Eksplorasi Unsur Psikologi dalam Serial Detective Conan Karya Aoyama Gosho: Studi Psikopatologi dalam Kasus Kriminal

Abstract

This study is motivated by the growing concern over how psychological disorders are represented in popular media and the extent to which such portrayals shape public understanding of criminal behavior. Detective Conan was selected as the research focus due to its persistent depiction of offenders whose motives and behaviors resemble various forms of psychopathology. The primary aim of this study is to examine how psychopathological elements are constructed within the series’ criminal cases and to assess their alignment with contemporary clinical psychological theories. The central research question concerns the ways in which mental disorders are represented narratively and the implications of these representations for public psychological literacy. Employing a qualitative approach with a thematic content analysis design, the study analyzed purposively selected episodes featuring deviant behaviors such as trauma-driven actions, delusional thinking, antisocial tendencies, and narcissistic traits. The data were interpreted using frameworks drawn from the DSM-5, psychoanalytic theory, and cognitive-behavioral theory. The findings indicate that while psychopathological elements appear frequently, they function primarily as dramaturgical devices rather than accurate clinical representations. These depictions are symbolic, episodic, and lack the chronicity required for formal diagnosis. The study concludes that although the series may stimulate public interest in mental-health issues, its narrative simplifications risk reinforcing stereotypes. Future research is recommended to investigate audience reception in order to better understand the impact of fictional crime narratives on psychological literacy.