VIDEO: 'Dr. Ghoul' Gets Students Psyched About the Personalities of Halloween

University of Cincinnati students in a Psychology 102 class took on a psychology-related Halloween challenge on Oct. 30 as part of Associate Professor Ken Ghee’s “Chiller Thriller Halloween Personality Class.”

Leading the class was a figure dressed in long, black garb with the mask of a skeleton, identifying himself as “Dr. Ghoul” and announcing that he was filling in for Professor Ghee. “Feel free to die laughing as you witness the face of fear,” he said, chuckling.

The lesson today explored the aspects of the personality that can be reflected by the characters roaming about on Halloween. “Good and evil are eternal forces,” Dr. Ghoul explained. “They will never go away in your life. Halloween captures our fears and our desires.”

In psychological terms, he explained that the unconscious mind is operated by the id, the instinctual impulses that can reflect the dark, irrational side of the personality. “It adheres to the pleasure principle.”

The super ego, on the other hand, was a source of the best that we can be, he said – the morality principle. The ego delved into the rational, logical side of the personality, the reality principle.

“I want you to think seriously now, young brothers and sisters, about the forces in your life that are preventing you from being what you want to be,” he said.

As part of a class project, nearly a dozen students took on a challenge to come to class in a Halloween costume and explain why what they were wearing reflected the id (the dark “irrational” side of the personality) or the ego (the “good” rational aspects of the personality). The class of 230 students – ranging from freshmen to seniors – voted for their favorite presentation according to three criteria:

• Describe which character they related to the most and explain why
• Select which costume was the best and explain why
• Offer comment and feedback on the class presentation

One student first introduced herself as Sarah Palin and then as Tina Fey playing Sarah Palin. The student explained that she uses her wit to “get out of a lot of situations. Tina Fey gets paid millions, but I just get into trouble,” she said.

Student Eric Dickerson told the class that he dressed as the Joker, because he, too, used jokes and laughter to “get out of tough situations.”

One student, dressed in pale green, explained that he was a highlighter. “I don’t have much in common with the pen, but I’m bright and fun and happy.”

A student portraying a witch told the class to vote for her because she was “crazy and wicked and really cool.”

A group of students announced they were Cinderella and the step-sisters. The girls were roommates and good friends, and announced that they all agreed that the student portrayed as Prince Charming was truly charming.

A student dressed as an angel said she sees herself as good-natured and a good listener. “I see myself on the bright side, not the dark side,” she said.

A student dressed as a bright green M&M and identifying himself as Andy said that he was slightly diabetic, “so for me as a diabetic kid, the scariest thing I could think of was a giant piece of candy!”

Once the presentations were over, Dr. Ghoul brought all the contestants to the front of the classroom for one last “Monster’s Ball.”

The class is a new aspect of Ghee’s innovation in higher education series, linking psychology to pop culture. In Halloween tradition, the students also got a tasty treat, as Dr. Ghoul threw candy into the crowd of students.