James
Iaccino
Jim Iaccino
- Campus: Online
- Department: Forensic Psychology
- Institution: The Chicago School
- Office Phone: 312-467-8616
Biography
James Iaccino, Ph.D., obtained his Masters and Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from DePaul University. He joined The Chicago School in 2007. As a teaching psychologist, Jim tries to stay up-to-date with research in the forensic literature and media, and his research interests and areas of expertise reflect this. Since the 1990s, Jim has done extensive research on Jungian archetypes in film, has authored/co-edited three seminal texts on the subject, and has delivered multiple presentations at Annual Popular Culture Association Conferences. Jim has further collaborated with the C. G. Jung Institute of Chicago to offer a series of film workshops at The Chicago School starting in 2014 and has delivered several workshops on the Jungian shadow archetype, using films like Maleficent, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Skyfall to illustrate salient characteristics of that archetype.
Since 2010, Jim has extended his film research to the forensic field, specifically by investigating serial killers within the cinema. He has recently developed the Cinematic Serial Killers Research Project and has involved Online Forensic students in the coding of films that showcase the depiction of real-life offenders. Jim has found striking correlations between the demographic characteristics of these figures and their actual counterparts, including their gender, age, typology, being driven by a variety of motives, as well as choosing a more common victim type (i.e., strangers). He has presented his findings at Annual American Psychological Association Conventions and Bi-Annual Forensic Residencies. He has further published a number of serial killer film reviews (Psycho, Animal Kingdom, Scream 4, The Raven) for the APA electronic journal, PsycCRITIQUES. Because of his numerous contributions to PsycCRITIQUES, Jim joined their Editorial Board from 2015-2018. Currently, he is a manuscript reviewer for The Journal of Popular Culture and has become a member of their Editorial Advisory Board.
Jim has developed and teaches specialized courses within the Online Forensic Department that reflect his areas of interest including FO628: Special Topics- Understanding Serial Killers and FO704: Biological Bases of Behavior & Psychopharmacology. He also offers more quantitative courses within the curriculum like FO614: Research Methods and the FO713-714 Applied Research Project sequence on a recurring basis.
Education History
Degree Institution Year B.A. in Psychology Dominican University , River Forest, IL 1977 M.A. in Experimental Psychology DePaul University , Chicago, IL 1979 Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology DePaul University , Chicago, IL 1982 Professional Memberships
Role Organization Member American Psychological Association Member Popular Culture Association Presentations
Title Location Date The Ghost Adventures Layout: Capturing Ghosts on Video as Evidence of the Paranormal, Perhaps? Presented at the Annual DePaul Pop Culture Conference. https://popcultureconference.com Chicago, Illinois 2025, May The “Cursed Wanderer” Archetype in Hammer Films’ Dracula and Dracula A.D. 1972. Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. New Orleans, Louisiana 2025, April Star Wars Luke Skywalker’s Evolution: From Farm Boy to Jedi Master to Force Spirit. Presented at the Annual DePaul Pop Culture Conference. https://popcultureconference.com Chicago, Illinois 2024, May The “Just Desserts” Archetype in Amicus Films’ Tales from the Crypt and The Vault of Horror. Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. Chicago, Illinois 2024, March The Multiple Doctor Who Team-Ups: Meeting Up with Oneself is the Ultimate Time Travel Experience. Presented at the Annual DePaul Pop Culture Conference. https://popcultureconference.com Chicago, Illinois 2023, May The “Don’t Go Back in the House” Archetype in Night of Dark Shadows and Burnt Offerings. Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. San Antonio, Texas 2023, April Arrow: The Archetypal Journey of Oliver Queen into Becoming A Larger-Than-Life Superhero. Presented at the Annual DePaul Pop Culture Conference. https://popcultureconference.com Virtual 2022, May The Shadow Monster Multipliers in Island of Terror and The Green Slime. Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. Virtual 2022, April Frankenstein Conquers the World: A Jungian Analysis of a Kaiju-Child Created by an Uncaring Society. Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. Virtual 2021, June Secrets of Serial Killers- Online. Fever Talks. https://feverup.com/m/85269 Chicago, Illinois 2020, September 2 Exploring the Psyche of Serial Killers in Film- Online. Fever Talks. https://feverup.com/m/87232 Chicago, Illinois 2020, June 8 Generating A Profile of the Female Serial Killer. Presented at the American Psychological Association Convention. Chicago, Illinois 2019, August Once Upon A Time: Bringing the Disney Fairy Tale Characters to Life on the Small Screen. Presented at the Annual DePaul Pop Culture Conference. https://popcultureconference.com Chicago, Illinois 2019, May Carnival of Souls: A Battle Between the Life and Death Sides of the Jungian Shadow. Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. Washington, D.C. 2019, April Phantasm: A Deadly Mind Game Played Out Between An Archetypal Child and His Trickster Nemesis. Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. Indianapolis, Indiana 2018, April Using An Archetypal Analysis to Understanding the James Bond Cinematic Characteristics. Presented at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. In association with TCSPP's Thought Leader Series: Faculty Scholarship Spotlight. Accessible at https://attendee.gototraining.com/r/4206845123988807425 Chicago, Illinois 2017, October 26 The Sender: An Archetypal Mother’s Possessive Love that Transcends the Grave. Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. San Diego, California 2017, April Does Gender Influence the Killing Process: A Comparative Analysis of Male and Female Serial Killers. With Ashlee Reed and Perry Meyers. Presented at the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services. New York City, New York 2016, June The Kingsman Agents: The Reimaging of the Archetypal Knights of The Round Table. Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. Seattle, Washington 2016, March Mendes’ Skyfall: Going Back to James Bond’s Archetypal Roots & Connected Spectres. In affiliation with the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago. Presented at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Chicago, Illinois 2016, March Stromberg’s Maleficent: A Reimaging of the Shadow from the Traditional Fairy Tale. In affiliation with the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago. Presented at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Chicago, Illinois 2015, April The Shadow Identity of Cinematic Superheroes EXPOSED: Captain America 2 and Beyond. In affiliation with the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago. Presented at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Chicago, Illinois 2014, November The Raven: Another Serial Killer to be Remembered, Nevermore? Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. Chicago, Illinois 2014, April Cinematic Serial Killers: Fact or Fiction? With Paul Schienberg and Nancy Kalish. Presented at the American Psychological Association Convention. Honolulu, Hawaii 2013, August Scream 4's Female Serial Killer: A Technologically Savvy Murderer for the New Age. Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. Washington, D.C. 2013, March From Psycho to Psycho II: Has Norman Bates Changed for the Better? With Jennifer Dondero. In affiliation with the CAE Psychology and Popular Culture Lecture Series. Presented at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Chicago, Illinois 2013, March Animal Kingdom’s Team Killers: The Family that Slays Together, Stays Together. Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. Boston, Massachusetts 2012, March It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s the Superman Mythos Revisited. With Jennifer Dondero. In affiliation with the Forensic Department Brown Bag Lecture Series. Presented at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Chicago, Illinois 2012, February Cinematic Serial Killers: How Much Do They Resemble Real-Life Serial Killers? In affiliation with the Forensic Department Brown Bag Lecture Series. Presented at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Chicago, Illinois 2011, November An Examination of Serial Killers Using a Serial Killer Typology with Associated Characteristics. With Jennifer Dondero. Presented at the American Psychological Association Convention. Washington, D.C. 2011, August Applying a Serial Killer Typology to the Psycho Franchise: Norman Bates as Visionary Serial Killer on a Mission. Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. San Antonio, Texas 2011, April A Critical Examination of the Saw Franchise: The Reasons Why These Films Are So Popular. Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. San Antonio, Texas 2011, April The Saw Killers: How Much Do They Resemble Serial Killers ‘in the Flesh’? Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. St. Louis, Missouri 2010, March Twenty Years of the “Final Girl”—Revisiting, Revising and Rethinking Carol Clover’s Her Body, Himself. Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. St. Louis, Missouri 2010, March I Am Legend's Cinematic Creatures: Friends, Foes, or Something In-Between? Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. New Orleans, Louisiana 2009, April The Multidimensional Shadow Nature of Cinematic Heroes: An Analysis of the Skywalkers in Star Wars and Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings. Presented at the C.G. Jung Institute in Chicago. Chicago, Illinois 2008, May The Abominable Dr. Phibes: The Prototype for Saw’s Jigsaw. Presented at the Popular Culture Association Conference. San Francisco, California 2008, March The Multidimensional Shadow Side of Cinematic Heroes: An Analysis of the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings Films. Presented at the C.G. Jung Society of Alberta. Calgary, Canada 2007, September Community Involvement
Role Organization Editorial Advisory Board Member The Journal of Popular Culture, 2018- present Editorial Advisory Board Member APA's PsycCRITIQUES, 2015- 2018 Guest Speaker Delivering Workshops at local and international Jungian Societies (Jungian Institute of Chicago, Illinois; Jungian Society of Calgary, Canada) on various film genres to trustees, fellow scholars, psychotherapists, and students Guest Artist Delivering Workshops on "Applications of Forensic Psychology in the Cinema" as well as "Hero Archetypes in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones Trilogies" at Lincolnshire's Adlai Stevenson High School's Odyssey Discovering the Arts Bi-Yearly Series Areas of Expertise
Area Expertise Media/Pop Culture Media Psychology Therapeutic/Theoretical Orientation Jungian Theory Publications
Book Iaccino, J. F., Barker, C., & Wiatrowski, M. (2017). Arrow and Superhero Television: Essays on Themes and Characters of the Series. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc..
Iaccino, J. F. (1998). Jungian Reflections within the Cinema: A Psychological Analysis of Sci-Fi and Fantasy Archetypes. Westport, Conneticut: Praeger.
Iaccino, J. F. (1994). Psychological Reflections on Cinematic Terror: Jungian Reflections in Horror Films. Westport, Conneticut: Praeger.
Iaccino, J. F. (1993). Left-Brain Right-Brain Differences: Inquiries, Evidence and New Approaches. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Chapter Iaccino, J. F. (2024). Star Wars Luke Skywalker’s Evolution: From Farm Boy to Jedi Master to Force Spirit. In S. Grau and P. Booth (Ed.) A Celebration of Star Wars (pp. 36-49). San Francisco, California: Blurb.
Iaccino, J. F. (2023). The Multiple Doctor Who Team-Ups: Meeting Up with Oneself is the Ultimate Time Travel Experience. In S. Grau and P. Booth (Ed.) A Celebration of Time Travel (pp. 13-23). San Francisco, California: Blurb.
Iaccino, J. F. (2022). The Superhero Crossover Event: An Effective Staple of The CW's Programming. In A.L. Carlson & L.K. Perdigao (Ed.) The CW Comes of Age: Essays on Programming, Branding and Evolution (pp. 216-241). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc..
Iaccino, J. F. (2022). Arrow: The Archetypal Journey of Oliver Queen into Becoming A Larger-Than-Life Superhero. In E. Fong & P. Booth (Ed.) A Celebration of Superheroes (pp. 142-156). San Francisco, California: Blurb.
Iaccino, J. F. (2019). Once Upon A Time: Bringing the Disney Fairy Tale Characters to Life on the Small Screen. In P. Booth & E. Goldstein (Ed.) A Celebration of Disney. (pp. 99-107). San Francisco, California: Blurb.
Iaccino, J. F. (2017). The Arrow and His Villainous Counterparts: An Examination of Their Journeys towards Psychic Transformation. In J. F. Iaccino, C. Barker, & M. Wiatrowski (Ed.) Arrow and Superhero Television: Essays on Themes and Characters of the Series. (pp. 46-60). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc..
Iaccino, J. F. (2014). The Smallville Destiny: The Superhero's Shaping by His Archetypal Fathers. In M. Wiatrowski, C. Barker, & C. Ryan (Ed.) Mapping Smallville: Critical Essays on the Series and Its Characters (pp. 25-44). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc..
