Lesson Plan: Psychology – Dissociative Disorder
Grades 9-12
In 1976, the television movie “Sybil” told the story of a woman believed to have 16 distinct personalities. The film was based on a best-selling book about Shirley Mason, a real person who was treated by the psychiatrist Dr. Cornelia Wilbur in the 1950s and 1960s. At the time, what was then called multiple personality disorder was considered a rare diagnosis, with only about 100 documented cases. The popularity of “Sybil” brought widespread attention to the condition, now known as Dissociative Identity Disorder, and raised questions about how media and popular culture shape public understanding of mental health. This case study helps students explore how the perception and understanding of psychological disorders evolve, and how storytelling can influence science, diagnosis and stigma.
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