VIA Shares Expertise at APA

(August 18, 2009)

The VIA Institute on Character contributed to several presentations at the American Psychological Association Convention in Toronto in August. VIA's Education Director, Dr. Ryan M. Niemiec, was part of a number of distinguished panels at the conference. Here are some of the highlights.

There was standing room only for the symposium called “Movies for the Variety of Human Experiences,”  in which presenters spoke about the integration of movies and positive psychology. Dr. Tayyab Rashid talked about his research on positive psychotherapy and how he integrates movies into the process. Dr. Paul Wong shared how the cinema is a useful tool for understanding the seven pathways of death acceptance, while Dr. Lisa Butler explained the dissociative role movies have upon the viewer and his or her interpretation of the film. 

One of the highlights of Niemiec’s presentation on the role of character strengths in films occurred when he spoke of what he calls cinematic elevation. This concept comes directly from Dr. Jonathan Haidt’s definition of elevation as an emotional response to moral beauty that causes physiological changes and a motivation to do good works. Niemiec shared his belief that Positive Psychology movies can elicit that emotion of elevation that brings viewers to make changes in their lives, for the benefit of themselves and others.

APA maintained its popular annual event, “Sex, Love, and Psychology: A Town Hall Meeting,” hosted by former APA President, Dr. Frank Farley. At the event, Niemiec spoke of the character strength of love, highlighting research by Shelly Gable, Barbara Fredrickson, George Valliant, Robert Sternberg, David Snowdon, Kathleen Light, John Gottman, and of course, Chris Peterson. Niemiec explained that while Hollywood often promotes a happily-ever-after message about love, it is not until the movie concludes that the hard work of love’s ingredients – commitment, intimacy, and passion (from Sternberg’s triangular theory of love) – come into play. The renowned sex therapist and media maven, Dr. Judy Kuriansky (aka “Dr. Judy") spoke of sexual issues that arise in the media and Dr. Lenore Walker, who has written extensively on domestic violence and decades ago coined the phrase “battered woman’s syndrome,” spoke of the dark side of love.

Niemiec presented on the character strength of persistence and the psychology of the underdog in the film, "Slumdog Millionaire," on a panel hosted by Dr. Meera Rastogi. The panelists also included Dr. Neha Navsaria and Dr. Sanjay Nath, who discussed the concept of resilience and the accuracy of the depiction of the Indian slums, respectively.

Niemiec and Dr. Danny Wedding hosted a presentation of "The Reader" to an energetic crowd eager to explore how the film could serve as a springboard for discussions on ethics, good vs. evil, character strengths and morality, the nature of change, ephebephilia, redemption, and the power of secrets.

Niemiec and Wedding are co-authors of Positive Psychology at the Movies: Using Films to Build Virtues and Character Strengths. Niemiec also is the instructor for the 2009 VIA Intensives in Chicago, Washington, DC, Melbourne and Sydney.