Essay Sample On The Psychology of Dr. Sheldon Cooper

 

The Psychology of Dr. Sheldon Cooper

Dr. Sheldon Cooper is a character in "The Big Bang Theory” portrayed by Jim Parsons. Sheldon is at the very least eccentric, he has certain traits that would seem to most people odd. To understand him one would have to start at the beginning of his life, where he was a child genius. Sheldon does not understand sarcasm, he doesn’t understand being in love, he is very organized, and everything in his life is scheduled even when he uses the bathroom. Sheldon eats certain foods on certain days and he finds it difficult to adapt when his routine is disrupted.,

Sheldon has several traits that would lead most professionals to believe he has Asperger’s. Individuals diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome often exhibit traits such as failure to demonstrate empathy, social awkwardness, and a failure to develop friendships. As the paper progresses it will become evident the character of Sheldon Cooper exhibits traits of various mental health disorders.  Throughout the show, the character exhibits traits of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Narcissistic Personality, as well as other habits and traits that are evident of other personality disorders.  Sheldon has a very demanding personality, he always speaks his mind, and his odd behavior tends to put him in a separate place than those are around him. He often hurts other people’s feelings without even realizing he has said anything wrong.

Sheldon displays child-like tendencies as well. He hates when his friends fight, he loves trains, comic books, and he has several other unique hobbies such as creating his own games, a vlog called "Fun with Flags”, and he can play an instrument called a Theremin. Sheldon uses the instrument in the episode "The Bus Pants Utilization” when the character of Leonard is working on an application and Sheldon tries to take over the project. Leonard fires him from the project and so Sheldon decides to annoy the group by playing his Theremin ("The Big Bang Theory" The Bus Pants Utilization. TV Episode 2011).

Sheldon’s response to people saying he is crazy is that his mother had him tested and he is not crazy. When Sheldon is sick, he has a routine that has to be followed even a song that has to be sung for him to feel better. The song is "Soft Kitty”. All of his friends try to avoid him when he is sick but Penny gets stuck caring for him in season one ("The Big Bang Theory" The Pancake Batter Anomaly (TV Episode 2008). 

Sheldon throws tantrums when he doesn’t get his way and he truly believes that everyone enjoys catering to his needs. Sheldon tends to exhibit what most would view as narcissism; he does not have respect for anyone’s opinion but his own. Sheldon believes his work is more important than anyone else’s within the group. Sheldon considers himself to be a superior being over everyone else. This belief is demonstrated in one episode where Sheldon and Amy, his girlfriend, start talking about procreating just to have a genius child to rule humanity because the child with both their genetics would be a genius. Sheldon from the very beginning of the series was not really much of an extrovert it is only after all the group starts getting to know him does he feel like he is a part of the group. Sheldon also has a multitude of phobias such as germs, crowded places, and even birds. He also suffers from hypochondria if anyone even sniffles around him, he believes that he is sick.

Another example of Sheldon’s character evolution is after Penny and Leonard get married.  Sheldon is still living with them. Amy needs a place to stay while her apartment is being repaired after a flood. Amy suggests to Sheldon that they conduct an experiment where they live together and Sheldon agrees. Sheldon and Amy move into Penny’s apartment across the hall from Leonard and Penny. This episode demonstrates how the character has evolved over the course of the show because he reacts with "normal” anxiety over the two living together. He expresses his concerns that what if living together kills the romance due to their being fully exposed to one another by living in the same place and sharing the same bed. Amy calms his nerves and tells him to look at it as an experiment and everything will work out okay.  Sheldon agrees and they start living together ("The Big Bang Theory" The Cohabitation Experimentation (TV Episode 2016).

Sheldon is a fictional character, but the attributes that are shown in the show are real traits often seen in individuals with high intelligence. Several mathematicians and physicists are prone to autism, and like Sheldon, they are introverted, have a hard time understanding social cues, and want everyone to view things the same way as they do (Winston, 2016). Sheldon even with his quirks seems to be a lot happier and less worried about life than those around him. Sheldon is able to continue on through his day even when he has ruined someone else’s day by being honest.

