What About Bob Wiley

In the movie What About Bob?, Bob Wiley is a middle-aged male, whom exerts different types of mental behaviors, altering his personality, and encompasses many different fears, including hypochondriasis, which is of his utmost importance. He has met with several psychologists previously, but claims that none have helped him very well, until his recent connection with Dr. Leo Marvin. His personality is composed of self-anxiety, coinciding with the need for having immediate family, which provokes his urge to constantly be with Dr. Marvin. Wiley also seems to possess a form of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). However, Wiley contains another aspect that reflects the ideas of many psychologists that have created an impact within the psychological …show more content…
Skinner’s theory of behavior is determined by models of positive and negative reinforcement. This can be found within Wiley’s use of the book “Baby Steps”, which helps to see what could be difficult tasks, broken down into smaller pieces that seem more easily attainable. Bob shows positive reinforcement through “Baby Steps” such as when leaving Dr. Marvin’s office and taking these baby steps to leave the office and use the public elevator. These baby steps also enable him to find Dr. Marvin in New Hampshire, and enable him to have interaction with other people. Through this interaction, the Marvin family starts a connection with Bob, helping with his need for family, which causes this latching to the family. Negative reinforcement through “Baby Steps”, enables Bob to have better interaction with people, which is what brings about his connection to family, and make him not want to leave, which provokes Leo. Through “Baby Steps”, Wiley has learned not to be afraid of certain things, but it is interpreted that he can do whatever seems right, as long as it was done in small …show more content…
However, when Bob hears that Marvin is leaving for vacation for a month, Bob becomes distraught for he needs the companionship of someone to help him. When arriving in New Hampshire to meet up with his psychologist, Bob forgets that he is intruding on personal boundaries, but is only focused on having Dr. Marvin there to help him with his problems. This begins the downfall of the intimate relationship between Bob and Leo. As Bob will not leave the house, and only causes stress and anxiety for Marvin, with the release of his book and his interview, he believes the presence of Wiley is only creating more stress. Eventually, Marvin figuratively snaps, and forgets all of his psychological education, and now just wants to plainly eliminate Bob. This behavior completely deteriorates any kind of connection between the two, for now Marvin only wants Wiley gone, while Bob in the meantime only sees this as part of his practice.
What About Bob? establishes of deterioration of the mind itself, forgetting all morals of behavior, and only suiting what wants to be done at the time, which is eliminating Bob Wiley. The film documents the rise above the fear of certain things, and understand there is more to life than having to fear things that may never happen. It produces a better understanding of concepts created years ago, and how they are so commonly found in today’s