Psychology of the Image

This volume outlines a theoretical framework bringing together the semiotic concepts developed by Charles Peirce, the sociological insights of Ervin Goffman and the psychoanalytic ideas of Jacques Lacan. Image studies in fashion, advertising, photography, film studies and psychology have been influenced by these theorists in significant ways. The framework presented helps the reader understand how these ideas relate to the study of different domains of the image: the internal imagery of dreams, external images such as the photograph and image processes which span both contexts, for example, images we have about ourselves. The topics discussed are organized into three themes. The first considers mental imagery, including sound and dreams. The second addresses the interdependent nature of internal and external images, for example, the gendered self and social identity. In the third theme, attention turns to external images including television, film, photography, the computer and the internet.