The Whistleblower: New Movie Stimulates Interest in the Psychology and Personality of Whistleblowers

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Aug. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Whistleblowers frequently show up in the news, often capturing our collective attention. Movies or news reports cover their lives. The most recent example of curiosity about whistleblowers is the new independent movie, The Whistleblower, released today amid rumors that it may be nominated for an Oscar.

A Whistleblower can be an individual who outs or opines practices or actions that are illegal, dishonest or violate the whistleblowers sense of morality or ethics. Whistleblowers of many types have been around for a very long time. However, there are now many new protections to shield the messenger in order to prevent the whistleblower from ending up as the victim.

"The record of many whistleblowers is reflected in the reporting of dishonest or fraudulent acts within their organizations or businesses. There are also people who blow the whistle on  individuals or organizations in which they do not work but they are given incentives to report and expose illegal, dishonest or socially unacceptable acts," said Dr. Bernard Luskin, CEO, Senior Provost, and Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Touro University Worldwide (TUW).

"The False Claims Act encourages whistleblowers to report issues and enables rewarding them with a percentage of monies recovered by the government as an outcome of a legal case. While some people would call whistleblowers courageous or even heroic in instances that uncover and expose an injustice, there is also a risk that a whistleblower may become a target for retaliation," said attorney James Hirsen, TUW Professor of Professional Ethics.

"I think that many times there is a genetic risk propensity in the brain wiring of a whistleblower. This is especially the case since one obvious risk is the possibility of negative accusations, such as 'Tattletale.' Withstanding the possibility of accusations requires a personality that has a willingness to confront adversity. Some examples of famous public whistleblowers showing this characteristic include Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, Jeffrey Wigand and the tobacco industry, Karen Silkwood and the nuclear industry, Cynthia Cooper, Sherron Watkins who exposed Enron, and Julian Assange, the whistleblower who founded WikiLeaks," Luskin explained.

"My years as psychotherapist in media psychology have led me to the conclusions that the following are typical whistle blower traits. In my view, whistleblowers are:

1.  driven by altruism.

2.  can overcome insecurity through exhibitionism in order to release information.

3.  generally moralistic, becoming committed and even obsessed about a personal belief.

4.  have a propensity to rely on moral theories that emphasize rights.

5.  strong willed.

6.  stubbornly committed and uncompromising.

7.  willing to go against social conventions, and

8.  have a particular mind set stemming from their personal attitudes and beliefs.

Touro University Worldwide master's degree programs include various programs and courses that investigate the psychology of whistleblowers and other psychological and personality profiles. Master's degree programs include Media and Communications Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy.

For enrollment or scholarship information, please contact:

• Heather Hoglund,  Director of Enrollment Management, at 818-575 1600, [email protected]

Press Contact:

• Alisa Weinstein | (818) 575-1600, [email protected]

About Touro University Worldwide (TUW)

Touro University Worldwide offers Master's Degrees in Business (MBA), Organizational and Leadership Psychology, Media and Communications Psychology, and Marriage and Family Therapy.  For program and enrollment information, visit: www.TouroW.edu.

About the Touro College and University System

Touro is a system of non-profit institutions of higher and professional education. Touro College was chartered in 1970 primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage, and to serve the larger American community. Approximately 19,000 students are currently enrolled in its various schools and divisions. Touro College has branch campuses, locations and instructional sites in the New York area, as well as branch campuses and programs in Berlin, Jerusalem, Moscow, Paris, and Florida. Touro University California and its Nevada branch campus, as well as Touro College Los Angeles, are separately accredited institutions within the Touro College and University System.  For further information on Touro College, please go to: http://www.touro.edu/media/.

SOURCE Touro University Worldwide