Dr. Alex Swan
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Dr. Alex Swan
@swanpsych.com
900 followers 3.1K following 210 posts
Assoc Prof. Cog psy, films, & biases. ❤️ memes & gifs. Dad. Krav blue belt. Host of CinemaPsych Podcast. YouTuber. Posts are mine. He/him https://linktr.ee/alexbswan
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Dr. Alex Swan @swanpsych.com · Jan 24
Hello new followers! A little about my interests and the kinds of posts you might see from me on BS:

1. A couple years ago, my video lec series on cognitive biases came out: www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/unde... (you can also find it on Apple TV+ & Prime). 24 30ish min lectures on var cog biases.
swanpsych.com
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Jill Swirsky as they enter the world of musical theater yet again, this time traveling to the land of Oz in Wicked (2024)! It’s such a good story, you’ll definitely end up defying gravity!

#filmsky #psychsky #psychfilm
cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com/2025/11/03/e...
Episode 105: Defying Gravity is the Self-Actualization Anthem We All Needed — Wicked (2024) with Jill Swirsky
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Jill Swirsky as they enter the world of musical theater yet again, this time traveling to the land of Oz in Wicked (2024)! The film
cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com
November 3, 2025 at 4:44 PM
swanpsych.com
I was interviewed by MovieWeb a couple of weeks ago about the psychology of horror films and we specifically discussed the pertinent psych of Sinners. Here’s the video:
youtu.be/PGVkPG9Z-vU?...
Psychologist Discusses Why 'Sinners' Works and Why Horror is in a Golden Age
YouTube video by MovieWeb
youtu.be
October 24, 2025 at 12:34 PM
swanpsych.com
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Jon Mandracchia as they become members of the Corleone family discussing Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972). Listening to this episode is an offer you can't refuse!

#filmsky #psychsky #film #movies #psych #mafia
cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com/2025/10/13/e...
Episode 104: The Family That Crimes Together Stays Together — The Godfather (1972) with Jon Mandracchia
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Jon Mandracchia as they become members of the Corleone family discussing Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972). This first pa
cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com
October 13, 2025 at 2:39 PM
swanpsych.com
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Katherine Marshall Woods as they explore the psychodynamic themes in Denzel Washington's directorial debut, Antwone Fisher (2002). #filmsky #psychsky #antwonefisher #psychology #psychodynamictheory #mediastudies
cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com/2025/09/22/e...
Episode 103: Finding Love, Family, & Metaphorical Food Through Psychodynamic Therapy — Antwone Fisher (2002) with Katherine Marshall Woods
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Katherine Marshall Woods as they explore the psychodynamic themes in Denzel Washington's directorial debut, Antwone Fisher (2002).
cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com
September 22, 2025 at 4:27 PM
swanpsych.com
This is out now! Click on the link in the quoted post and enjoy a wonderful experience of psychology and film mixed together!

#psychsky #filmsky
swanpsych.com Dr. Alex Swan @swanpsych.com · Sep 8
Pleased to announce that my audiobook/course "A Psychologist Goes to the Movies" releases next week on Thursday, 9/18 on Audible!! Preorder is available now!

I talk about six films & their psych content/portrayal, 1 film per chapter.

#psychsky #filmsky #psychology

www.audible.com/pd/A-Psychol...
A Psychologist Goes to the Movies
Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Movies have the astonishing ability to show us our world in a whole new light. They can help us understand tough concepts and even allow us to walk in someo...
www.audible.com
September 18, 2025 at 4:07 PM
swanpsych.com
Mood
Meme of Buzz Lightyear and Woody from Toy Story, with the former’s arm outstared and the latter with a worried look on his face. Buzz seems to be saying with the text on the image “confirmation bias everywhere”
September 13, 2025 at 1:42 PM
swanpsych.com
Pleased to announce that my audiobook/course "A Psychologist Goes to the Movies" releases next week on Thursday, 9/18 on Audible!! Preorder is available now!

I talk about six films & their psych content/portrayal, 1 film per chapter.

