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The cerebellum (which is Latin for “little brain”) is a major structure of the hindbrain that is located near the brainstem.

The cerebellum is most directly involved in coordinating voluntary movements. It is also responsible for a number of functions including motor skills such as balance, coordination, and posture.

Where Is the Cerebellum Located?

The cerebellum is the largest structure of the hindbrain and can be found in the back portion of the skull below the temporal and occipital lobes and behind the brainstem.

When looking at the brain, the cerebellum looks much like a smaller structure separate from the brain, found beneath the hemispheres of the cerebral cortex. The cerebellum consists of a cortex covering white matter, as well as a ventricle filled with fluid. It is also divided into two hemispheres like the cerebral cortex.

There are two main parts of the cerebellum:

• Cerebellar cortex: A layer of folded tissue containing most of the cerebellum’s neurons
• Cerebellar nuclei: The innermost part of the cerebellum containing nerve cells that communicate information from the cerebellum

What Are the Functions of the Cerebellum?

The cerebellum receives information from other regions of the brain and nervous system including the brain stem, spinal cord, and cerebrum. This incoming information is then used by the cerebellum to coordinate and control voluntary movements.

The cerebellum is like a “mini-brain” when it comes to movement and plays an important role in coordination, posture, and balance, as well as in speech and a number of important mental processes.

There are several key functions of the cerebellum, including:

• Balance and posture
• Mental function
• Movement
• Motor learning
• Vision

Impact of the Cerebellum

The cerebellum has an impact on a number of critical functions.

Coordinating the Body’s Voluntary Movements

Movement is a complex process that requires a number of different muscle groups working together. Consider how many muscle groups are involved in the process of walking, running, or throwing a ball.

While the cerebellum is not thought to initiate movement, this part of the brain helps organize all of the actions of the muscle groups involved in a particular movement to ensure that the body is able to produce a fluid, coordinated movement. This includes eye movements and movements associated with speaking.

Mental Functions

Researchers believe the cerebellum plays a role in thinking, including processing language and mood, as well as attention, fear response, and pleasure or reward response.

Balance and Posture

In order to understand the important role that the cerebellum plays, it can be helpful to look at what happens when the function of this part of the brain is impaired.

Drinking alcohol, for example, has an immediate effect on the cerebellum and leads to disruptions in the body’s coordination and movements. People who are severely intoxicated might find that they cannot even walk in a straight line or touch their own nose when instructed.

Motor Learning

When you learn to perform a new skill such as riding a bike or hitting a baseball, you often go through a trial-and-error process. As you fine-tune your motor movements, you eventually become better able to perform the skill, and eventually, you can perform the action seamlessly. The cerebellum plays a critical role in this motor learning process.

Causes of Cerebellum Damage

Damage to the cerebellum, or to its connection to other parts of the nervous system, can be a result of trauma, congenital condition, health conditions, medications, and other factors, including:

• Alcohol use disorder
• Brain tumor
• Head injury
• Huntington’s disease
• Infections
• Lead or mercury poisoning
• Medications, including benzodiazepines or barbiturates
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Stroke

Conditions That Affect the Cerebellum

When your cerebellum is damaged, nerve cells break down and die and can cause the following:

• Ataxia: The loss of control of voluntary movement (e.g., the ability to move your body the way you want)
• Cognitive impairment: A reduction in conscious mental activities, including thinking, learning, memory, and concentration
• Dystonia: Involuntary contraction of muscles that normally work in cooperation so that a body part is held in an unusual and often painful position as a result
• Tremors: Involuntary, rhythmic contraction of muscles that can lead to shaking movements in the hands, legs, face, head, or vocal cords
• Unsteady gait: Walking unsteadily or clumsily (A person with an unsteady gait may appear intoxicated even if that’s not the case.)
• Vertigo: The dizziness sensation of spinning, swaying, or tilting, which is frequently associated with balance problems and often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, headache, or hearing loss

In addition, researchers are studying the link between cerebellum dysfunction and the following:

• Anxiety disorders: A category of disorders including panic disorder and social anxiety disorder that are marked by excessive or irrational anxiety or fear that is disproportionate to the actual threat
• Autism spectrum disorder: A developmental condition that causes impairments in social interactions and communication
• Dyslexia: A disorder that makes it difficult to process speech and results in problems with reading, writing, and spelling
• Schizophrenia: A psychotic disorder characterized by distorted perceptions, thoughts, emotions, and beliefs that are not connected to reality

Symptoms of Cerebellum Damage

The following may be signs of injury or damage to the cerebellum:

• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficulty walking or balancing
• Inability to control eye movements
• Trouble with speech (such as slurring your words)
• Trouble with tasks that require fine motor skills (like writing or eating)

See a doctor right away if you experience these or any other unusual symptoms.

