Drunk on Film: The Psychology of Storytelling with Alcohol and its Effects on Alcohol Consumption

Presented by Ted Mandell & Anré Venter

Alcohol Use Disorder is a chronic relapsing brain disease. But when presented on screen, it's entertainment. Why do we laugh, why do we cry, why do we emulate fictional characters whose drinking habits result in a life of debilitating addiction? From James Bond to Jonah Hill, the psychology and seduction of alcohol on film, in advertising, and online will be analyzed. We'll also look at non-fiction films that tackle issues of addiction, as a way of comparing character development in Hollywood films to the results of this same behavior in everyday life. Furthermore, what is the relationship between alcohol use/abuse as presented on screen and the manner in which alcohol is used and abused on, for example, college campuses?  Has binge drinking been normalized in film narratives? Does this affect adolescent expectations of alcohol consumption? From the psychological perspective we will discuss the topic and process of social influence and how the presence of others influences our behavior. Questions of interest will include the following: What are the mechanisms by which group influence unfolds? How and why might we be persuaded? Does the manner in which alcohol use is portrayed in movies and the media reflect the processes and principles of social influence?  In addition, issues of addiction will be discussed - from understanding the basis of addiction to examining the efficacy of addiction treatment.

About Ted Mandell & Anré Venter

Ted Mandell (M.A. Univ. of Iowa, B.A. Univ of Notre Dame) is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Notre Dame Department of Film, Television, and Theatre where he has taught film for the past 33 years. Specializing in documentary film production, Ted is co-director of the documentary "88 and 1" (ESPN2), the award winning documentary "Okuyamba", and producer of the online documentary series First Time Fans. Ted is also in charge of the annual Notre Dame Student Film Festival, founder of the Force For Good Film Festival for High School Students, and director of Notre Dame's pre-college Summer Scholars Film Track program for high school students. He has penned numerous national op-ed columns on media and popular culture, published in The Washington Post, Boston Globe, Chicago Sun Times, and other newspapers.

Dr. Anré Venter received his Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Notre Dame and is currently the director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Psychology at Notre Dame. He teaches the introductory psychology course for first year students, statistics, a mid-level Social Psychology course and upper-level seminars focusing on the Philosophy of the Self. His primary research interest examines issues of self ranging from the effects of self-complexity as a buffer against stress as well as the relationship between culture and self.

Prior to entering Notre Dame, Dr. Venter received an M.A. in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University and a B.A. in psychology and social anthropology from the University of Cape Town in South Africa.