Our April time machine

At the beginning of each month, we will revisit some past issues. What did you miss? How have the ideas within the articles stood the test of time?

Remember, if you visit our 'Archive' page, you can 'Jump to year' right back to when The Psychologist metamorphised from the Bulletin of the British Psychological Society, in January 1988.

Let's set the controls for April…

In 2023 it was time for some Dad jokes; plus a series of interviews around the future of work and organisational psychology.

2022 saw a focus on rehabilitation and change, Sanah Ahsan's critical take on EDI work, and much more.

April 2021 had a feature on cycles, Steve Taylor making sense of time expansion experiences, and ways to reduce parental conflict.

In 2020 our journalist Ella Rhodes collated a series on vision and perception research, and Emma Young looked at quirks of human vision. Robert McIntosh and Sergio Della Sala reflected on the field of mirror-writing. Katy Mitchell considered unknown endings, and Khyati Tripathi shared a personal journey into death studies.

In April 2019, Gustav Kuhn considered the science of magic and what it reveals about the human mind. Claire Farrow and Emma Haycraft encouraged playing with food, to increase vegetable acceptance in children. Wolfgang Stroebe explored student evaluations of teaching, and Roberta Reb Allen told a family tale involving the infamous neurologist Walter Freeman.  

In 2018 we had a special feature on opportunities and challenges for psychologists and the media. Mohamed Gamal el-Din Abdelaal Khougali argued that Western psychology has much to gain by abandoning its largely Eurocentric view. Jack Dutton investigated highly superior autobiographical memory, and Claire Elliott considered the significance of ‘electronic voice phenomena’. Clare Makepeace wrote about the use of Civil Resettlement Units in World War Two and their possible lessons for today. 

In April 2017 Andrew P. Wickens considered the historical significance of depictions of the brain. Nora S. Newcombe looked at the building of spatial skills in preschool, and Jonathan Myers asked how we make choices. Nicky Clayton and Clive Wilkins examined memory and perception, and how we know which way we are facing.

Our 2016 issue featured Ben Alderson-Day with explanations for ‘feelings of presence’, Alexander J. Bridger introducing psychogeographical psychology, and Joe Banks on psychoacoustics, bereavement and the public understanding of science. Joanna Moncrieff examined the socioeconomic history of psychoactive drug use. 

In 2015, Jonathan Roiser asked what neuroscience has ever done for mental health. Our journalist Ella Rhodes met psychologists who think boredom has had a bad press. Lewis Killin and Sergio Della Sala explained why RCTs do not necessarily mean quality research. John D. Mayer argued that ‘personal intelligence’ shapes our lives, and Brianne Kent asked if circadian rhythms could be the key in preventing Alzheimer’s. Alan Baddeley described the origins of the multi-component model of working memory.

In April 2014 we had a special issue on austerity, introduced by the Midlands Psychology Group and including articles on its impact on a British council estate, unemployment, identity in the classroom, and pressure and emotional labour at work for academics.

Our April 2013 issue featured the psychology of humour and comedy, including a conversation between Richard Wiseman and Richard Herring, Sophie Scott on laughter, and research to make you smile and think.

In 2012 we argued that psychologists need to get to know their participants, investigated the cost of caregiving, and looked at problem-solving therapy for personality disorder. We looked back at learning disability – from the Devil to DSM-IV.

In April 2011, we had a special issue on psychology, religion and spirituality, featuring:
- the cognitive science of religion
- mental health, religion and culture
- faith and psychology in historical dialogue
- religion, spirituality and therapeutic practice
- reflections on psychology and religion from a psychologist, theologian and priest 
That month also featured a looking back article on the controversial Hans Eysenck.

Our 2010 issue investigated psychology’s response to homelessness. We looked at harmonious intergroup relations, deferred imitation in children and apes, and the work of the British Red Cross. We asked if our minds have evolved to see humans as types of artefacts, and looked back at blindsight.

In our 2009 issue, find articles on extraordinary psychological feats, Daniel Everett’s adventures in the jungle of language, perceptual control theory, and increasing happiness. In 2008 we featured baby signing, evolutionary psychology, nonconscious influences, and animal cultures.

In April 2007 we looked at depression and life events, making literacy easier, and autism as a developmental disorder. We also took a look at psychology in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. Our 2006 issue considered the return of the irrational, social support, and attention.

Our April 2005 issue was a special on obesity, featuring the paradox of control, psychological interventions, and interactions between environment, genes and behaviour. We also had a look at psychology in India, and cross-cultural psychology.

In 2004 we featured consumer society, and in 2003 we had articles on synaesthesia, psychologists prescribing, and psychology in Spain. Our April 2002 issue was a special on the body.

In April 2001, we considered crime prevention, improving cognitive performance, and immersive television, and in April 2000 we had audience psychology.

Back in the nineties we had cognitive gerontology and the history and philosophy of psychology. Once we reach 1997, issues are only viewable as whole PDFs… Find false memory, new ways of working, prescribing in clinical psychology, racism in psychology textbooks, psychology in South Africa and cooperative learning. There’s also sport and degree classifications before we reach 1989 which included screen violence and nicotine use. 

Our first ever April issue, in 1988, had an interview with B.F. Skinner, and asked if psychologists can help survivors of disasters. 

Remember, you can explore our complete archive or use the search function via the homepage.