Introduction to Psychology

Kimberly S. McGhee
AC1110039
C04.V.9.1/Introduction to Psychology
Assignment #8
April 13, 2015

I chose to do my assignment on the movie, “A Beautiful Mind”. I’ve watched this film many times even prior to taking this class. I’ve always enjoyed how realistic it was and the great acting. I have real life experience in dealing with schizophrenia, as one of my uncles had it. I got to see him actively psychotic, delusional and suffering from paranoia.   Therefore, I thought this would be the most appropriate movie for me to review.
Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder that affects a person’s personality due to emotional instability and loss of contact with reality. It is also associated with anxiety disorder and depression. The symptoms of Schizophrenia are as followed:
  1. Auditory Hallucinations
  2. Disorganizing patterns of speed and thought processes
  3.   Paranoid delusions
  4. Social Withdraw
  5. Impaired Social cognition
  6. Impaired executive functioning
  7. Catatonia
Usually the asset of these symptoms is shown in young adulthood, age 20-30.
One theoretical perspective on the cause of Schizophrenia is the dopamine hypothesis, (biological). This states that Schizophrenia occurs when there is an abnormal activity of dopamine neurons in the brain and this causes the positive symptoms of Schizophrenia to appear.   When dopamine neurotransmitter activity is decreased schizophrenia also has many adverse social effects on the suffers also: suicidal intent, increased smoking and drinking, hostility, stigmatization by society. These are just a few of the symptoms that Schizophrenics have or experience.
“A Beautiful Mind” was released in 2001. The plot revolves around the life of John Nash, acknowledge mathematical genius who had paranoid schizophrenia. John Nash was born in 1928 and in his childhood, he had the qualities of an avid reader by 12years of age, he did his scientific experiments in is room and this was a signal...