Teacher: Judy Gillen
Introduction: Occasionally, students tell us that they take our psychology courses out of curiosity about human behaviour after reading a novel with a character they identify with, (or have been repulsed by).
Here's the reverse. In this assignment you will:
- Carefully choose a book & read it
- Research the featured psychological problem (& fill in this form)
- Give the book this reality check.
It is important to choose a book that grabs you, and so we have a whole cart of books for you to browse through at school. Scroll down to see suggested titles. At home, you can check this terrific database: Novelist and read the first chapter, or search by subject.
Download psychology background research form
Download reality/book evaluation form
Suggested Titles |
Psychological problem |
|
Adrift |
Depression |
|
America |
Suicide |
|
Ash: a novel |
Schizophrenia |
|
Sleeping sickness |
||
Post traumatic |
||
Breakdown |
||
Anorexia |
||
Non-problem: intuition, decisions |
||
Abuse |
||
Cutting |
||
The burn journals |
Suicide |
|
By the time you read this, I’ll be dead |
Suicide |
|
Checkers |
Breakdown |
|
The collector |
Psychopath |
|
Crank |
Addiction |
|
The curious incident of the dog in the night-time |
Autism |
|
Cut |
Cutting |
|
Damage |
Depression |
|
A dance for three |
Family impact |
|
Dancing on the edge |
Breakdown |
|
Devil in the details: scenes from an obsessive girlhood |
Obsessive compulsive |
|
Dibs in search of self |
Post traumatic |
|
An egg on three sticks |
Breakdown |
|
Fat chance |
Anorexia |
|
Flowers for Algernon |
Psychological experiment |
|
The flying Troutmans |
Family problems, mental illness |
|
Girl interrupted |
Suicide, mental illness |
|
The glass castle |
Dysfunctional family |
|
Go ask Alice |
Suicide |
|
I don’t want to be crazy |
Anxiety disorder |
|
I know this much is true |
Schizophrenia |
|
The illustrated Mum |
Manic depression |
|
Inside out |
Schizophrenia |
|
Life in the fat lane |
Eating disorder |
|
Lisa bright and dark |
Breakdown |
|
Lush |
Family addiction |
|
The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a hat |
Neurological disorders |
|
A mango-shaped space |
Synesthesia |
|
Many masters, many lives |
Psychotherapy |
|
A million Little Pieces |
Addiction |
|
More than you can chew |
Anorexia |
|
My sister from the black lagoon |
Schizophrenia |
|
Not as crazy as I seem |
Obsessive comp. |
|
The night I disappeared |
Mental breakdown |
|
One child |
Post traumatic |
|
One flew over the cuckoo’s nest |
Mental illness |
|
The outliers: the story of success |
Non-fiction |
|
Playing With Fire |
Abuse autobiography |
|
Push |
Post traumatic; dysfunctional family |
|
Right behind you |
Family problems, mental illness |
|
Rules of survival |
Mentally ill mom |
|
Saving Lenny |
Depression |
|
Shadow boxing |
Cutting |
|
She’s come undone |
Family impact |
|
Sickened: the true story of a lost childhood |
Munchhausen by proxy |
|
Silence of the lambs |
Psychopath |
|
Speak |
Post traumatic |
|
Sybil |
Multiple personality |
|
Thinner than thou |
Anorexia satire |
|
The tipping point: how little things can make a difference |
Non-fiction |
|
Trigger |
Brain damage |
|
Under the wolf, under the dog |
Suicide |
|
Walking a thin line |
Anorexia |
|
When Jeff comes home |
Post traumatic |
|
Why I Didn’t Say Anything |
Abuse/addiction |
|
Wintergirls |
Anorexia |
|
Wonder when you’ll miss me |
Post traumatic |
...........