Columbus- Lily Fish
Automatic Thinking Ch. 2.2: This is when we think quickly with no effort
Accommodation Ch. 2.1: When our existing schemas change due to new information that makes us revise our existing expectations.
Columbus has a list of rules from the beginning of the movie that he always follows no matter what; however, as the movie progresses, he decides to alter some of these rules. In the beginning of the movie, he had a rule that said "never be the hero". By the end of the movie, this rule changed to "be the hero". This was because he met a girl named Wichita and he decided to risk his life in order to save hers.
At the end of the movie, Columbus had already saved Wichita and Little Rock from Pacific Playland. The whole group finally gets a second to relax when they hear a sudden noise. Columbus is scared because he thinks it is another zombie so he decides to shoot in the direction of the noise. Little did he know that this noise was just a rat and he shot through the last box of Twinkies ever. This was extremely upsetting to Tallahassee because Twinkies are his favorite snack and he was looking for them throughout the movie. Columbus's quick thinking made Tallahassee's dreams of a Twinkie disappear.
Controlled Thinking Ch. 2.2: This involves thinking that is deliberate and requires planning
At the end of the movie, Wichita and Little Rock are stuck on a ride at Pacific Playland because they were surrounded by zombies and couldn't get down safely. Columbus had to think of an elaborate plan to get them down. He finds a way to kill all of the remaining zombies surrounding them and uses the control box to lower them back to the ground.
Self-fulfilling Prophecy Ch. 2.1: This occurs when our expectations about others lead us to behave towards other people in ways that make those expectations come true
From the beginning of the movie, Wichita and Little Rock give Columbus various reasons not to trust them. They pretended to be bitten by a zombie in order to steal their guns. In addition, they used their looks and charm to take their car as well. This causes Columbus to have trust issues. He is able to find a new car and while he is driving they see the car that they stole on the side of the rode. This immediately makes Columbus nervous because he believes they are trying to play tricks on him again.
Secondary Emotion- Anxiety Ch. 3.1: This is a psychological disorder that causes numerous negative symptoms. We tend to feel anxious when we are worried or afraid.
Columbus is an extremely anxious person. This would make sense due to the zombie apocalypse; however, he is more afraid of other things than zombies. One thing that he said makes him anxious are the wipes that people use to wipe down counters. Another thing that makes him anxious, and is his worst fear, is clowns.
Emotion- Joy Ch. 3.1: Joy is triggered by the stimulus of a potential mate, with a function of reproduction.
The first time Columbus is seen feeling joyful after the apocalypse is when he meets Wichita in the grocery store. He believes that it is fate that they met each other under these circumstances. His main goal throughout the movie is to protect her from everything going on and to hopefully become her boyfriend.
Learned Helplessness Ch. 3.2: A psychological state that results when an individual expects that life’s outcomes are uncontrollable
Columbus experiences this multiple times because of his unlucky encounters with girls. Before the apocalypse, Columbus had a crush on his neighbor that he called "406" because that was the room she lived in. One night, she came over to his apartment in a panic because she saw a man acting irrationally and was scared. It turns out that man was a zombie and she had been bitten by him. The next morning, she tried to attack Columbus. He also had a bad encounter with Wichita because she lied to him and said her sister had been bitten by a zombie in order to trick him into giving her his gun. After this, Columbus believed that he would never find a girl ever again. (especially given the circumstances that almost everyone is infected with the virus).
Self-efficacy Ch. 3.2: Belief in our ability to carry out actions that produce desired outcomes
Columbus has one desired outcome throughout the movie and that is to become Wichita's boyfriend. There is one scene in which he asks her little sister, Little Rock, what Wichita's type is. She responds with "bad boys" and he decides to tip over the popcorn they were eating onto the floor. Columbus is the complete opposite of a bad boy, but he is trying to act like one in order to get Wichita's attention.
Low Self-monitoring Ch. 4.2: This is when people ignore expectations of others and do what feels right to them. They act in ways that show how they truly are.
A good example of this is the scene when Columbus and Tallahassee meet for the first time. Columbus is offered a shot and instead of drinking it he throws it out the window. This shows that he isn't trying to impress Tallahassee. In this scene, he also tells Tallahassee that he should put his seatbelt on which shows he is not afraid to be made fun of.
Self-concept Ch. 4.1: information and beliefs about the self that influence their personality
Columbus would describe himself as introverted and possibly even a nerd. He knows his role within the group and he understands that he is the brains, not the brawn of the operation. He doesn't try to change his personality and what he already knows about himself in order to fit in. Rather, he accepts that he is the way he is for a reason, and this is very beneficial to the group he is with throughout the movie.
Planning Fallacy Ch. 4.1: This is when people underestimate how long a task is going to take
Columbus, and his group of friends, had a plan to go to Pacific Playland together and then split up and go their own ways. This was not as easy as they thought it was going to be though. They had to overcome multiple obstacles on the way. By the time they reached Pacific Playland, Columbus still wasn't able to go his own way because the girls got surrounded by zombies. He made the decision to stay and help them and this set back his plans to go home to Ohio tremendously.