#psychsky #filmsky #psychology

www.audible.com/pd/A-Psychol...
A Psychologist Goes to the Movies
Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Movies have the astonishing ability to show us our world in a whole new light. They can help us understand tough concepts and even allow us to walk in someo...
www.audible.com
September 8, 2025 at 5:32 PM
swanpsych.com
Last month, my essay on film pedagogy was published on the APA's Psychology Teacher's Network:

#psychsky #filmsky #filmpedagogy #pedagogy #APA

www.apa.org/ed/precolleg...
www.apa.org
September 2, 2025 at 6:55 PM
swanpsych.com
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Brooke Cannon as they explore one of Alfred Hitchcock's brilliant thrillers, Strangers on a Train (1951).

#bias #cinema #clinicalpsychology #cognitivepsychology #darktriadpersonality #film #filmanalysis #Freud #psych
cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com/2025/09/01/e...
Episode 102: Hitchcock, Freudian Theory, and the Perfect Murder — Strangers on a Train (1951) with Brooke Cannon
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Brooke Cannon as they explore one of Alfred Hitchcock's brilliant thrillers, Strangers on a Train (1951). The film stars Farley Gra
cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com
September 1, 2025 at 5:31 PM
swanpsych.com
Alex & guest host Chad Freidrichs, doc filmmaker, discuss one of Chad's recent releases, The Cinema Within (2024). The doc cleverly explores & visualizes one of film's greatest mysteries: how humans process editing's most basic pieces: the cut!

cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com/2025/08/11/e...
Episode 101: Basic Film Editing and Human Perception are a Match Made in Cinema Heaven! The Cinema Within (2024) with Chad Freidrichs
Join Alex and guest host Chad Freidrichs, documentary filmmakers, as they discuss one of Chad's recent releases, The Cinema Within (2024). The documentary cleve
cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com
August 11, 2025 at 3:08 PM
swanpsych.com
Perhaps when the future looks back on why humanity fell, I think they’re gonna settle on advertisements. This is the lifeblood of capitalism. It’s always been the ads.
July 24, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Reposted by Dr. Alex Swan
nicluvsmovies.bsky.social
@edhansenphdad.bsky.social woot woot you big deal. Featured as frequent guest on @swanpsych.com ‘s CinemaPsychPodcast! Proud of both my friends. 🍾😄
a picture of a minion holding a megaphone with the words big deal alert below it
ALT: a picture of a minion holding a megaphone with the words big deal alert below it
media.tenor.com
July 22, 2025 at 1:48 PM
swanpsych.com
Join Alex in a celebration of the past six years of CinemaPsych Podcast content and 100 episodes! It's been a journey, with so many films and guests, and so what better way to highlight that time with a clip show!

#filmsky #psychsky #clipshowtrope

cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com/2025/07/21/e...
Episode 100: The Past Six Years and Episodes of Shows and Psychology Squeezed into Three Hours — Worth It!
Join Alex in a celebration of the past six years of CinemaPsych Podcast content and 100 episodes! It's been a journey, with so many films and guests, and so wha
cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com
July 21, 2025 at 7:40 PM
swanpsych.com
Duuun dun… duuun dun… duun dun, dun dun, dun dun, dun dun… New episode alert!!

Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Jordan Wagge as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of the first summer blockbuster films, Jaws (1975)!

#bias #psychsky #psych

cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com/2025/07/03/e...
Episode 099: My Availability Heuristic Says It’s a Shark Attack! Jaws (1975) with Jordan Wagge
Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Jordan Wagge as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of the first summer blockbuster films, Jaws (1975)! One of Ste
cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com
July 3, 2025 at 3:57 PM
swanpsych.com
That story going around saying LLM/AI use is making people dumber? The actual arXiv article is a good read, but doesn't go as far as local/natl news. A good start on how much less AI use engages the brain.