How to Protect Your Cerebellum

While you can’t prevent many of the health conditions linked to cerebellum dysfunction, there are some steps you can take to keep your brain healthy and injury-free:

• Practice safety. Wear a seatbelt in the car and a helmet while bike riding or playing contact sports. Reduce the risks of falls in your home by securing rugs and organizing loose wires.
• Eat healthfully and exercise. A healthy diet and regular exercise routine is great for your body and brain, plus exercise can help stimulate blood flow to your brain and reduce your risk of stroke.
• Cut back on alcohol. Chronic, heavy drinking can result in alcohol use disorder and cause stroke—both factors in cerebellum damage.
• Stop smoking. Smoking cigarettes impacts brain function and is linked to an increased risk of stroke.

History of the Cerebellum

The distinct appearance of the cerebellum was first described thousands of years ago by philosophers. The Roman physician Galen gave the earliest written surviving descriptions of this part of the brain. 

It was not until the early 19th century, however, that physicians and researchers began to learn more about the functions of this region of the brain. Experimental work that involved ablating portions of the cerebellum in animals revealed that this part of the brain is important in the coordination of movement. 

Movies are one of the most popular forms of entertainment, so it may be no surprise that your favorite genre can reveal something about who you are. While it’s certainly not the only thing that determines what movies you watch, your personality and other traits can go a long way toward explaining your preferences.

Throughout this article, I’ve dug into available research on personality and the movies to explore some of the reasoning behind why certain people like comedy, sci-fi, horror, or other genres. This is primarily based on the Big Five Personality Test traits.

While there is certainly more research to be done, as a media psychologist I’ve shared my insights to give you an idea of what people will prefer when they decide to pick out a movie. Let’s see what your movie preferences say about you!

Horror

Horror is among the most studied genres in psychology, so we have a pretty good idea of who likes movies, such as Get Out, The Shining, and Saw.

Horror fans tend to be more neurotic, less agreeable, and less extroverted, so people who are more anxious but less outgoing and compliant like this genre. Perhaps people who are more anxious like horror movies because they can experience them in the relative safety of a movie theater or their homes.

In addition, horror fans tend to be high sensation seekers with lower empathy, so they enjoy watching things that will get a rise out of them and are less bothered by scenes of violence because they don’t identify with the on-screen victims.

For instance, when Jack Nicholson’s character comes after his wife with an axe in The Shining, people who love horror will be especially thrilled but will also be less threatened by his actions. Not surprisingly, many people who like horror the most are men.

Romance

People who like romance movies, like Titanic, The Notebook, and Pride and Prejudice, are extroverted, agreeable, and not particularly open to experiences. That is, they’re outgoing and easy to like, but don’t tend to be receptive to a variety of experiences or situations.

People who gravitate toward romantic movies also tend to like their movie-going experiences to be hedonic, or pleasurable, in nature so they don’t have to think too hard. For example, people who swoon when Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) draws Rose (Kate Winslet) in Titanic, may especially like this scene for its undemanding but sensual nature.

Many fans of romance can be said to have a warm and understanding nature, something that seems to be borne out by the type of movies they prefer.

Drama

Drama films are a broad category, but movies like The Shawshank Redemption, May December, and Good Will Hunting all have deep themes that make us think. People who like drama tend to be agreeable and extroverted, so they’re likable people who tend to be amenable to a variety of ideas.

So whether they are witnessing Will (Matt Damon) ask a guy “How do you like them apples?” in response to getting a girl’s number in Good Will Hunting or seeing the difficulty Andy (Tim Robbins) has in prison in The Shawshank Redemption, they are willing to go with it and see where the scenario leads them.

People who appreciate drama also like to have a eudaimonic, or meaningful, experience with movies. They don’t just watch movies for pleasure but for feelings of sympathy and warmth. They want to watch movies to understand others and think about the human experience.

Comedy

Comedies, including Legally Blond, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Elf, attract people who tend to be agreeable and have low openness to experience. So people who are fans of comedy may be amenable to the ideas presented in these movies but aren’t especially open to engaging with challenging situations.

