Archive
December 2017
Nasty or nice?
Elena Lemonaki and Patrick Leman consider overt and insidious forms of sexism.
Talking failure in therapy and beyond
A conversation across the Atlantic, between Dr Tony Rousmaniere and Professor Miranda Wolpert.
‘This is about their truth’
Clinical psychologist Dr Rachel Happer on her role as Head of the National Confidential Forum.
‘There’s this conspiracy of silence around how science really works’
Our editor Jon Sutton meets Marcus Munafò, winner of the British Psychological Society’s Presidents’ Award, Professor of Biological Psychology at the University of Bristol, and a key player in the debate over replication and open science.
The coddling campus
Craig A. Harper believes the road to (political) hell is paved with good intentions…
‘There was no standardised treatment for people who set deliberate fires'
Professor Theresa Gannon (University of Kent) on her journey to impact. As told to our journalist Ella Rhodes.
‘…constantly at work in the laboratory of my own mind’
Jan Noyes on Conwy Lloyd Morgan, the first psychologist to become a Fellow of the Royal Society.
‘As public intellectuals, it is possible to be both polite and radical’
One on One with Anne Cooke.
November 2017
The rules of unruliness
At the 2017 Latitude Festival in Suffolk, our editor Dr Jon Sutton introduced Professor Stephen D. Reicher in the Wellcome Trust Arena.
‘You cannot sit on the fence, you have to commit and act’
We talk to Megan Hine about her book Mind of a Survivor, and what wilderness survival might tell us about coping and self-reliance.
From mythical idealisation to political and personal reality
Dr Joanna North, winner of the Society’s Award for Distinguished Contributions to Professional Psychology; what lessons can be drawn from 10 years of running an Ofsted-registered adoption support agency?
‘Imagine the brave new world… these are small psychological interventions capable of big effects’
Our editor Jon Sutton meets Professor Kavita Vedhara (University of Nottingham)
The changing workplace
Six contributions consider how the pace of economic, technological, social and environmental change requires a re-evaluation of how we work now and in the future
Pushing beyond the stereotypes of voice hearing
Charles Fernyhough on his team's role in an unusual new video game; and two players, Jamie Moffatt and George Hales, give their views on it.
Hand in hand
Sue Fletcher-Watson considers the future of knowledge exchange in psychology
Eye on Fiction: Making room for values and emotions
Vivienne Laidler with an introduction to acceptance and commitment therapy through the literary work Room on the Broom, by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler; is the popular children’s book a fable of third wave cognitive and behavioural therapy in disguise?
October 2017
Hazardous to health?
Sarah Mackenzie Ross considers whether exposure to chemical substances could be damaging your brain.
The Freudian motivation behind 1967's Sexual Offences Act
Adam Jowett on Jewish Labour MP Leo Abse.
Kinship and loss
We pose some questions for Damien W. Riggs and Elizabeth Peel, about their new book Critical Kinship Studies, and publish an exclusive extract on experiences of pregnancy loss.
Little scientists – big impact
The Developmental Research Team at the University of Stirling explain why they love their psychology kindergarten.
Simulation-based education
Jennifer Cleland finds new perspectives on medical training, which could be used more widely in psychology too.
The Psychologist Guide to University Life
Ella Rhodes brings us evidence-based tips for new students of any subject, kindly sponsored by Routledge Psychology. Hit play on the image for the animated version!
‘I encountered considerable hostility to the kind of critiques I was presenting’
Our editor Jon Sutton meets Professor Erica Burman (University of Manchester).
One year at university
Holly Rose Welsby gained a Triple A* from Burnley College Sixth Form Centre to progress to Cambridge University. She has just completed her first year studying psychology at Churchill College. Here she tells us about her experience so far. Now UPDATED with what happened next…
‘Greater humility about what our discipline can bring could, paradoxically, strengthen our contribution’
'One on One' with Theresa Marteau.
'When schools pay for services they demand more – that means we must be more creative in what we do’
September 2017
A broad experience
Dinsa Sachan considers the evidence on how foreign living shapes us.
Harnessing the fierce energy of counterculture
Lucas Richert on transactional analysis in the 1960s.
