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Psychology – heaven and hell

We are celebrating the 10th birthday of our Research Digest blog, with a now SOLD OUT evening event in London on 9 December.

24 June 2015

Our first Research Digest live event has now SOLD OUT. Here, we preview the evening.

Three internationally renowned guest speakers, led by the Research Digest editor Dr Christian Jarrett, will present their devilishly enticing views on heavenly and hellish aspects of psychology. The evening echoes the structure of the thousands of peer-reviewed journal articles that Dr Jarrett has digested over the years.

Wednesday 9 December

Chancellor's Hall, Senate House, London

19:00 Arrival

19:30: Introduction – Dr Jon Sutton (Managing Editor, The Psychologist). Dr Jon Sutton CPsychol AFBPsS has been editor of The Psychologist the monthly publication of the British Psychological Society, for the past 15 years. His idea of heaven is music and Lego; hell is meetings and bad writing.

19:40: Method – Dr Christian Jarrett (Editor, Research Digest): ‘Heavenly’ and ‘hellish’ methods in psychology. Dr Christian Jarrett AFBPsS  is editor of the British Psychological Society’s Research Digest and he launched the Digest blog in 2005. He has also blogged on psychology and neuroscience for the likes of WIREDNew York magazinePsychology Today and Mind Hacks. His most recent book is Great Myths of the Brain. Christian’s idea of heaven is hearing his baby twins chuckling in hysterics. His idea of hell is backstroke swimmers, tailgaters, and a smoker taking the table next to him outside a cafe.

20:00: Results – Professor Andy Field (University of Sussex): Is psychology ‘damned to hell’? Professor Andy Field CPsychol is Professor of Child Psychopathology at the University of Sussex and is best known for his statistics books. His heaven would be watching Iron Maiden with his family from the side of the stage whenever he wanted to, his hell is the magic porridge pot of email.

20:20: Discussion – Professor Uta Frith (University College London): Angelic psychology with a pinch of devilment. Professor Uta Frith Honorary DBE CPsychol Honorary Fellow is Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Development at University College London. Best known for her research on autism,  she has recently gone well outside her comfort zone being interested in science communication. Her idea of heaven is learning something that sheds a surprising light on the workings of our mind, even sweeter, if it stems from the work of the many brilliant young women in psychology.

20:40: Conclusion – Panel discussion and audience vote

21:00: References – Wine, nibbles and mingling

22:00 Close

We are very grateful to Psychology Press for their support in staging this event.

The event is now SOLD OUT. You can add your name to a waiting list by emailing [email protected] - this will also give us an idea of the demand for possible future events.

See our Research Digest blog for more about heavenly and hellish psychology. And if your tastes lean towards the devilment, revisit our 'sin week'!