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Our November time machine

We delve into the archive to pick out some highlights from this month in past years.

04 November 2014

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?

Let's set the controls for November…

In November 2020, Michael Billig turned to historical studies of writing psychology to argue for ‘more examples, less theory’. Kirstie Whitaker and Olivia Guest asked how open ‘open science’ really is, and Jennifer O’Mahoney used narrative psychology to look back at historical institutional abuse.

In 2019 we sent out The Psychologist Guide to Retirement. We featured Emily Farran on navigation in developmental disorders, Rachel Batchelor on the siblings of seriously ill children, and Sarah Chaney looking back on needle girls and motiveless malingerers. Paul Penn shared his advice on how to succeed in your degree, with psychology.

2018 saw Psychology's last stand: Making a difference in the zombie apocalypse and Christine Parsons and Melanie Rosen on Reporting your ‘dream self’. We looked back on The lasting legacy of Dr Anonymous – Cade Anderson-Smith on the DSM, Homosexuality and the 1972 American Psychiatric Association Convention.

The changing workplace was a 2017 special: 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. We learnt 'the rules of unruliness', and in 'Hand in hand', Sue Fletcher-Watson considered the future of knowledge exchange in psychology.

We're under attack again in 2016, with Roger Luckhurst on ‘zombie psychology’. Ella Rhodes investigated The everyday magic of superstition and Corrine Saunders and Charles Fernyhough looked back at The medieval mind – more sophisticated than previously thought. 

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In 2015, we heard about 'wu-wei' – doing less and wanting more. There was an online piece on prisoner suicide, a 'One on One' with Peter Fonagy, and Ben Shephard considered psychology's involvement in the Great War. There was an interview with Professor Sir Cary Cooper, an organisational perspective on Jurassic World, and so much more

2014 saw a collection of articles on Muzafer Sherif and his Robbers Cave study, including how the boys themselves felt about participating in the study. We reported from a lecture by Steven Pinker, interviewed the Rt Hon Lord Owen, and considered the history of liberation psychologyCan reassurance hurt? was Yuefang Zhou and Gerry Humphris on the ‘don’t worry’ message in medical procedures.

In 2013, our cover feature was on pathways to psychosis, and in 'Renewal of ethics' Mark Burton, joint winner of the Society’s 2013 Award for Promoting Equality of Opportunity, provided an action framework for responding to contemporary crises. In our interview, Richard Byrne talked to Lance Workman about his work with apes and elephants. Rethinking siblings and mental illness saw Christopher Griffiths and Jacqueline Sin offer support for the brothers and sisters of people affected by mental illness.

The year before, in what doesn't kill us makes us stronger? Stephen Joseph considered post-traumatic growth. Jon Sutton met Craig Knight (University of Exeter and Director of IDR) to talk about identity and the design of our environments. The 'Big Picture' was rather unusual!

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2011 saw Christian Jarrett takes a Halloween-themed look at the appeal of scary stories. Roz Shafran, winner of the Society’s 2010 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Professional Psychology, looks at implementation science. And psychologist Robert S. Gable wrote on how he and his brother invented electronic monitoring, but with an early emphasis on positive reinforcement.

Jon Sutton interviewed Cordelia Fine about neurosexism and more in 2010; top occupational psychologists discussed the state of the discipline; David Uzzell delivered the joint British Academy/British Psychological Society Annual Lecture, on psychology and climate change; and we took a historical look at Coca-Cola and psychology's involvement in it. Being proactive at work – blessing or bane? was Frank Belschak and Deanne Den Hartog on positive and negative aspects of proactive behaviour at work.

How do 'parasites influence our mind and behaviour?' formed part of an evolutionary special in 2009; and we heard from top psychologists about 'one nagging thing' they still don't understand about themselves. 

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In 2008, the question was 'Can psychology change the world?'. A similar sentiment informed 'Good work in psychology' the previous year, and our Research Digest considered 'the most important psychology experiment never done'. 2006 saw Mel Goodale and David Milner, winners of the Society’s Book Award, outline their research on 'one brain, two visual systems'. In Raising expectations, Eirini Flouri looked at parental aspirations and educational outcomes in socio-economically disadvantaged children.

In 2005 we looked 'beyond doctor's orders' in a health psychology special, and Peter K. Smith considered Grandparents and grandchildren, an important and suprisingly underresrearched relationship. Paranoia informed a spooky cover in 2004.

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As our time machine speeds through the years we encounter slippery politiciansevil men women and children, and Charlie (Myers) and the Chocolate Factory. We hear earwitness testimony, seek to understand assets and deficits in autism, and look towards lesbian and gay psychology. There's Psychology in practice - Welfare of refugees, a piece on The treadmill syndrome (middle-aged clients presenting with stress or depression), and Jennifer Brown Helping the police with their inquiries.

When you reach far back in the mists of time in our archive, to 1997 and beyond, issues are currently on the site as complete PDFs. So why not treat yourself to analysis of reactions to The death of Diana Princess of Wales, or this issue including simplicity and the mindhypnosis in 1996, a piece on South African murder trials in 1991, consider whether intelligence exists in 1990, or defend freedom of speech in 1988? 

All those months and years in our archive have so much more to offer, so do have a browse