Biographical Sketch

James Iaccino, Ph.D., joined The Chicago School in 2007. As a teaching psychologist, he tries to stay up-to-date with research in the forensics literature and media, and his research interests and areas of expertise reflect this. Jim is well-acquainted with the various research methodologies in the forensics field and has used a number of qualitative assessments in film genres, especially examining the depiction of serial killers through content analysis.

Education

• B.A. in Psychology, Dominican University - River Forest, Illinois
• M.A. in Experimental Psychology, DePaul University - Chicago, Illinois
• Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology, DePaul University - Chicago, Illinois

Classes Taught

• Statistics I and Statistics II
• Research Methods
• Psychology of the Lifespan
• Dissertation I-VI
• Neuropsychology

Areas of Interest/Expertise

• gender difference in establishing accuracy of reports in eyewitness testimony
• Jungian archetypal analysis of serial killers depicted in film

Select Presentations

• “The Abominable Dr. Phibes: The Prototypic Serial Killer for Jigsaw in the Saw Franchise”, San Francisco, California, April 2008
• Coordinated Jungian archetypal film workshops, at the C.G. Jung Society of Alberta in Calgary, Canada, September 2007 and at the C.G. Jung Institute in Chicago, May 2008

Select Publications

• The Saw Films: Putting the Pieces of Jigsaw Together (MacFarland Press, forthcoming)
• Left-Brain Right-Brain Differences: Inquiries, Evidence and New Approaches (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates text, 1993).
• Psychological Reflections on Cinematic Terror: Jungian Reflections in Horror Films (Praeger Press text, 1994).

Q&A

• Q: Please describe your teaching philosophy.
• A: I want my students involved as much as possible in my classes.  Through peer group discussions, discussion of various media (PowerPoints, videos, DVDs), and in-class presentations on relevant topics, students can immediately apply what they have learned to real-life situations.
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  more Q&A

Community Involvement

• Guest Speaker at local and international Jungian Societies (Jungian Institute of Chicago, Jungian Society of Calgary, Canada), presenting content analyses of various film genres to trustees, fellow scholars, and students
• Guest Artist discussing 'Developing Effective Teaching Techniques Through Media Applications' at Lincolnshire's Adlai Stevenson High School's Odyssey Discovering the Arts Bi-Yearly Series

Professional Memberships

• American Psychological Association member, www.apa.org
• Illinois Psychological Association member, www.illinoispsychology.org
• Popular Culture Association member, www.h-net.org/
• American Culture Association member, www.h-net.org/