Another example of Sheldon’s personality is shown in an episode that shows Amy (Sheldon’s girlfriend) who is a neurologist trying to prove a point to Sheldon that he needs closure all the time.  During this episode, she exposes him to a series of tests where she doesn’t allow him to complete the activities. The test she uses is a game of tic-tac-toe. She erases the board before he can win, she allows him to start singing the national anthem but won’t let him sing the last line.  She lets him turn the handle on a jack-in-the-box but doesn’t let the clown pop out. She tells him to make a wish and blow out the candles but she covers one of the candles, and she allows him to set up dominoes, but won’t let him knock the dominoes down. 

When the series of tests is completed Sheldon thanks Amy and tells her he feels like they made real progress. When Amy leaves Sheldon recreates the tests, and completes them, and gets the satisfaction he needs from completing tasks (The Closure Alternative, 2013).

The psychoanalytic approach to Sheldon begins in his childhood with his father.  His father wasn’t there for Sheldon because as a child genius he was so different. His mother is a devout Christian and Sheldon doesn’t believe in organized religion. So, the psychoanalytic view at play here is the way Sheldon has developed in life because he was not taught how to act in social situations. Sheldon graduated college when he was only 14 years old, and by the time he was 16 years old, he had two PhDs.

Sheldon was bullied, and to some extent still is because he doesn’t understand when his friends are making fun of him or saying something sarcastic about his behavior. Sheldon has an IQ of 187 and truly believes that everyone else is inferior to him.

Given his high intellect he does not understand sarcasm, he speaks what’s on his mind, and does not understand the emotions that come along with love and attraction. All of these traits are displayed in the show and as the seasons have progressed Sheldon has learned to adapt, and to understand societal norms and what is expected behavior in the general population. Sheldon meets Amy in Season 3 episode 23. When Amy and Sheldon are set up by his friends they seem like the perfect match because they both are socially awkward, very serious, and they have a lot in common. Amy’s character is basically the female version of Sheldon. Amy begins to become more like the other women on the show.  The show portrays the character’s evolution into the social norms, and the character’s growth in these interpersonal areas is seen with each passing season. Sheldon’s character has also shown great evolution as the show has progressed. He recently asked his Amy to marry him which would have never happened in the first seasons of the show ("The Big Bang Theory" The Proposal (TV Episode 2017).

There are many psychological symptoms that Sheldon exhibits during the show. When he talks about sex, he refers to it as Coitus. Sheldon is not a very affectionate guy mainly because he thinks everyone is infectious, and secondly because he doesn’t understand the concept of intimacy. Sheldon on relationships is the same in many of his transactions with other people.  When his roommate Leonard moved in, he made him sign a "roommate agreement” and this agreement is brought up frequently throughout the series. So, it only made sense that once he and Amy became a couple that he developed the "relationship agreement”. Amy happily signed the agreement because she really loves him. There is an episode where Amy surprises Sheldon with a romantic train ride for Valentine’s Day but instead of it being the quality time that Amy hoped for Sheldon spent most of the ride with another train enthusiast. Amy becomes upset and tells Sheldon that he is being rude and uncaring towards her and her feelings. Sheldon reacts in anger and starts acting out and then he kisses her, and at this point, he realizes he truly has feelings for her. So, after the kiss Sheldon is attentive and they have a great trip ("The Big Bang Theory" The Locomotive Manipulation (TV Episode 2014).

When Sheldon realizes that he has done something wrong he often finds a way in his mind to make things right, so when Amy shared her great news about being recognized in the field of Neuroscience and Sheldon acted like it wasn’t a big deal he had to make it right. So, with the help of Penny the girl next door, they went to a jewelry store to buy her a gift. Sheldon buys Amy a tiara and at first, she is mad that he thought he could buy her jewelry and make it all better, but then she sees the tiara and is so excited she hugs Sheldon to which he responds "I told you it was too much” to Penny ("The Big Bang Theory" The Shiny Trinket Maneuver, 2012).

The two theories chosen to analyze the character’s behavior are the Psychoanalytic and Humanistic approaches. There are several differences between the two approaches. The biggest differing views of nature and society. From a psychoanalytic perspective, humans are born inherently bad and selfish and from the humanistic approach human nature is basically good. Another differing point of view between the theories is how personality develops. Psychoanalytic researchers believe that personality is accumulated over time through life experiences. The Humanistic approach believes that it may take a lifetime to reach one’s full potential. Finally, both theories differ on the motivation of humans (McLeod, 2015).

