Superhero Psychoanalysis

Spiderman Psychoanalyzed

The mind of teenager/super-hero/vigilante Peter Parker

Through the lens of Psychoanalytic Theory, I believe that Spiderman's mind works in ways very similar to those of fellow super-heroes, in that he does not kill his targets.  Spiderman's main objective is to help the police authorities of New York City and to help bring justice to those who have been wronged.  His goal is not to kill someone he is pursuing, but to "capture" them, per say, and leave the rest up to the police. His id would instinctively be telling his mind to kill the criminal he has caught, which Peter could easily do with his inhuman strength and ability, but his superego would tell him otherwise.  Peter is someone who agonizes over his choices and always attempting to do right, therefore his superego would insist that he does not kill the criminals he catches.  His ego brings his mind to a happy medium; Peter catches common criminals without seriously harming them and leaves them for the police to find in a recognizably sticky situation -- a spider web. 

Looking through a Learning Theory point of view, I believe that Spiderman became the person he is due to a specific turning point in his life.  Almost immediately after Peter discovered he had his spider-like abilities, he was in a situation where he could have used his powers to stop a thief from fleeing a crime scene.  Instead, Peter chose to dismiss the thief and mind his own business, and the criminal ran away. In turn, Peter's decision to ignore the criminal resulted in his Uncle Ben's death.  This both consciously and subconsciously flicked a switch for Peter and he chose to take his Uncle's advice, "with great power comes great responsibility", and use his new found abilities to help those in need of saving and prevent anything like that to happen again.

Finally from a Behaviourism point of view, I believe that Spiderman acts the way he does due to many events causing him a great amount of loss and pain.  When Peter was a young boy, both of his parents were killed in a plane crash and Peter grew up with his Aunt and Uncle.  After suffering so much loss as a child and not having many answers to his many questions about his parents, Peter was shy, bullied, average, and small in both stature and confidence.  When Peter's uncle died and he had to experience a parent figure leaving once again,  he coped in a different way.  He took on an alter ego of a masked hero who could avenge his uncle and make sure no one had to experience what he had to.  Spiderman is Peter Parker's polar opposite in that he is strong, confident, risk taking, bold, and psychologically and physically, everything Peter Parker was scared to be.

Peter Parker deals with cognitive dissonance in everyday of his life.  He has to deal with essentially two different people within himself.  During one part of the day, Peter Parker is an average teenage boy who is scared of heights, timid, clumsy, and likes to blend in.  During the same day, Peter can transform into a crime fighting super-hero who is brave, fearless, get the girl, and jump from rooftop to rooftop like its nothing.  Peter holds two different personas, identities, and ideas in his mind simultaneously 24/7.

Sigmund Freud might have insight into Spiderman's psyche because one of his theories was that early childhood memories and experiences are stored in the unconscious mind.  His theory relates to Peter's experience with his parents death and abandonment as a child, which could have affected his unconscious throughout his adult life. 

Theorist B.F. Skinner may also have insight into Spiderman's psyche. He believed in operant conditioning, which means he thought the best way to understand behaviour is to look at the causes of an action and its consequences.  This could be directly related to Peter's encounter with a robber that eventually lead to his uncle's murder and the birth of Spiderman.  His actions directly caused a major consequence that changed his life forever.

Bibliography 
McLeod, S. (n.d.). B.F. Skinner | Operant Conditioning. Simply Psychology - Psychology Articles for Students. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html
Product. (n.d.). Spiderman Biography, History of Spiderman .Superherostuff.com, T-Shirts, Hoodies, Belt Buckles, Action Figures, Comics, And Much More... . Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://www.superherostuff.com/biographies

Product. (n.d.). Spiderman Biography, History of Spiderman .Superherostuff.com, T-Shirts, Hoodies, Belt Buckles, Action Figures, Comics, And Much More... . Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://www.superherostuff.com/biographies

Spider-Man (Peter Parker) - Marvel Universe Wiki: The definitive online source for Marvel super hero bios.. (n.d.). Marvel.com: The Official Site | Iron Man, Spider-Man, Hulk, X-Men, Wolverine and the heroes of the Marvel Universe.Comics, News, Movies and Video Games | Marvel.com. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://marvel.com/universe/Spider-Man_(Peter_Parker)