Introducing the psychology of our relationships with fictional villains

This free course explores psychological theory and research on the relationships we form with fictional characters. Throughout the course you will hear from leading crime writers – Lin Anderson, Gordon Brown, Val McDermid, Sir Ian Rankin and Craig Robertson – who will talk about how they create and write about their characters. The course involves interactive components designed to enable you to discover something about your own thinking and behaviour. You will learn about why fictional villains might be attractive to us, in a way that real villains are not. You will also learn about how the relationships we form with fictional characters can influence our psychological engagement with the real world around us.