The similarities are both have a focus on the individual. Both theories make the individual the center of attention. Both theories have their negative aspects that are often scrutinized. Freud’s methods could be seen as bias because he only treated affluent women in a male-driven society. These women had plenty of time and complaints to keep Freud’s bills paid. One of the criticisms of the Humanistic approach is it is too vast with its ideas and concepts. What it really comes down to is an optimistic view versus a pessimistic view and both are needed for future research McLeod, 2015).

Psychoanalytic theory or psychodynamic approach was founded by Sigmund Freud and most other psychological theories taken from Freud’s initial studies. Even though his thought processes seem absurd now Freud led the way for psychology to evolve into what it is today (De Sousa, 2011). There are still lessons to be learned from Freud that can be applied to modern studies. The study of the unconscious mind and passing the life stages were Freud’s reasoning for the psychoanalytic approach. Freud divided the brain into three parts: Id, Ego, and Superego. The Id which is the unconscious, full of energy and desires and this part of the brain is only concerned with pleasure. The Ego is the conscious part of the brain, logical and strategic, and has the burden of keeping the Id happy and not disrupting the SuperEgo. The Super-Ego would be considered the moral part of the brain. If the Ego is not capable of maintaining a balance between the Id and Superego then this can cause the Ego to deploy defense mechanisms to protect the individual (De Sousa, 2011).

Freud argued that without defense mechanisms a person would not be able to deal with the inner turmoil that is the personality. Therefore, psychoanalysis is only regarding the unconscious and the consciousness of the individual as a secondary. Modern researchers would argue that you can’t have one without the other (De Sousa, 2011). For psychoanalysis to apply to Dr. Sheldon Cooper, Sheldon would have to admit that there is something wrong with him, and with his narcissistic tendencies, he would not likely do that.

When Carl Rogers, a psychologist, studied personality, he looked at the individual’s subjective experience. Unlike his predecessors B.F Skinner who looked at behavior, Freud who studied the unconscious, and Wundt who focused on the individuals’ thought processes. Rogers wanted to focus on the whole of the individual, not just parts. The humanistic approach rebelled against what other psychologists believed to be limitations in the field of psychology. This approach has three major areas: 1. It offered a new approach to understanding human nature and behavior, 2. Offered further knowledge of techniques on the study of human behavior, 3. Offers more effective techniques in the practice of psychology (McLeod, 2015).

The Humanistic approach is based on the concept of free will and one’s ability to utilize it. The choices and the paths that are taken in life, as well as the rewards and consequences of those choices, are the responsibility of the individual. Another assumption within the Humanistic approach is that humanity is for the most part good and kind. The thought is humans want to improve themselves as well as the world around them. The approach is seen as somewhat optimistic and focuses on the positive aspects of the human. Rogers and Maslow both agreed that certain needs and criteria have to be met in a person’s life for them to be the person they are meant to be. The Humanistic approach rejects scientific study or methods and opts for a more personal or qualitative approach to collecting data. The methods include diaries, questionnaires, casual interviews, and observation. Animal experiments within this approach are not utilized, because how does studying animal behavior help to understand human behaviors (McLeod, 2015).

The humanistic approach has its pros and cons just like with every discipline in psychology. Some of the strengths of the approach are the focus on individual behavior, satisfies the idea of what most people want in life to make them happy, allows for a more in-depth look at the complete person not just select aspects, and allows for person-centered therapy. The weaknesses of this approach are can frustrate the client (by allowing the clients to think for themselves), is opposed to scientific research and study, can be biased and focused on one culture rather than taking into consideration other cultures and beliefs, and in an education setting, this approach would not be beneficial to all students (Heffner, 2017).

