My research about the psychology of Harry Potter

My research about the psychology of Harry Potter Iina Lousa Academic Writing, Reading and Communication, XENY 002 Ryhmä 4 (PSY) 2011

Outline �Background �Research question �Purpose for study �Hypotheses �Critical sources �How is this research done �Summary

Background: Me and Harry Potter…

Research question: How can J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter-books help us in our lives?

Purpose for study � The purpose of this study is to examine in what ways can J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter –books be helpful in our lives � This holds questions like: � Why are HP-books so popular? � Why do some people experience the books helpful in their lives? � In what things (or characters) can we relate to in the books? � What messages does HP hold? � What kind of values can we learn from HP? � How can we use the ideas of HP in helping people (for example in different therapies)? � Does HP include thoughts/concepts from positive psychology?

Hypotheses: � Reading Harry Potter can help us in our lives � Reading HP can give us more courage and hope � Reading HP helps us find our “inner child” � We can learn about life from HP � We can learn various values from HP, for example loyalty, equality, love and respect for friendship. � It is easy to identify with the characters in the book � Themes in the books have similarities to different therapy methods � HP –books can be succesfully used in therapy � HP- books promote the ideas of positive psychology

Critical sources… �What psychoanalytical themes are there in the books, and how can they be used in group psychotherapy for adolescents with mental health problems. (Noctor, Colman. (2006). Putting Harry Potter on the Couch. Clinical Child Psychology and Prychiatry, 11, 579 -589. ) �Why are the books so popular and what is their appeal. (Tucker, Nicholas. (1999). The Rise and Rise of Harry Potter. Children’s Literature in Education, 30, 221 -234. )

…and more � How can the books help a young gay man find support for his ”queer” identity. (Nylund, David. (2007). Reading Harry Potter: Popular culture, queer theory and the fashioning of youth identity. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 26, 13 -24. ) � What similarities are there between themes or characters in the book, and different therapy methods. How can the books be used in psychotherapy. (Mulholland, Neil. (2007). Using Psychological Treatment with Harry. In Neil. Mulholland (Eds. ), The psychology of Harry Potter: an unautorized examination of the boy who lived. (265 -282). Dallas: Benbella books)

How is this research done �The research is done by examining different research articles written about the books (especially from psychological perspective) �(After that I will analyze the articles, how they fit into my research and compare them with my own reading experience of the books)

To sum up. . In this presentation I have talked about. . �Why am I interested in this topic �What is my research question (How can J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter-books help us in our lives? ) �The purpose of my study �Some of the hypotheses I have come up so far �My main critical sources and their basic ideas �How am I going to carry out my additional research

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