‘Reflect on the lives you continue to enhance’
Dr Rumina Taylor is a Principal Clinical Psychologist at the PICuP Clinic, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and a Consultant Clinical Psychologist at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London.
‘My job is to use evidence to change the conversation’
Paul Dawson is Head of Research within the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime – the body that has statutory responsibility over the Metropolitan Police. His team, Evidence and Insight, is an eclectic mixture of more than 20 psychologists, crime analysts and others. The aim is to inform evidence-based policy making for London – and, ultimately, to make London safer.
The parent connection
Talia Berkowitz, Marjorie W. Schaeffer, Christopher S. Rozek, Sian L. Beilock and Susan C. Levine consider what kinds of parent support promote children’s academic achievement.
‘They took off their uniform when they got home, but couldn’t remove the armour’
Although she has conducted research in several areas, Christina Maslach is best known for her pioneering work on ‘burnout’. It’s a concept with great academic and popular appeal as it captures a common experience among employees, especially those working within the helping professions. Gail Kinman and Kevin Teoh interviewed Professor Maslach at the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology conference in Athens, where she was a keynote speaker.
Folk illusions – more than child’s play
Clai Rice and Brandon Barker consider what some classic tricks tell us about perception and our understanding of reality.
How sentient is this mouse?
Helen Cassaday poses an ethical dilemma, provides her view and seeks responses.
August 2017
The future of transport?
The psychology of self-driving vehicles, with Stephen Skippon and Nick Reed.
Forgiveness
Loren L. Toussaint and Everett L. Worthington Jr review the evidence and look at interventions.
The hidden costs of working when sick
Mariella Miraglia and Gail Kinman review the evidence on presenteeism.
When winners need help
Derek Larkin and colleagues consider mental health in elite sport.
Seeing red
Can exposure to the colour red change behaviour? G. Neil Martin reviews the evidence.
Keeping the memory alive
Ilyana Kuhling is the winner of our annual poetry competition.
‘There’s a real danger of silos – the key is the Branches’
Some psychologists are past masters at the ‘portfolio career’, thinking about and applying psychology in hugely varied places. Ian Florance met husband and wife team Barry and Ann Cripps, at the Society’s London offices, to draw on their huge experience.
‘Psychologists should stop selling themselves short’
Hamira Riaz’s talk to the BPS London and Home Counties Branch in April – ‘Breaking down the silos: What can occupational psychology learn from clinical psychology (and vice versa)’ – reflected a theme in many recent careers interviews. Ian Florance met her.
At the flimsy border between life and death
Jon Sutton meets Adrian Owen to discuss his new book, Into the Grey Zone.
July 2017
Faces in the wild
Brian Parkinson (University of Oxford) reviews the evidence on interpersonal effects of facial expression.
A revolution in thinking
Ali Teymoori and Rose Trappes consider Immanuel Kant’s influence on psychology.
‘I was doing my childhood dream job, thanks to psychology’
James Olav Hill is a psychology graduate and a freelance shooting producer director for television.
We stand together
Our journalist Ella Rhodes speaks to just a few of the researchers and practitioners seeking to understand and tackle extremism in its many forms.
‘A man got to do what he got to do’
Chris Athanasiadis suggests how depressed men can transcend their stoic approach.
The power of the arts
Sally Marlow and Kate Johnstone, Associate Editors for Culture, consider its novel use in mental health.
False memories of childhood abuse
Are therapists to blame? Chris R. Brewin and Bernice Andrews consider the evidence in a controversial area.
‘Living well with dementia has become a key focus of policy’
We meet Linda Clare, Professor of Clinical Psychology of Ageing and Dementia at the University of Exeter.
Is slowness the essence of knowledge?
Eloise Stark looks at whether ‘slow and steady wins the race’.
Pull up a chair
Matthew Pugh on the use and potential of chairwork.
June 2017
Democracy in danger – a special feature
In the run-up to the UK General Election, we collect links to coverage in our June edition and much more.
‘Psychology is action, not thinking about oneself’
At the British Psychological Society’s Annual Conference in Brighton in May, Peter Kinderman delivered his Presidential Address.
A ‘double whammy’ of concern
Ella Rhodes on EU funding and the importance of science.
Democracy in danger
How can psychology help? asks Roger Paxton.