Unrealistic Optimism Ch. 4.2: This is when we think our future is going to be more favorable than is probable
Columbus is living in the midst of a zombie apocalypse; however, he seems to think that him and Wichita are going to live happily ever after. This is highly unrealistic because the zombies are only continuing to evolve as they get stronger and smarter. There is clearly no end in sight, but Columbus remains positive that he will see his family again and be with Wichita forever.
Upward Comparison Ch.4.3: When we compare ourselves to someone we think is better than us
There is a scene early in the movie when Columbus compares the stage in life he was at versus what Tallahassee was doing. Columbus said that he was drinking mountain dew and playing video games. While he was doing this, Tallahassee was in the "ass kicking business". Columbus definitely sees himself as weaker compared to Tallahassee.
Autonomy Ch. 4.3: The idea that people have the right to control themselves
Columbus had a couple opportunities to divert from the group he was with in order to go home. He wanted to see if his family was still alive; however, he made the decision that it would be best for himself to stick with his friends. He didn't let anyone else change his mind.
Relatedness Ch. 4.3: The desire to have social connections and to interact with others
This is a recurrent theme for Columbus throughout the movie. He knows that he can't survive the zombie apocalypse by himself. He meets people early on and he learns to trust them overtime. These people become his new family and he wouldn't have made it as far without them.
Competence Ch. 4.3: Excelling in a certain area or skill, more than other people
Being in a zombie apocalypse, one would think the most important skill would be to shoot a gun. This is not the case for Columbus. Although, he does know how to shoot a gun, he is not very good at it. Since he is with people who know how to shoot guns very well, this isn't a big concern for him. He decides to use his brain and cardio to give him an advantage. He can think things out much better than anyone else which makes him always take the safest approach. He can also outrun any zombie he comes in contact with, which proves to be crucial in his survival.
Cognitive Dissonance Ch 5.1: This occurs when someone has two ideas that don't match up, this is not a good feeling
Columbus had an idea in his head that his parents are alive in Ohio and he needs to find them. However, when he meets his group of friends in the apocalypse, they put the idea in his head that his parents most likely aren't alive anymore. This makes him change his original thought because someone else told him differently.
Effort Justification Ch 5.1: In order to reduce dissonance, we convince ourselves that what we suffered for is valuable. We justify the effort that we put in.
A good example of this is Columbus understanding that the struggles of living in an apocalypse is worth it. He meets a great group of friends as well as a girl that he catches feelings for. He meets his real family, despite all the pain he endured.
Obedience Ch 7.1: A specific type of compliance in which someone acts in response to a direct order. Somebody telling you what to do
There is a scene when Columbus and Tallahassee are in a grocery store looking for Twinkies. Since Tallahassee is very experienced with combat, he tells Columbus what to do. There are many overweight zombies in the grocery store so Tallahassee draws them in by playing the ukulele and Columbus strikes them with weapons. Columbus is following Tallahassee's orders in order to protect himself from the zombies.
Acceptance Ch 7.1: This is when people act and believe in the same ways as the group
There is a scene when the group of friends find an antique shop on their way to Pacific Playland. They all go into the store and decide to destroy it. They know there are no rules in zombieland. They knock over glass shelves and use a bat to break other pieces of artwork. Columbus only did this because everyone in the group was doing it as well.
Norms Ch 7.1: Rules of acceptable behavior
One rule of acceptable behavior is going to the bathroom in a restroom rather than outside. There was one time that Columbus didn't follow this norm. In the beginning of the movie, he was being chased by zombies at a gas station when he was trying to go to the bathroom. After killing the zombies, he ended up going to the bathroom outside because he couldn't hold it any longer.
Cohesion Ch 7.1: The closer we feel to the members in a group, the more likely we are to go along with them
Columbus is not the type of person to act in ways that could get him in trouble. He also does not like to be in dangerous situations. However, once he met his group of friends it seemed as though he was always in dangerous situations. Instead of hiding and being afraid like he normally would, he went along with the group and helped them get out of every situation safely.
Persuasion Ch 5.2: trying to change someone else's mind by changing their attitudes
Columbus has a list of rules for survival that he follows no matter what. However, his group of friends often makes fun of him for it. One example of this is that he always wears a seatbelt. His friend group was able to persuade him not to wear it anymore. They said that they are in a zombie apocalypse and the least of their worries is a seatbelt.
Attitudes Ch 5.1: Attitudes influence our behaviors.
The group of friends goes to Hollywood and finds the house of Bill Murray. The youngest girl doesn't know who he is and is immediately judged for that. Columbus decides to show her all of the Ghostbuster movies. He is trying to change her attitude about Bill Murray by exposing her to his films.
Egotistic Helping Ch. 9.1 and 9.2: This is when people help others because it boosts their self-esteem.
A good example of this is when Columbus offers to help his neighbor "406" who is clearly terrified. She was being chased around by a crazy person who was trying to bite her. Columbus decided it was a good idea to let her into his apartment to stay the night. So, although he had good intentions, he clearly benefitted from this as well because he got to hang out with his crush.
