Cognitive Psychology In The Movie 'Inside Out'

In this paper I’m going to be writing about the cognitive psychology that takes place in the movie “Inside Out”. In this movie pre-teen Riley is forced to move from the life she knew in the Midwest; to San Francisco and it’s not an easy transition. Like us all, Riley is guided by her emotions. In the movie these emotions are Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness.
These emotions live inside of Riley’s brain which (in the movie) is referred to as the “Headquarters”. Joy, who is Riley’s most important emotion is also the leader of the headquarters. When things begin to get messed up in the Headquarters it also effects Riley, and Joy is no longer able to maintain the positivity that she feels Riley needs. That’s when the other emotions must help her. Riley then begins to tap into some of her other Cognitive emotions and must try to survive these bumpy times. Parts of
Our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors maneuver the way we do things in what’s called a “cognitive triangle”. If this cognitive triangle did not work people would be committing suicides left and right over spilled milk. That is why it is so important.
As Riley’s life progresses she begins to form new memories which in the movie are depicted as being the same as her personality, when she begins to lose her memories she beings to lose her quirky personality as well. While memories and personality do affect each other drastically they are not the same thing. People who experience more positive memories do tend to be more outgoing and positive people, and people who experience bad memories tend to be shyer and stay to themselves.
However, when a positive or negative memory leaves our short-term memory and doesn’t make it to our long-term memory our personalities don’t instantly alter because we can’t remember that memory. A change in your personality tends to happen