#ai #psychsky #neurosky #academicsky

arxiv.org/pdf/2506.08872
arxiv.org
June 26, 2025 at 3:19 PM
swanpsych.com
Another absolutely brilliant update to the show and service that is CinemaPsych Podcast!

cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com
a woman wearing a rainbow shirt and a smiley face necklace says this just in
ALT: a woman wearing a rainbow shirt and a smiley face necklace says this just in
media.tenor.com
June 25, 2025 at 4:48 PM
swanpsych.com
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Shlomit Flaisher-Grinberg as they discuss the neuroscience behind Pixar's brilliant Ratatouille (2007)! Would you want rats cooking in YOUR kitchen?!

#animalcognition #behavioralneurosicence #cognitivepsychology #filmsky #neuroscience #perception #podcast #psychsky
Episode 098: Rats Cooking in the Kitchen? Sure, I’ll Bite — Ratatouille (2007) with Shlomit Flaisher-Grinberg
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Shlomit Flaisher-Grinberg as they discuss the neuroscience behind Pixar's brilliant Ratatouille (2007), directed by Brad Bird and s
cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com
June 9, 2025 at 3:28 PM
swanpsych.com
New changes to cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com — film database of all films on the show (more than 100 films!), searchable & sortable, psychology concepts tagged, each film linked to the show where they've been discussed, AND (not pictured) a teaching resource page.
May 30, 2025 at 6:01 PM
swanpsych.com
Because human brain like shiny new thing
chrislhayes.bsky.social Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · May 27
Can't help but feel we're living through an increasingly existential war between spectacle and substance with spectacle winning battle after battle after battle.
May 28, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Reposted by Dr. Alex Swan
carlbergstrom.com
Not going to repost but JD Vance is whimpering about the voting habits of professors over on Twitter.

It’s like “we said they were the enemy, we aimed to put them in trauma, we cut their salaries in half, we made their jobs impossible, and now they’re voting against us. I don’t get it.”
May 25, 2025 at 1:20 AM
swanpsych.com
New episode is live and I must say I learned a lot about birding and the premise behind this film! #filmsky #psychsky
May 22, 2025 at 3:48 PM
swanpsych.com
Birding requires patience and a highly tuned perceptual system!
Episode 097: Using My Ambition and Bottom-Up Processing for Birding! The Big Year (2011) with Marc Klippenstine
Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Marc Klippenstine for a personalized discussion on birding, bird-watching, and psychology: The Big Year (2011). The film stars comedy powerhouses Jack Black, Steve Martin, and Owen Wilson, as three men who love birding so much, they all attempt the Audubon Society's "Big Year". Birding is a hobby that relies on bottom-up and top-down processing, cooperation, friendship, and a little bit of intrinsic motivation!
cinemapsychpod.swanpsych.com
May 22, 2025 at 3:42 PM
swanpsych.com
Finished #CallingBullshit from @carlbergstrom.com & @jevinwest.bsky.social …and gentlemen, this was a lovely read. I was fucking nodding hard the entire time. Bravo 👏🏻
May 20, 2025 at 4:34 PM
swanpsych.com
This was such a fun time recording these episodes on two topics I have loved for decades! Looking forward to this Audible course coming out soon! #filmsky #psychsky
ginadalfonzo.bsky.social Gina Dalfonzo @ginadalfonzo.bsky.social · May 19
"A Psychologist Goes to the Movies," and takes us all with him! Keep an ear out for the upcoming course for Audible and The Great Courses from @swanpsych.com, examining psychological concepts in "Memento," "A Clockwork Orange," "Inside Out," and more! #filmsky
Dr. Alex Swan standing in an audio booth with a tablet on a stand.
May 19, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Reposted by Dr. Alex Swan
sheribiesen.bsky.social
Hope folks enjoy my new book
Through a Noir Lens
Adapting Film Noir Visual Style
cup.columbia.edu/book/through...
www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0231...

#Film #Cinema #media #filmstudies #cinemastudies #FilmNoir #filmhistory #mediastudies #cinemahistory #mediahistory #mediaindustry #noir #books #Noirvember
November 9, 2024 at 12:54 AM