Reciprocal Helping Ch. 9.1 and 9.2: This is when we help others because we hope that they will help us in the future.
Columbus helped save Wichita and Little Rock from Pacific Playland at the end of the movie. He risked his life in order to ensure that they were safe. This also meant that Columbus expected the girls to stay with him instead of abandoning him like they did multiple times in the past.
Guilt Ch 9.1 and 9.2: Guilt is a feeling people experience when do something that they shouldn't have. It also occurs when there is a need for repair in a social relationship.
A scene in the movie when Columbus clearly feels guilty is when he accidentally shoots Bill Murray. The group is in Hollywood and they found the house of Bill. They were looking around the mansion when they saw Bill acting like a zombie to try to scare them, but he wasn't actually infected. Wichita and Tallahassee decided to play a trick on Columbus because they thought it would be funny. While Columbus was watching a movie, Bill came in. Columbus was startled and shot him. He felt extreme guilt about this because he killed Bill Murray and it was Tallahassee's favorite celebrity.
Aggression Ch 10.1 and 10.2: This is any physical or verbal behavior in which someone is trying to harm another person(s).
Columbus is not a very aggressive person. He does nearly anything he can to not get in any altercations. However, when he was at Pacific Playland, he needed to be aggressive. In order to get to Wichita, he had to kill a zombie. This was no ordinary zombie though, it was a clown, which is his biggest fear. He took a hammer from one of the smashing games at carnivals and hit the zombie in the head with it. This was one of the most aggressive scenes that involved Columbus in the whole movie. Although zombies aren't technically alive, this is still very aggressive, especially for someone like Columbus.
Amygdala Ch. 10.1 and 10.2: This is a part of the brain that gives people the feeling of fear.
Hypothalamus Ch. 10.1 and 10.2: This is a part of the brain that initiates the fight-or-flight response.
In the beginning of the movie, Columbus is traveling by himself trying to get to Ohio. While he is walking on the street is comes across another person. He quickly ducks behind his suitcase for cover as both of point their guns at one another. While Columbus is holding his gun he is clearly shaking. While this interaction was happening, Columbus' amygdala was being activated because he was afraid.
In the very beginning of the movie, Columbus is at a gas station to fill up his car and go to the bathroom; however, when he goes to open the bathroom door, he notices a bloody handprint on the doorknob. Soon after this, zombies come running at him from the bathroom. This is when Columbus decides he needs to run away and try to get to his car. This was his flight response. Then, when he is driving away he realizes there is a zombie in his backseat. He drives into a window of a shop and the zombie goes flying through his windshield. He then shoots the zombie with his shotgun to ensure he's dead. This was his fight response.
Anger Ch 10.3 and 10.4: Readiness to agress
Columbus gets angry when he is rejected by Wichita. When they were at Bill Murray's mansion, they got closer and shared things about each others lives. However, when they were about to have their first kiss, they were interrupted by Tallahassee. This is when Wichita had a realization that she needs to stay focused on the safety of her sister. So, although she does like Columbus, she can't be with him. This makes Columbus very angry. Then, the next day, Wichita and Little Rock leave again which makes him even more angry.
Stereotype Ch 12.1: Cognitive schema containing all knowledge about and association with a social group.
There are stereotypes behind every main character in the movie Zombieland. Columbus is the stereotypical nerd that plays video games and can't get any girls. Tallahassee is the normal buff guy that likes to shoot guns and get in fights. Wichita is a pretty girl that needs to be saved by men because people think she's incapable of doing it herself. Lastly, Little Rock is a young girl that complains a lot and could be described as an edgy teen. The audience automatically places their preexisting stereotypes onto all of these characters.
Hostile Feelings Linked to a Category Ch 12.2: People tend to feel hostility when frustrated or threatened, or when witness unpleasant or unjust things.
Prejudice is not something that comes up in the movie Zombieland. The only thing that could possibly be assigned to this is when Columbus and Tallahassee are in the grocery store. They are clearly more scared when they come across fat zombies than the skinnier zombies. This led me to believe that they could possibly be "fatphobic". If the zombies were skinny, they wouldn't be nearly as scared. In addition, it was clearly intentional that all of the fat zombies were in the grocery store.
Social Role Theory Ch 12.1: Social roles shape our expectations for people who fill those roles such that we assume people in those roles have traits typical of the role and that people who have the traits are more likely to fill that role.
This goes back to the stereotypes behind Columbus and Tallahassee's masculinity. Since Columbus is more of a nerd he feels the need to impress the buff and manly Tallahassee. When they are driving together, Tallahassee asks him when the last time he has had sex with someone. They pass a few FedEx boxes on the side of the street and Columbus decides to lie and say that his last time was in the back of an abandoned FedEx truck. The reason he did this was because he was trying to fill the social role of a stereotypical male. Even though he was lying, he believed this was a good thing because it made Tallahassee respect him more.