Most importantly, perhaps, for comedy lovers is an enjoyment of hedonism. Comedy movies have it in abundance and watching, for instance, Buddy (Will Ferrell) eat spaghetti and syrup or throw snowballs at a bunch of bullies in Elf requires the pure enjoyment of pleasure.

Animation

While animation is a category that’s often associated with children, it draws people from across the age and gender spectrum. People who are high in agreeableness tend to like animated films because they value close family ties.

People who love animation also tend to be more neurotic. The reason for this could be similar to the reason people who like horror movies are more neurotic: anxious people like experiencing new things in a safe environment like a movie theater. But people who like animation may be more empathetic than those who like horror movies, making animation easier for these individuals to take.

For example, in Inside Out when Bing Bong (Richard Kind), Riley’s (Kaitlyn Dias) imaginary friend, fades out of existence, people who like animation may feel very badly for Bing Bong. At the same time, though, they likely appreciate the fact that they got to experience this poignant moment in the safety of a movie theater.

The Classics

Classic films are less explored in psychology research about movies and personality. In fact, there’s very little literature about them. But there’s been just enough to at least claim that people who appreciate classics, like Some Like it Hot, Casablanca, and Gone with the Wind, score high on openness to experience. So these are likely creative people who like to be involved with cognitively challenging genres.  

It’s also probably safe to say that people who like classics love eudaimonic movies. That is, they are looking for movies that make them think. For instance, Gone with the Wind has a variety of topics that fans could ruminate on, including comparing and contrasting the choices characters in the movie make with the choices we’d make today.

Science Fiction

Science fiction, such as Blade Runner, The Martian, Interstellar, and Arrival, can offer incredible takes on where we’re headed as a species. The people who love these movies tend to be open to experiences. As a result, it’s no wonder that these individuals enjoy both the intellectual stimulation and the aesthetic experiences provided by these movies.

For example, in Blade Runner, people may enjoy both the intellectual work of trying to decode what’s going on with Harrison Ford’s character and the beautiful aesthetics of the strange city he inhabits.

People who like sci-fi also are high sensation seekers, which is no surprise. If you think of all the incredible things you can see in a sci-fi movie, many of which you can’t see in real life, it makes sense that sensation seekers would gravitate to this genre.

Action/Adventure

Action/adventure is the second-most studied genre after horror, and action/adventure fans have some things in common with horror fans. Particularly, people who gravitate to action/adventure movies, like the James Bond franchise, the Indiana Jones movies, and the Avengers franchise, tend to be high sensation seekers and male, just like those who love horror.

However, there are differences, too. For example, people who love action/adventure are low in neuroticism, so they don’t tend to be very anxious. They also tend to seek films out for affiliative or aggressive uses. For example, in The Avengers when the final battle of New York happens, many action/adventure fans are bound to get a thrill. For some, this may have to do with their ability to enjoy this action with their friends and meet interpersonal goals; for others, this may help them release aggression through the film.

Fantasy

Fantasy, exemplified by films like The Princess Bride, the Harry Potter series, and the Lord of the Rings franchise, is a lot like science fiction. It tells incredible stories about fantastical people. But in this case, the science is replaced by magic.

Like sci-fi fans, fantasy fans tend to be high sensation seekers who are open to experiences. As a result, when Frodo (Elijah Wood) and his friends seek out friends at Rivendell in the Lord of the Rings franchise or Harry (Daniel Radcliff) finally casts his first spell in the Harry Potter series, people who love fantasy are riveted. Fantasy fans are also lower in extraversion, so these individuals tend to be imaginative, reflective people who are interested in many things but aren’t necessarily outgoing.  

Sports movies

Finally, we have sports movies, such as Creed, Moneyball, and King Richard, which attract people who are lower on openness to experience and neuroticism, and higher on conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness. So people who love sports films, are not anxious but also don’t crave a lot of variety or stimulation. They’re also outgoing, affable, and tend to be more responsible.

These associations, outside of agreeableness, tend to mirror the relationship between people who have these traits and like physical activity. So, for example, it would seem that whether a fan is watching Creed to see boxing or participating in a boxing class, these individuals are scratching a similar itch.

Attachment therapy explores how someone’s childhood experiences might affect their ability to form meaningful bonds as an adult. Though attachment therapy is often recommended for those who have had negative childhood experiences, anyone struggling to foster deep connections with others might benefit.