Dr. Sheldon Cooper from the show "The Big Bang Theory” is brilliant and bizarre. Sheldon under psychoanalysis would stump even Freud himself, Sheldon exhibits traits of several different personality disorders but is debatably still functional in his everyday life. Some of Sheldon’s major personality traits are he is a germaphobe, he is what most would consider narcissistic (which I don’t think is his intentions), OCD is second nature to him, he does not understand sarcasm, he finds it difficult to not speak the truth, he believes that his ideas are the only ones of relevance, and there are many more personality traits that he shows in the show (Vitelli, 2016).

Looking at Sheldon from a psychoanalytic point of view he would be seen as not having a relationship with his father because he was too smart and did not play sports. His mother, a devout Christian doesn’t understand why science is more important than Jesus to Sheldon. But his mother is the only one that can calm him down and set him straight when he throws a tantrum. And Sheldon doesn’t relate to any of his family because he is in a league all his own. Being a child genius led to him being bullied and treated badly at an early age so he did not go through all the stages that one should go through and have the normal experiences of growing up (Vitelli, 2016).

Sheldon developed OCD because he likes rules and regulations. He enjoys order and can’t function without lists, schedules, and agreements. He puts a lot of pressure on himself to be perfect and when he can’t figure something out his brain can’t handle it, as seen in the episode "The Einstein Approximation” where Sheldon gets stuck on a physics theory and it leads him to break into a children’s party place with a ball pit. During this episode you can see his descent into madness over a problem that he can’t solve, he uses the balls in the ball pit to try and understand the problem better and when his roommate Leonard shows up to get him Sheldon becomes very child-like and doesn’t want to get out of the ball pit (Personality Disorders, 2016).

Sheldon also shows obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) tendencies when he knocks on doors three times and says the name of the person he is there to see. If this pattern of three knocks is disrupted, he can’t continue until he has completed the pattern. He also has a schedule for what foods he eats during the week on certain days of the week. The schedules are something that Sheldon could not function without, every meal and even when he uses the bathroom is scheduled (The Big Bang Theory Weekly Calendar. (n.d.).

The next issue with Dr. Cooper would be his Narcissistic tendencies. He looks down on people that he views as less intelligent than himself. He thinks that everyone should put him before themselves and any plans that they have made. Sheldon often speaks before he thinks and he doesn’t usually understand why people get upset with him when he says what’s on his mind. Sheldon treats one of the group members Howard Wolowitz badly because he doesn’t have a PhD like the other guys in the group. When Howard is being interviewed for NASA a detective from Homeland security interviews his friends. Sheldon without thinking tells the detective all of Howard's secrets and causes him not to get the clearance he needed for the job. When Howard realizes what Sheldon has done, he is angry and leaves. Sheldon wants to make things right because the rest of the group is upset with him as well so he offers Howard his spot on the couch that he doesn’t let anyone sit in. This again shows Sheldon’s child-like nature and offering up something that is his favorite was his way of making things right ("The Big Bang Theory" The Apology Insufficiency (TV Episode 2010).

The Humanistic approach to Dr. Sheldon Cooper is probably the best approach to use when studying his eccentric behavior. Studying Sheldon as a whole would lead to a better understanding of him and his quirks. There are a lot of theories that Sheldon is on the Autism Spectrum and that is why he presents so many different personality traits from different personality disorders (Tobia & Toma, 2015).

According to Tobia and Toma, relate the difficulty that Sheldon has in social situations to that of a person with Asperger’s. When Sheldon is teaching a class, he gets feedback from his students that says that he is boring and so enlists the help of his next-door neighbor Penny, who is an actress to help him reach his students better. This technique is also used with Asperger’s, except it is called parallel social competence interventions. Sheldon meets several of the criteria that is in the DSM-5 that describes someone with Asperger’s (Tobia & Toma, 2015).

The DSM also requires a patient to have patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. For Sheldon this behavior comes in the form of OCD behavior like knocking three times and saying the person’s name as he knocks. If Sheldon is interrupted he must complete the sequence or he can’t continue on. Sheldon also will not break his routines and he even has to have the perfect seat on the couch. Sheldon believes that he is too superior to drive and that those around him should consider themselves lucky that they get the privilege of driving him everywhere that he needs to go. There are several episodes that show exactly why Sheldon should be diagnosed with Asperger’s (Tobia & Toma, 2015, see table 3).

