Batman dresses in costume, spends a good part of his wealth to support the lifestyle of his bat-alter ego, and puts his life on the line nightly. There must be something wrong with him, right? This question is that heart of "What's the Matter With Batman?" Clinical psychologist and Abnormal Psychology author Robin Rosenberg delves into the mind of Batman. She examines his problems, "issues," and possible symptoms to determine whether he suffers from any of a variety of psychiatric disorders such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and others. Dr. Rosenberg also addresses why he trains minors to be sidekicks in his dangerous profession, as well as his disappointing love-life. Dr. Rosenberg is uniquely qualified to examine Batman in this light; she writes college-level psychology textbooks and writes extensively about psychology and superheroes. She is series editor of the Superhero series with Oxford University Press and has been featured discussing psychology and superheroes in various media including The Discovery Channel, The History Channel, the Financial Times, National Public Radio, Pacific Standard magazine, the Boston Phoenix and the documentary "Superheroes."
Robin S. Rosenberg is a clinical psychologist in private practice and has taught psychology at Lesley University and Harvard University. She is board certified in clinical psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology, and has been certified in clinical hypnosis. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Psychology and is a member of the Academy for Eating Disorders. Dr. Rosenberg specializes in treating people with eating disorders, depression, and anxiety.
In addition to writing college-level psychology textbooks, she teaches, writes, and speaks about the psychological phenomena revealed by superheroes; she can sometimes be found at comic conventions. Her website is www.DrRobinRosenberg.com.