Building democracy
Ashley Weinberg considers how psychology can inform the design and restoration of the physical spaces in which our political processes take place.
‘The fact that we have access to so many different opinions is driving us to believe that we’re in information bubbles’
Poppy Noor meets Michal Kosinski, psychologist, data scientist and Professor at Stanford University
Beyond borders
Alastair Nightingale, Simon Goodman and Sam Parker seek more prominence for psychological perspectives on the refugee crisis in Europe.
From crisis to cornerstones of culture
Ella Rhodes speaks to psychologists leading the way in the replication revolution.
‘I work to build products that people use, that benefit them and that they love’
We meet Nicki Morley.
‘There is possibility to find hope and meaning even in the depths of despair’
One on One with Joanna Griffin.
Reclaiming the truth
Karen M. Douglas, Chee Siang Ang and Farzin Deravi on conspiracy theories and fake news on social media.
Working as an expat psychologist
Patric Esters on cultural challenges and possible universals.
May 2017
Minds run free
Psychologists, like much of the population, have been bitten by the running bug. What do they get out of it, and does their experience chime with the science? Christian Jarrett and Ella Rhodes investigate.
Britain’s first full-time Professor of Psychology
Natalie Bigbie and Nils Muhlert on the life and work of Tom Hatherley Pear.
'Living cosily'
Associate Editor Dr Rebecca Stack spoke to Meik Wiking, author of The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living.
E is for… Ecstasy
The Psychologist A to Z continues.
My shelfie… Phil Banyard
Reader in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University.
Revealing the mask
Rachel Williams on a never-ending performance of gender and identity.
'You're a writer already'
Our editor Jon Sutton speaks to academic and author Professor Charles Fernyhough (University of Durham) about his writing.
Caution: Identity under construction
Pam Jarvis considers adolescence on the social network.
What to read… if you care about climate change
Recommendations from Sally Weintrobe.
‘Profile is key to our influence’
Nicola Gale is the incoming President of the British Psychological Society.
‘The work elicits a strange mixture of emotions’
We meet Fiona McClean.
A scientific strategy for life chances
Michael S.C. Thomas on the cognitive neuroscience of socio-economic status.
‘Why can’t we speak to the deepest issues of meaning, love and loss?’
Kal Kseib meets Steven C. Hayes, Professor of Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Gandhi addresses the British Psychological Society
Narinder Kapur, joint winner of a Society Lifetime Achievement Award, imagines a talk on the themes of nonviolence, truth and political behaviour.
April 2017
Five depictions of the brain
Andrew P. Wickens (a winner of the British Psychological Society’s Book Award) considers their historical significance.
What some people say about what they think they think
We speak to Professor Brian M. Hughes about his new Palgrave book ‘Rethinking Psychology’, and run an exclusive extract.
‘There is only one mental condition, the human condition’
Martin Seager is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with Change, Grow, Live, and Branch Consultant with the Central London Samaritans.
‘Many fairy tales about the brain still propagate through our field’
Our editor Jon Sutton poses the questions on the eve of the publication of Lisa Feldman Barrett’s new book, How Emotions Are Made.
‘It is lonely to be a single voice insisting on holding a fixed ethic…’
Samuel Landau is a community rabbi and a trainee clinical psychologist. Here, he reflects on how wearing these two hats has required frequent consideration of difference, diversity and tolerance.
Fame – who’s gonna live for ever?
Adrian Furnham writes.
Who makes a good companion?
We speak of Dr Sarita J. Robinson about her chapter in a new book 'Doctor Who Psychology', published by Sterling; reprint the chapter; and George Sik reviews the book.
Salute the leader – mask the masses?
Sally Marlow and Mike Thompson collaborate at an exhibition of monumental change.
Chocolate cake, sex, and valuing behaviour
Jonathan Myers looks at how we make choices.
Building spatial skills in preschool
Nora S. Newcombe looks beyond literacy and numeracy.
The creative navigator’s compass
Nicky Clayton and Clive Wilkins on memory and perception – and how we know which way we are facing.
March 2017
A brave new world of sleep?
Gareth Gaskell reviews the evidence on memory consolidation during sleep.
Why aren't we beating bullying?
In an online exclusive for Antibullying Week, Stephen James Minton argues that attending to prejudice is the key to improving anti-bullying research and action.