Sheldon has a twin sister that is introduced to the show in Season one episode 15. Sheldon and Missy are complete opposites and Sheldon makes a point to say that Fraternal Twins are no more alike than regular siblings. When she shows up to see Sheldon all his friends are trying to date her. Sheldon is then cornered by Leonard saying that it is his duty to protect his sister from the other guy’s Howard and Raj. Sheldon at first doesn’t understand how it is any of concern who his sister dates, and then Leonard brings up that it is Sheldon’s duty since his father’s death to make sure Missy has a suitable mate. Sheldon is like your right. I don’t want her with just anyone because there is a chance that she could have a child that is like me and so then he tells all the guys including Leonard that they are not good enough to date his sister. This is another example that would be considered Narcissistic. Sheldon can’t see that he is being manipulated by Leonard ("The Big Bang Theory" The Pork Chop Indeterminacy (TV Episode 2008).

According to Olson, Carl Rogers theorized that an individual must behave in ways that are socially accepted. Rogers stated that individuals strive to discover their true self and benefit those around them. Rogers didn’t believe that an individual should be measured by their worth but by what they have accomplished. Olson goes on to say that if mentally challenged people were not stigmatized that they could be more successful. The key components to the Humanistic approach is positive outlook, empathy, and being true to oneself (Olson, 2013).

Sheldon’s honesty can be attributed to Asperger’s as well. Children with Autism have been found to be more honest than typical developing children. The art of lying is a developmental milestone that is strengthened as an individual gets older. An individual lies to keep from hurting someone’s feelings, or to keep themselves from getting in trouble and can usually keep up with the lie. Children and Adults with ASD can’t keep up with the lie. Children that are developing normally as young as two demonstrated they could deceive. This research could explain why researchers believe Sheldon falls on the Autism Spectrum (Li, Kelley, Evans, & Lee, 2011, February).

Another area of Sheldon’s personality that would lead one to believe that he is Autistic is his inability to handle conflict. Sheldon shuts down when others argue around him. There is an episode where Penny and Leonard are fighting and Sheldon runs away from it. They find Sheldon at the comic book store sitting in a corner reading and playing with a toy robot. Penny and Leonard treat Sheldon like he is a child in this episode and even buy him the robot he is playing with ("The Big Bang Theory" The Guitarist Amplification (TV Episode 2009).  Children and Adults with Autism can have Shutdown periods where they become unresponsive, sleepy, immobile, and run away from the situation that is stressing them. There are triggers that cause these reactions because it becomes too much for the autistic child or adult to handle so they need to escape the situation by any means necessary (Loos- Miller, & Loos, 2015, October 15).

There are some traits of Autism that showcase the positive traits of Sheldon as well such as loyalty, trustworthiness, and reliability. Unlike the other individuals in the group Sheldon would not purposely deceive someone in the group. Sheldon has always been more comfortable alone but Leonard moves in with him Sheldon inevitably becomes part of Leonard’s group of friends. Sheldon also shares the honesty, dependability, and genuineness that comes from someone with Autism. Sheldon also offers the ability to focus on a situation without letting emotions get in the way much like an Autistic person. Sheldon has high integrity; he is a hard worker and is always wanting to improve or discover something new within the realm of his work as a scientist. And the final comparison would be his high intelligence (Autism Spectrum Australia. (n.d.).

Sheldon could be perceived as Narcissistic but ASD individuals are not aware of social cues and what are social reactions to others being bored or uncomfortable. Sheldon isn’t trying to be difficult when he refuses to change his routine; he is simply trying to not become anxious due to the change. Others can often see Sheldon as not willing to be agreeable with anything if things change but this is due to his incapacity to understand interpersonal cues, show empathy or compassion, and also the lack to control his emotions when faced with a situation that makes him anxious or uncomfortable. A research study conducted wanted to go beyond ASD vs. TD (typical development). The research performed two studies and came up with children and adults with ASD are not as aware of other’s feelings or emotions as Sheldon (Schriber, Robins, & Solomon, 2014, January).

