appea rance, paranoia, social anxiety and inappropriate responses ( American Psychiatric Association , 2013; Ridenour, 2016) . Individuals suffering from SPD can also expect to have a difficulty forming relationships with others. Researchers suggest that SPD can be the result of environmental factors in early childhood ( American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Ridenour, 2016). So me research has shown that children and young adults who were later diagnosed with SPD have shown behavior that wasn’t like others their age. These children and young adults showed major differences such as 5 lack of social skills and firmness compared to th eir counterparts ( Ridenour, 2016) . Childhood trauma and environmental factors have a high association with SPD as well. Such childhood trauma may include physica l , sexual and emotional abuse, physical and emotional neglect, and/or general household dysfunc tion ( Ridenour, 2016). While environmental factors play a role in the development of SPD, biological factors are also relevant as well ( American Psychiatric Association , 2013; Coccaro & Siever, 2005) . Research has found that individuals who have been diag nosed with SPD generally have also had a close family member diagnosed with Schizophrenia. Brain irregularity has also been found in individuals suffering from SPD; this irregularity is found in the temporal cortex ( Coccaro & Siever, 2005 ) . This irregularity found in the temporal cortex causes selective attention which can interfere with social and emotional functioning ( Walsh, 20 17). Additionally, aggressive outbursts and violence could result (Coccaro & Siever, 2005), making it difficult f or individuals with SPD to form relationships with others, maintain a job, or follow the laws of society without treatment. One case illustrates the impacts of SPD on functioning within society. In Overstreet v. Wilson ( 2003/2012 ), Michael Overstreet kidnapped and murdered Kelly Eckart. The counsel called up three mental health professionals to testify on behalf of Michael Overstreet. Eric Engum, a neuropsychologist testified that Overstreet suffered from SPD and informed the jury t hat it is one of the most serious of personality disorders. Engum also stated that daily stressors caused Overstreet to experience hallucinations and episodes. Due to these episodes, Overstreet was not able to adhere to the law due to being impaired ( Overs treet v. Wilson , 2003/2012 ) . Treatments for SPD can include a mixture of medication and psychotherapy based on individual temperament and what would work best for each person. Psychotherapy is a treatment option that can encourage patients to discuss thei r problems in a one - on - one therapy session 6 while also addressing a course of treatment (Saylor, 2015 ). Psychotherapy can be broken up between cognitive - behavior therapy, supportive therapy and family therapy. While there are no medications specifically to rectify SPD, doctors can provide patients with antidepressants and antipsychotics to aide with different symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and psychosis ( American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Psychotherapy is also prescribed to individuals sufferin g from SPD because it confronts this disorder head on and teaches the client and his or her family skills to cope with the diagnosis and its symptoms . Application of Research to the Movie Throughout Joker , it is clear that Arthur Fleck suffers from mental illness. Some of the symptoms he displays include laughing when he is uncomfortable , inappropriate social interactions, delusional thinking, violent outbursts, odd behavior and appearance, and mood symptoms . We also see these symptoms p rogress in severity over the course of the film and represent enduring traits as opposed to brief psychotic episodes that would be present in schizophrenia. In order to understand how Arthur Fleck may have developed SPD, we must look at his past and family . While we don’t learn a lot about his family, it does appear Arthur Fleck comes from a very underprivileged background. Living in Gotham City, where crime rates are through the roof, the world does not sit back and take a second to help people that might be going through a hard time. Instead, this society places the mentally ill under lots o f discrimination and rejection. In the beginning of this film, we see Arthur reporting to the medical clinic to grab his medication, only just to be told that his medication won’t be covered anymore. So, it appears he was trying to manage his symptoms with medications, but was unable to do so , which led to a 7 worsening of his condition. Due to Arthur’s environment and lack of attention to his illness, this may have caused him to go off the deep end with some of his actions. The social stigma and discrimination that are sometimes placed on individuals do not aid recovery and can make a co ndition worse. Discrimination may not always be as apparent as what Arthur experienc e d , but it is very prevalent. Arthur struggled in a society that di d not see him and was tormented both in a physical and mental sense . This leads to him acting out in anti social ways in the movie. In conclusion, Arthur struggled in a society that did not see him and was tormented both in a physical and mental sense. Many people struggle with discrimination when it comes to mental illness. Sometimes discrimination isn’t as a pparent as we might think. I n this paper, I have explored the symptoms, causes, lifestyle impacts, and treatments of SPD through the main character Arthur Fleck, in the movie Joker . 8 References American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596 C occaro, E. F., & Siever, L. J. (2005). Neurobiology. In J. M. Oldham, A. E. Skodo l, & D. Bender (Eds.), Textbook of personality disorders (pp. 155 – 169). American Psychiatric Press. Cooper, B., Webb, D., & Koskoff E. (Producers), & Phillips, T., (Director and Producer). (2019) . Joker [Motion Picture]. Warner Bros. Overstreet vs. Wilson, 783 N.E.2 nd 1140 (D. Ind. 2003)., aff’d No. 11 - 2276 (7 th Cir. 2012). https://caselaw.findlaw .com/us - 7th - circuit/1605724.html . Ridenour, J. M. (2016). Psychodynamic model and treatment of schizotypal personality disorder. Psychoanalytic Psychology , 33( 1), 129 – 146. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035531 The Saylor Foundation. ( 2015 ). Introduction to psychology. https://www.saylor.org/books/ Walsh, J. (2017). Schizotypal Personality Disorder: A clinical social work perspective. Journal of Social Work Practice , 31 (1), 67 – 78. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2 015.1132686