Silence, power, evidence and a debate with no clear answers
The debate on mental health revelations in The Psychologist continues.
Ruling the airwaves
Our editor Jon Sutton pauses to appreciate two long-running psychological BBC Radio 4 programmes – Digital Human and All in the Mind.
My brief encounter with the American dream
Gabriela Misca on her Fulbright year in the USA.
Attachment – public and scientific discourse
Following Professor Elizabeth Meins' article in the January issue, the debate continues.
Children of alcoholism
Alan Price, a postgraduate at the University of Salford, on the hidden epidemic of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and traumatic childhood experiences.
A brief history of thinking ourselves insane
Huw Green with a historical take on agency in madness.
‘The turf wars in psychology have been as intellectually silly as they have been disastrous’
Frederick Toates takes Lance Workman through his 40-year career with the Open University, discussing the ‘wanting vs. liking’ distinction, the state of higher education, and much more.
Making a difference
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Uta Frith and Richard Nisbett reveal the roots and fruits of their most famous contributions, introduced by Robert Sternberg; plus online extras, from Adrian Furnham, Michael Gazzaniga and Susan Fiske.
February 2017
The downsides of positivity
Kate Sweeny provides a nuanced picture of the research.
New voices: Slam science
Madeleine Pownall on a form of poetry that should speak to literature lovers and psychologists alike.
Faith, trust and pixie dust
Ellie Buckley on new documentary Life, Animated.
Pain, fear and joy – beyond hysteria
Elena Carrera draws lessons from the life of 16th-century mystic Teresa of Avila.
My shelfie… Emily Hutchinson
Emily Hutchinson, Associate Editor for Books, and Director of EJH Consulting, kicks off a new series.
The pain of youth
Ahead of their British Psychological Society seminar series, Line Caes and Abbie Jordan call for creativity in research design. Living with chronic health conditions during adolescence can bring particular psychological and social challenges. But do we need to make more effort to hear the voices of those affected?
Q&A - Tomasz Witkowski
Rebecca Stack, Associate Editor for Books, speaks to Tomasz Witkowski, the author of Psychology Led Astray: Cargo Cult in Science and Therapy.
Disengaging morality from robotic war
Albert Bandura on the increasing use of military drones and the psychology that enables it.
'It is diverse brains and the consequent breadth of talents and abilities that are pivotal to our future'
Joyce Hargrave-Wright reminisces on a life in psychology.
‘You can use your intellect and your emotions’
Michelle Rydon Grange talks to Ian Florance.
‘I didn’t leave it at that… I talked to them about their reading’
Jane Oakhill on her research journey and how it helped.
Literature in performance, psychology in action
Philip Davis with a case history from his multidisciplinary Centre for Research into Reading, Literature, and Society.
January 2017
Why magazines matter
As we relaunch, our journalist Ella Rhodes considers style and impact in the printed form.
Overrated: The predictive power of attachment
Elizabeth Meins with the first in an occasional series, where psychologists choose the concepts they feel are overrated or underrated.
The real deal
Stephen Joseph calls for more research into the psychology of authenticity.
Writing for impact
With its relaunch, The Psychologist aims to reflect and encourage the trend for clear science communication. Here, regular contributors give their views on the benefits of engaging a wide audience. First up, Steve Reicher and Alex Haslam.
The limits of empathy
Diana Kwon on when walking in another’s shoes is not enough.
Migration and mental illness
Marjory Harper delves into archives for tales of alien environments and unfulfilled expectations.
‘Real things are just endlessly fascinating’
We meet James Pennebaker. Our editor Jon Sutton poses the questions, on expressive writing, humour in teaching and more.
'J.M. Barrie was a close observer of human and animal behaviour’
Chris Frith meets Rosalind Ridley, to discuss her book on the mind of the Peter Pan author.
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ISSN: 0952-8229 (Print), 2398-1529 (online)
...From the archive
Founded in 1998, the Depersonalisation Research Unit at the Institute of Psychiatry was the first in its field. Now the team describe their progress in the development of cognitive-behavioural and pharmacological treatments.
Peter Halligan, winner of the Society's Presidents' Award, on the importance of societal and individual beliefs in understanding health