Taking on the role of TV characters?!
Question: I've been recently working on an experiment, or should I say I have been observing. Basically what I have found is that when some people watch TV or watch a movie they start to take on the role or traits of the characters within that program. An example of this is that I have friend that once they have watched a program such as, 'House' they suddenly become really sarcastic and start trying to explain medical things, even though they don't actually know anything about medicine. I've also read an articles about a person who watched fight club and afterwards felt that he needed to go and fight someone. This was put down to increased levels of testosterone, however I was wandering is this actually some form of psychological disorder such as light case of schizophrenia, or has some psychologist actually given this a name.
Answers: I've been recently working on an experiment, or should I say I have been observing. Basically what I have found is that when some people watch TV or watch a movie they start to take on the role or traits of the characters within that program. An example of this is that I have friend that once they have watched a program such as, 'House' they suddenly become really sarcastic and start trying to explain medical things, even though they don't actually know anything about medicine. I've also read an articles about a person who watched fight club and afterwards felt that he needed to go and fight someone. This was put down to increased levels of testosterone, however I was wandering is this actually some form of psychological disorder such as light case of schizophrenia, or has some psychologist actually given this a name.
I totally do that! LOL! Not in some life altering way though. There are 'action' shows, and movies that make me really feel like I could kick someone's @ss if I wanted to after watching them. I am well aware of the reality while having these 'delusions', but I allow myself to get pulled into what I'm watching. I mean really pulled in!
I think maybe delusions is the word you are looking for. People suffering from psychotic breaks almost always have delusions. You heard the phrase 'delusions of grandeur'. It's where someone believes they are all knowing, they are a movie star, or simply that they are God. Sometimes those delusions are visual, and auditory as well.
I don't think the symptoms that you are studying are examples of a psychotic break. Rather they (or we, as the case maybe) are deluded into thinking, if only for a short time, we are something we are not.
You've done good to the world. Go treat yourself with a pizza.
Our values and personalities are formed by other people - especially ones we respect, admire, or look up to. Does seem weird though. To take on the traits of obviously fictional characters. Hmmm.
dude that is anawesome experiment....gold star for you....I don't think it's a serious illness or any form of schizophrenia....I think people may do it as a way to escape from themselves for a short while...it's also people just being human....when we hangout with people for awhile we start to take on their characteristics and personalities and they take on ours....it's just natural, when we becom subjected to something for extended periods of time, it starts to become part of us....
It may be something like the Foreign Accent Syndrome where some people for unknown reasons start speaking with an accent and cannot stop it....
I can see how this would happen--and I wouldn't go so far as to say this is some horrible mental illness unless someone actually breaks with reality and Believes they are really a character.
With young children it is a little different---as often young children can't understand it is action, a cartoon or character... I once knew a boy who jumped of his roof with a cape on believing he would fly like superman....Because he was over the age that he should be confused he was put into a mental facility and did grow up to have some serious mental disorders.