Will Hunting Personality Matrix - Good Will Hunting

Will Hunting Personality Matrix

Introduction

The film Good Will Hunting is based on a young man, known as Will Hunting, while struggling with social cognitive conflicts. He knew that he had an abundant gift for mathematics, but throughout his life living in the South are of Boston, he was always trying to fit in. Like playing the bad boy role, getting into fights in the neighborhood and having many criminal charges on his record. Will began his life as an orphan, having to live in abusive foster care homes. He also had to deal with abandonment issues, as well as having a drunken abusive foster father that would abuse him by hitting him with a wrench. This would be the reason for him to start acting in violent behavior. In order for Will to get some kind of relief in his life, he would go to public libraries and read all kinds of books. What would change in his life, is meeting a math Professor Lambeau that would introduce him to a therapist, to confront his issues and understand his intelligence.

It has told throughout the film that Will had weird way of looking at the world, and also a negative way of thinking how the world is. Will has a system of viewing things differently than an average person might view. He also begins to cause sorrow with both the therapist and his girlfriend. He assumes that he is not owed a comfortable life, because of his intelligence. He thinks that he should live his life hardworking blue collar worker, because of his background of growing up in "Southie".

Section 2: Application of Personality Theory

Theory Description and Rationale

Social-Cognitive Theory

Social cognitive theories believe that an individual personal intention is the best direct predictor of actual transition, but people do not behave accordance to their intentions. (Lippke, Wiedemann, Ziegelmann, Reuter & Schwarzer, 2009) The basic research of social cognitive theory includes a person goals, beliefs, and emotions It is also believed that when a person observes things in life, they compare it to their past experiences.

Character Description

Will Hunting is a twenty year old man, that grew up in South Boston, that is known "Southie". Who has being in several foster homes, and abused and abandoned constantly throughout his childhood. While going through the painful struggles in his childhood, he escaped it all through a group of friends; they were more like family to him than anything else. Compared to Will, his friends were considered slow learners, and trouble makers, but they were his family. His friends were devoted to him and to each other.

In the first week of a graduate level class, Will solves a difficult math problem that the professor wrote on the chalkboard for his students to solve, by the end of the semester. After everyone was wondering who solved the math problem, than professor Lambeau decides to put another math problem on the board that took his colleagues two years to solve. So Will discovered the problem, and begins trying to solve it, until professor Lambeau thinks that Will is vandalizing the board and chases him away.

Will found him worthy of having a meaningful life. He also speaks constantly of being honor in building homes, rather than getting a higher education. He believed that it is an honor in lying concrete and cleaning buildings. But his counselor Sean reminds him that it was an honor in being true to your his capabilities.

Character Analysis

Structure

The social cognitive theory recognizes that the idea of a mind contains schemas, like a long history. (Ervin, Cervone & Oliver, 2005) Schemas make sense to people when they have something to reference to it. It is believed that when a person looks at the world through their schema, they begin to see things differently. The reaction of time is also a thought in concern in a self-schema. People live their lives through more than one schema. It is different events that provide differing world views.

Process

Will Hunting determines many different schemas. He is a person who has a negative personal schema. He feels like he should remain in South Boston, and is only deserves only one certain type of life. Rather than leaving South Boston, that is known as "Southie", and working in a more upscale society. Throughout Will life, he is his own enemy. He is offered jobs with different companies, but he does not even think of a life that he could have. He prefers to remain in a world that is the same to his existence. When Will shares his knowledge about different world events or different books with counselors and others, he is almost conceited about his ability to do. He imagines that he knows as much more than his counselor, in assisting him through his issues. He pushes his counselor away, after his misbehavior. He has a wealth of book knowledge, but no real understanding of the real world. While some of his schemas may be advanced and allow him great knowledge, in other areas, he has no concept of even understanding because he literally knows nothing more than being a 'Southie'. He has a relationship with a