who was the movie psycho based on

The movie "Psycho" was based on the 1959 novel of the same name by author Robert Bloch. The character Norman Bates and the story were loosely inspired by the real-life crimes of Ed Gein, a notorious Wisconsin serial killer. Gein's disturbing behaviors, such as his oppressive relationship with his mother, grave robbing, and murder, influenced Bloch's creation of Norman Bates, who has a split personality involving his deceased mother and commits murders. Alfred Hitchcock adapted the novel into the famous 1960 film "Psycho," which closely follows the novel's story with some modifications. The film is widely regarded as a pioneering slasher film and one of Hitchcock's greatest works.