“In attachment-based therapy, therapists work with people who need help rebuilding trust in relationships, especially because people with dysregulation of attachment tend to fall into difficult interpersonal relationships,” notes Dr. Caroline Fenkel, DSW, co-founder and chief clinical officer of Charlie Health.

It’s akin to changing the narrator in your mind from one who fosters fearful thoughts of abandonment, pain, or disappointment to one who is loving and supportive.

Attachment theory also can help you realize that you can live a satisfying life without relying on others to provide a sense of purpose. 

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What Is Attachment Theory?

To understand attachment therapy, it’s important to know about attachment theory. It’s based on extensive research by psychologist John Bowlby into how young children attach to their parents and caregivers.

Bowlby defined four attachment types: secure, avoidant, anxious, and disorganized. He hypothesized that attachment style informs people’s relationships later in life, well past childhood and into adulthood.

“Anxious attachment style is probably the ‘type’ that gets talked about the most, though–and why a lot of people seek out attachment therapy—because of the way it tends to manifest in adulthood,” notes Dr. Fenkel. “People with an anxious attachment style obviously live with some level of anxiety, but they specifically deal with fears of being alone and what is often viewed as codependency.”

There’s nothing inherently wrong with having this attachment style, and many people have it. However, it can be incredibly beneficial to know this about yourself and to have a therapist help you in specific ways to navigate these strong emotions and patterns. 

What to Expect

The mantra “taking back power” is often used in attachment therapy. You’ll typically explore events from your childhood and determine how these experiences affect your life today. 

At first, expect to reflect deeply on your relationship with your primary caregiver (typically a parent, grandparent, or foster/adoptive parent). Be prepared to dissect how those early dynamics continue manifesting.

By exploring childhood attachment wounds, says Caroline Fenkel, DSW, people can begin to engage narratively with their trauma. When you’re able to tell the story of what happened in a way that you feel in control and safe, it’s immensely empowering against symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression.

She adds that, once you’ve done a solid amount of work processing your childhood caregiver relationships, you’ll likely redirect focus on your adulthood interpersonal relationships with romantic partners, friends, and coworkers.

In addition to focusing on inner-child work one-on-one with your therapist, you can receive attachment-based therapy in a couple, group, or family therapy setting. Whatever approach you take, you’ll likely do exercises that help you connect with yourself and bond with others.

What Attachment Therapy Can Help With

Attachment therapy can help if you have symptoms of an attachment disorder. Consider whether you:

Benefits of Attachment Therapy

Attachment therapy can help you address some of the subconscious, lingering issues from your childhood that still impact your ability to form meaningful relationships as an adult.

“The primary benefits of attachment therapy, and the techniques it uses, is to help the individual gain a sense of security. [By doing so], it promotes emotional balance and joyful socializing while increasing self-esteem and self-confidence,” says Tyra S. Gardner, a psychotherapist and CEO of The Wellness Center of Mindfulness.

Effectiveness

As with any form of therapy, the effectiveness of attachment therapy varies according to different factors. Those might include your determination and vulnerability in getting deeply introspective and making progress, the relationship with your therapist, and the frequency/consistency of your sessions.

“It’s important to discuss treatment options with a professional to understand which approach would be most beneficial for you,” advises Dr. Fenkel. “Attachment-based therapy is very relational, meaning it depends a lot on how the person seeking therapy interacts with other people, which can be harder to clinically analyze if the therapy is individual.”

She adds that group and family therapy with attachment-based methods is especially effective for kids and young adults living with anxiety, depression, or experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Things to Consider

Again, like many forms of therapy, attachment-based therapy isn’t a concrete, step-by-step prescription. Instead, it’s fluid and organic. To see actual progress, it’s important to adopt a “go with the flow” attitude, come with a sense of openness, and be aware things might get painfully difficult before they get better. 

How to Get Started

If you feel that attachment-based therapy is right for you, consider first calling your insurance provider to see if your sessions are covered. If you’re a student, ask your college’s health office if they provide free services.

“Prior to starting, write down some ways you think your childhood or early-life environment shows up in your everyday life, be it through feeling incredibly anxious whenever you’re alone or tending to be a clingy partner or friend,” says Dr. Fenkel. “But observe without judgment. That’s the true basis of this work: not judging yourself, but learning how to love all the chapters of your life that make you you.”