Introducing the psychology of our relationships with fictional villains

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