Movie or TV Project - Essay Example

The word has ended; At least the world as you knew it. What would you? What would people do? How would we survive? How do we live? These are the questions on the minds of the survivors of an “apocalypse.” These are the tough questions presented and considered in every episode of AMCs hit television series “The Walking Dead” This is their reality. It is a world overrun by an unending threat of being eaten alive, becoming something that eats people alive, and the actions and behaviors of other living human beings.

The characters on the show are confronted with moral, ethical, and philosophical conundrums on a regular basis. Psychology theories can be used to understand some of the behaviors of the characters in the series. For human beings there are two struggles being faced; the first, is determining what are the best actions for you as an individual and, the second, is learning how to function and interact within group efforts with other people. For this reason the two best psychological approaches are the humanistic theory and the theories of social psychology.

The Humanistic theoretical approach is based around three specific areas. Established a new set of values for the human conditions, new methods for studying human behavior, and offered more effective methods than other traditional approaches. They believe that human beings have free will and “Personal Agent” is someone enacting that will on the world. They work on the principle that people are innately good and will work to better themselves and the world (McLeod, 2012).One of the definitive thinkers of humanistic theory is Abraham Maslow.

Maslow believed that people work towards a specific set of needs that range in importance. He developed the Hierarchy of Needs, which is best expressed in the form of a pyramid, where basic needs like food falls at the base and Self-Actualization is placed at the apex. Everyone is working to move up the pyramid to achieve that actualization (McLeod, 2013). On “The Walking Dead” we see several individual characters that, although, living within a group, are quite different in their approaches, behaviors and attitudes.

The best comparison is between Rick Grimes and Shane Walsh. Before the “zombie apocalypse” they were Sheriffs Deputies, partners, and friends. However, after the apocalypse their behaviors, actions, attitudes, ethical, and moral perspectives began to become more and more divergent. Rick works to continue thinking ethically and justly. He has a wife, son, and, at one point, a baby on the way. He must provide food, shelter, and safety, not just for himself, but for others. He cannot move up the hierarchy of actualization unless his family achieves theirs.

While, Shane, on the other hand, has no responsibilities of his own and only his own interests to consider most of the time. His solutions to issues were never diplomatic, but entirely utilitarian. What is right is whatever he decides is the best bet, regardless of the considerations of those around them. Shane wants to achieve his “hierarchy” so to speak; and he did not have a problem crushing others in his path to get it. The Social Psychology approach focuses its studies on the way that human beings behave in group environments.

Why are certain people more likely to become leaders and others followers? What is the nature of different group dynamics? Why do people in group behave as they do? These are all questions are