On shows created by Joss Whedon

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The Psychology of Joss Whedon

Edited by Joy Davidson, PhD

First there was Buffy the Vampire Slayer; then its spin-off Angel; then the cult hit Firefly; and its follow-up film, Serenity. They all had two things in common: their creator, Joss Whedon … and their surprising psychological depth.

Revisit the worlds of Joss Whedon … with trained psychologists at your side. What are the psychological effects of constantly fighting for your life? Why is neuroscience the Whedonverse’s most terrifying villain? How can watching Joss’s shows help you take on your own psychological issues?

Essays

• Introduction: The Psychology of Joss WhedonJoy Davidson
• Mal's MoralsRobert Kurzban, Ph.D.
• "Darn Your Sinister Attraction!"Carol Poole
• Free Will in a Deterministic WhedonverseThomas Flamson
• The Adaptive, the Maladaptive, and the Mal-AdaptiveNicholas R. Eaton, Robert F. Krueger
• An Analysis of Slayer LongevityNancy S. Weinfield, Tracy R. Gleason
• How Buffy Learned to Confront Her FearsMichael Wolff, Brian Rabian
• Terror Management Aboard SerenityWind Goodfriend, Ph.D.
• Existentialism Meets Feminism in Buffy the Vampire SlayerC. Albert Bardi, Sherry Hamby
• Dealing with the F-WordMisty K. Hook, Ph.D.
• "Stripping" River Tam's AmygdalaBradley J. Daniels
• Buffy the Vampire DaterKarthik Panchanathan, Siamak Tundra Naficy
• More Than EntertainmentStephanie R. deLusé, Ph.D.
• Buffy's Search for MeaningMikhail Lyubansky, Ph.D.
• Psychology BadEd Connor
• "There's My Boy..."Joy Davidson