Stephen Dine Young

Stephen Dine Young is a Professor of Psychology at Hanover College in Indiana, where he has taught for fifteen years. He holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Clark University and is a licensed psychologist with a strong interdisciplinary focus on film, identity, and psychological assessment.

• Institution: Hanover College, Indiana
• Department: Department of Psychology
• School: College of Arts and Sciences
• Academic Rank: Professor

His educational background includes a senior thesis at Miami University (Ohio) that merged popular culture with psychological inquiry, followed by doctoral studies at Clark University, where he focused on development, therapy, symbolism, and narrative in movies.

Dr. Young's research interests lie at the intersection of psychology and popular culture. He investigates how films function as "equipment for living," shaping personal meaning and everyday psychological experiences. His work explores cinematic narratives, audience interpretation, and the psychological profiles of filmmakers and actors such as Hitchcock, Scorsese, Woody Allen, Angelina Jolie, and Jack Nicholson. He has also published and presented on Bob Dylan’s psychological impact on his listeners, blending music studies with audience psychology.

While no recent journal articles are listed in the provided text, his scholarship demonstrates a consistent thematic focus on narrative, symbolism, identity formation, and the therapeutic potential of art. His interdisciplinary approach draws from psychology, film studies, mass communication, and literary criticism, particularly evident in his co-taught course Psychology/Rhetoric of Film.

Dr. Young has made significant contributions through his book Psychology at the Movies, which synthesizes psychological theory with cinematic analysis, examining how films reflect and influence human drama, psychopathology, and psychotherapy. The book appeals to both academic and general audiences, emphasizing the real-world psychological resonance of cinematic fantasy.

He is actively involved in teaching a range of courses including Basic Principles of Psychology, Personality Theory, Behavior Disorders, Counseling and Psychotherapy, and Qualitative Research Methods. His pedagogical approach emphasizes experiential learning, including practicum components, and interdisciplinary integration.

There is no mention of formal advisees, grants, or scientific awards in the provided material. However, his sustained scholarly output and course development suggest active engagement in academic mentorship and curriculum innovation.

Dr. Young does not appear to lead a formal laboratory or research team, but his work implies a qualitative, interview-based research practice, particularly through his interest in interviewing individuals about impactful films. His future work likely continues to explore the psychological dimensions of storytelling across media, especially film and music, with potential expansion into audience studies and narrative therapy applications.