Understanding Adjustment Disorder Analyzing Riley'
Explore Riley’s emotional journey in *Inside Out* through the lens of abnormal psychology. Her struggles after moving reflect signs of Adjustment Disorder, showing how stress impacts behavior, emotions, and relationships in adolescents.
Mason Bennett
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Lexy Grizzle
Professor Dose
Abnormal Psychology
01 February 2023
Character Analysis: Inside Out - Riley
Inside Out, a 2015 animated Pixar movie, explores the difficult adjustment in the main
character. Riley, as she moves from Minnesota to San Francisco with her family. Many of
her behaviors strongly resemble adjustment disorder; instigated by the move, an
external stressor. The criteria for AD, according to the DSM-5, is a bit difficult to diagnose
and is similar to other disorders such as CD, conduct disorder, or MDD, major depressive
disorder. The symptoms include disproportional stress to the intensity of the stressor,
and social, occupational, or other impairments.
Riley and her family try to be positive in the move, but quickly Riley becomes stressed while
experiencing problems making friends, not enjoying her favorite sport, hockey, and a
general inability to control her emotions. Some examples of this are when she seems to
get picked on at school, lashes out during hockey tryouts, has breakdowns in school, and
starts pushing away her old friends in Minnesota. Visually in the movie, Riley in the
beginning is seen wearing brighter pastel colors, and transitions to layers of dark and
dull clothing. Riley's problems adjusting to her new environment are greater than
normally developing adolescents in her age group. Her mood swings and defiant
behaviors towards her parents at the age of 11 is also big sign of a developmental issue.
Professor Dose
Abnormal Psychology
01 February 2023
Character Analysis: Inside Out - Riley
Inside Out, a 2015 animated Pixar movie, explores the difficult adjustment in the main
character. Riley, as she moves from Minnesota to San Francisco with her family. Many of
her behaviors strongly resemble adjustment disorder; instigated by the move, an
external stressor. The criteria for AD, according to the DSM-5, is a bit difficult to diagnose
and is similar to other disorders such as CD, conduct disorder, or MDD, major depressive
disorder. The symptoms include disproportional stress to the intensity of the stressor,
and social, occupational, or other impairments.
Riley and her family try to be positive in the move, but quickly Riley becomes stressed while
experiencing problems making friends, not enjoying her favorite sport, hockey, and a
general inability to control her emotions. Some examples of this are when she seems to
get picked on at school, lashes out during hockey tryouts, has breakdowns in school, and
starts pushing away her old friends in Minnesota. Visually in the movie, Riley in the
beginning is seen wearing brighter pastel colors, and transitions to layers of dark and
dull clothing. Riley's problems adjusting to her new environment are greater than
normally developing adolescents in her age group. Her mood swings and defiant
behaviors towards her parents at the age of 11 is also big sign of a developmental issue.
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Subject
Psychology