The evolution of Sheldon’s personality throughout the show is so fascinating from the beginning to current episodes. Sheldon started out with the inability to understand friendship, relationships, and the correct way to behave in a social gathering. To the man that the viewer sees on the show today. He is engaged to Amy, he has real friends, and he has with their help learned empathy and compassion for other people’s feelings. He learned to apologize when he has upset someone and he learned to take criticism from those that he cares about the most. Being a fan of the show and also a psychology major this has been a learning experience and roller coaster ride for fans. He still has his quirks and what makes him so unique but he adapted and changed to fit the role that was expected of him. There are several milestones that Sheldon reaches within the show.                                                                         

In a recent episode Sheldon is asked by another staff member to collaborate on a project he’s working on. Even though Sheldon finds the concept of the project thrilling he doesn’t want to be associated with the Geology department which is the department his colleague is over so he tries to hide that he is working with him. When the colleague approaches Sheldon during lunch to give him his jacket that he left Sheldon acts like he doesn’t know what the colleague is talking about and proceeds to be rude and demeaning to his colleague. Sheldon realizes his mistake later and goes to apologize and ask to be let back on the project but it’s too late Leonard took his place. Sheldon is not happy about the turn of events but he also knows that if he hadn’t been embarrassed, he would have been able to be a part of something great ("The Big Bang Theory" The Geology Methodology (TV Episode 2017).

In a more recent episode Leonard tells the group that he has decided to start a book to which Sheldon replies that it would be interesting news if it was Penny but you have read a book. Leonard states that he is going to write a novel about a scientist that is a sleuth and Sheldon thinks it's about him but Leonard is quick to correct him. During the episode Amy is asked to be on Sheldon’s favorite childhood TV show "Professor Proton'' which has recently been rebooted starring Sheldon’s mortal enemy Wil Wheaton. Sheldon tries to apologize to Wheaton in order for a guest appearance on the show but Wheaton says no. The episode ends with Sheldon and Amy watching her on the show and after it's over Amy tells Sheldon that she is proud of him for how mature he is being about it. Sheldon tells Amy that he is trying to not show his jealousy and she says she appreciates that and then says she's going to bed and tells her he is going to the roof to scream. This episode is another example of Sheldon’s evolution because in seasons past he would have become aggressive and threw a tantrum about not getting his way. So, he is showing maturity a little at a time ("The Big Bang Theory '' The Novelization Correlation (TV Episode 2018).

So, in closing when comparing Sheldon Cooper’s personality traits with the different approaches one would consider him to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Even though other researchers might disagree, the answer to his personality is in the DSM-5 under Autism Sheldon matches all the criteria for a high functioning Autistic adult. Sheldon exhibits the difficulty with social interactions, struggles with effective communication, he is sensitive to his environment, and lacks the ability for socially accepted behavior. There is also the need for routines and having a hard time understanding facial expressions. Sheldon also has a hard time forming and maintaining relationships and friendships and it is only through the group's patience and understanding that he has significant people in his lives. Some of the other traits that Sheldon exhibits within the Autism spectrum is his difficulty initiating and keeping a conversation going especially if the conversation isn’t about him.

The best approach out of the two mentioned would be the Humanistic approach because a researcher would need to look at Sheldon as a whole person and not just certain personality traits that he exhibits. Sheldon would benefit from the approach because he could learn to understand social situations and the correct way to behave and respond to certain situations as well. And he could learn to take the quirks that he has and utilize them in a productive way.

 

 

References

Autism Spectrum Australia. (n.d.). Retrieved February 02, 2018.

De Sousa, A. (2011). Freudian Theory and Consciousness: A Conceptual Analysis**. Mens Sana Monographs, 9(1), 210–217.

Heffner, C. L., PhD. (2017). Chapter 10: Section 4: Research on Humanistic Theory. Retrieved January 28, 2018.

Li, A. S., Kelley, E. A., Evans, A. D., & Lee, K. (2011, February). Retrieved February 01, 2018.

Loos- Miller, I. M., & Loos, H. G. (2015, October 15). Shutdowns and Stress in Autism. Retrieved February 02, 2018.

McLeod, S. (2015, January 01). Saul McLeod. Retrieved January 31, 2018.

"The Big Bang Theory" The Geology Methodology (TV Episode 2017). (2017, November 09). Retrieved February 02, 2018.