Creating the Multiple Personality: An Experiential Demonstration for an Undergraduate Abnormal Psychology Class

Abstract

The social psychological aspects of the multiple personality disorder were demonstrated to an Abnormal Psychology class through the use of role-playing procedures. Three student volunteers played the part of an accused serial killer, and the teacher played the part of a court-appointed clinician to reenact the conditions that might encourage the manifestation of a multiple personality. Following procedures that resembled the interviewing techniques and context of the Hillside Strangler murder case, volunteers acknowledged the presence of more than one personality. The pedagogical and ethical implications of creating the multiple personality in the classroom are discussed.