Iaccino, J. F. (1997). Jungian Archetypes in American Superhero Comic Strips: The Hero’s Shadow Side. In K. Nordin & G. Pieper (Ed.) Understanding the Funnies: Critical Interpretations of Newspaper Comic Strips Worldwide (pp. 62-76). Lisle, Illinois: Procopian Press.
Iaccino, J. F. (1996). The World of Forever Knight: A Television Tribute to Anne Rice's New Age Vampire. In R. Browne & G. Hoppenstand (Ed.) The Gothic World of Anne Rice (pp. 231-246). Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University Press.
Encyclopedia Iaccino, J. F. (2007). #58. Lisa and the Devil (Bava, 1972); #86. Tombs of the Blind Dead (de Ossorio, 1972). In S. J. Schneider (Ed.) 100 European Horror Films. London, England: British Film Institute.
Iaccino, J. F. (2003). Death in Horror Films. In R. Kastenbaum (Ed.) MacMillan’s Encyclopedia of Death and Dying. ( pp. 426-431 ). New York City, New York: Thomson Gale Publishing.
Journal Iaccino, J. F. (2017). A New Take on the Superhero Genre with a Multi-Dimensional Trickster Figure [Review of Deadpool (2016)]. PsycCRITIQUES, 62 (40), Article 10.
Iaccino, J. F. (2017). When Team Super-Shadows Are Effective (And When They Are Not)! [Review of Fantastic Four (2015) and Captain America: Civil War (2016)]. PsycCRITIQUES, 62 (28), Article 10.
Iaccino, J. F. (2016). Sibling Rivalry Is Alive and Well in the 007 Universe! [Review of Spectre (2015)]. PsycCRITIQUES, 61 (46), Article 10.
Iaccino, J. F. (2015). The Archetypal Knights of The Round Table Retooled for a New Generation [Review of Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)]. PsycCRITIQUES, 60 (48), Article 10.
Iaccino, J. F. (2015). A Timeless Fantasy With “Mutant” Variations on Fairy Tale Characters [Review of X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)]. PsycCRITIQUES, 60 (18), Article 10.
Iaccino, J. F. & Dondero, J. (2015). The Shadow World of a Superhero: Not So Red, White and Blue! [Review of Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)]. PsycCRITIQUES, 60 (1), Article 9.
Iaccino, J. F. & Dondero, J. (2014). A Superhero Film With Substance (and Claws): The Rebirth of a Hero and His Villainous Counterpart [Review of The Wolverine (2013)]. PsycCRITIQUES, 59 (34), Article 10.
Iaccino, J. F. & Dondero, J. (2013). James Bond Returns....Home: A Tale of Heroes, Villains, and the Mother Who Connects Them [Review of Skyfall (2012)]. PsycCRITIQUES, 58 (44), Article 10.
Iaccino, J. F. & Dondero, J. (2014). Edgar Allan Poe Matches Wits with One of the First Identified Serial Killers! [Review of The Raven (2012)]. PsycCRITIQUES, 59 (2), Article 9.
Iaccino, J. F. & Dondero, J. (2012). Technology Can Be Deadly: A Female Serial Killer for the New Age [Review of Scream 4 (2011)]. PsycCRITIQUES, 57 (50), Article 20.
Iaccino, J. F. (2011). The Family That Slays Together, Stays Together [Review of Animal Kingdom (2010)]. PsycCRITIQUES, 56 (34), Article 10.
Iaccino, J. F. & Dondero, J. (2012). Is A Boy's Best Friend Still His Mother--Even After 50 Years? [Review of Psycho (1960)]. PsycCRITIQUES, 57 (13), Article 10.
Other Iaccino, J. F. (2011). The Son Becomes the Father Special. Smallville Season 10 DVD Boxset. (Disc 6).
Professional Skills
Jungian archetypal analysis of horror and fantasy films, Analysis of serial killers within international databases and film depictions, Psychophysiological methods used to examine brain differences in juvenile delinquents