the psychologist vol 29 no 5 may 2016 www.thepsychologist.org.uk

Are we punching our weight? Ella Rhodes asks whether psychology is truly having impact

letters 326 arts-based research 354 news 332 making brain waves in society 358 careers 390 our struggle with pseudoscience 362 looking back 406 buried in bullshit? 368 Contact The British Psychological Society the psychologist... 48 Princess Road East Leicester LE1 7DR ...features 0116 254 9568 [email protected] www.bps.org.uk

The Psychologist www.thepsychologist.org.uk www.psychapp.co.uk [email protected] Are we punching our weight? 350 tinyurl.com/thepsychomag Our journalist Ella Rhodes asks whether psychology is having the desired impact, @psychmag through the media and policy

Download our app via Arts-based research – radical or http://tinyurl.com/psychmagapp conventional? 354 David Carless and Kitrina Douglas make the Advertising case for an alternative methodology Reach 50,000+ psychologists at very reasonable rates. CPL, 1 Cambridge Technopark, 350 Making brain waves in society 358 Newmarket Road, CB5 8PB Cliodhna O’Connor and Helene Joffe on the Recruitment Matt Styrka ‘ripple effects’ generated as a piece of 01223 378 005 neuroscience leaves the laboratory [email protected] Display Michael Niskin ...debates 01223 378 045 [email protected] opinion: Our struggle between science and April issue pseudoscience 362 45,089 dispatched Chris Ferguson takes a dim view of the state of academic psychology, but trusts that the light Printed by shining on our discipline will show us the way Warners Midlands plc on 100 per cent recycled opinion: Buried in bullshit? 368 paper. Please re-use or recycle. Tom Farsides and Paul Sparks smell trouble 358 ISSN 0952-8229 letters 326 Cover rethinking practitioner roles; biological factors in www.muralswallpaper.co.uk mental health; felt presence and the ‘hard problem’; and more © Copyright for all published material is held by the British Psychological Society unless specifically stated otherwise. As the Society is a party to the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) agreement, articles in The The Psychologist is the monthly publication of The British Psychological Society. It provides a forum for Psychologist may be copied by libraries and other organisations under the communication, discussion and controversy among all members of the Society, and aims to fulfil the main object terms of their own CLA licences of the Royal Charter, ‘to promote the advancement and diffusion of a knowledge of psychology pure and applied’. (www.cla.co.uk). Permission must be obtained from the British Psychological Society for any other use beyond fair dealing authorised by copyright legislation. For further information Managing Editor Jon Sutton Journalist Ella Rhodes about copyright and obtaining Assistant Editor Peter Dillon-Hooper Editorial Assistant Debbie Gordon permissions, e-mail Production Mike Thompson Research Digest Christian Jarrett (editor), Alex Fradera [email protected]. The publishers have endeavoured to Associate Editors Articles Michael Burnett, Paul Curran, Harriet Gross, Rebecca Knibb, trace the copyright holders of all Adrian Needs, Paul Redford, Sophie Scott, Mark Wetherell, Jill Wilkinson illustrations. If we have unwittingly Conferences Alana James History of Psychology Matt Connolly, Alison Torn infringed copyright, we will be pleased, on being satisfied as to the owner’s Interviews Gail Kinman Reviews Kate Johnstone Viewpoints Catherine Loveday title, to pay an appropriate fee. International panel Vaughan Bell, Uta Frith, Alex Haslam, Elizabeth Loftus, Asifa Majid the psychologist vol 29 no 5 may 2016

the issue ...reports ‘Everything is crumbling’, proclaimed a recent Slate headline new approach to hostels; latest twists on replication; Cambridge Science Festival; above a piece on the latest twist in Wellcome Book Prize and new Hub residency; Psychology Research Day; sugar tax; the tale of psychology’s ‘replication opening Skinner’s box; and more 332 crisis’. A touch of melodrama, chosen mainly to go with a photo of ...digests some cookies, or a wake-up call for our discipline? ultra-running; narcissistic leaders; online data; and much more, in the latest from This issue is littered with two our free Research Digest (see www.bps.org.uk/digest) 344 themes, if you care to pick them up: one, that much of what passes as ...meets psychological research is rubbish, and two, that many people are trying interview 372 to clean up. we meet Sophie von Stumm, who runs the Hungry Mind Lab at Goldsmiths, If this debate smacks of navel University of London gazing, it’s important to note that the ‘clean-up’ can and should involve careers 390 innovative and modern ways of we meet Michèle Down, to talk about life on doing things, of engaging the public, the fringes of psychology; Liz Hollis casts a of seeking genuine ‘impact’. There journalistic eye over our discipline; and are plenty of examples this month. Nadine Mirza describes a culture shock So let’s not be downbeat. These one on one 408 problems may be rife throughout with Peter Kinderman, University of Liverpool science: psychologists are unusual and incoming Society President in their willingness to thrash it out in public. Debate makes us stronger, and psychology can punch its weight. As incoming Society President Peter 408 Kinderman says in his ‘One on one’, ...reviews ‘we can still choose how to respond; how to fight against creation’. Inscription, Diagnosis, Deception Dr Jon Sutton and the Mental Health Industry; Managing Editor @psychmag My Beautiful Broken Brain; 8 Keys to Forgiveness; Muhammad Ali at the O2; Employable Me; Calculating Kindness; Anomalisa; and more 398 398 ...looks back Happiness then and now 406 Sandie McHugh and Jerome Carson describe two happiness surveys from Bolton, 76 years apart

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read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk Rethinking practitioner roles LETTERS

We write as counselling psychologists who find ourselves The clinical reality for working in traditional clinical, forensic, paediatric and academic psychology is rather different, contexts. This experience has led us to query the role, utility with client needs that often and validity of the historical and current taxonomy of our can be met by more than one profession. area of speciality. For In 2009 the Health and Care Professions Council became example, a client’s anxiety in the statutory regulator of practitioner psychologists. This the area of physicality might process involved consultation of key stakeholders in order to be addressed either by a identify who should be regulated and the knowledge and skills health, clinical or counselling that would determine the standards of proficiency for psychologist. How do we practitioner psychologists. An unintended consequence of this define our area of expertise? More significantly, how relevant was the cementing of historical role titles and reinforcement of are these labels to clients’ own phenomenological experiences. tacit beliefs related to an arguably outdated discourse of In the workplace we increasingly employ a biopsychosocial difference. perspective in the organisational and clinical setting. Through The demand on psychology appears to have now shifted an understanding of systemic models we engage with human focus going beyond the interdisciplinary boundaries defined function and distress aiming to understand psychological by the parameters of the service organisation and the needs of manifestations of struggle in the wider context of the lived their client group. New Ways of Working (BPS, 2007) saw the experience. If we are seeking an integration of therapeutic traditional roles expanding in favour of psychological modalities with a view to achieving a more holistic and consultancy in multidisciplinary teams, not least due to responsive service for our clients, should we not also be holding a shortage of skilled psychologists available service-wide. the same lens up to ourselves? Perhaps the question is: Why at Unintentionally the BPS added to the confusion in 2011 by a time when psychology is under increased threat from budget putting in place a requirement for all clinical psychology roles cuts do we not attempt to rethink our role? to be opened up to counselling psychologists. With this came an In the meantime the BPS takes cautious steps in engagement increase in the ‘Clinical/Counselling’ title being integrated into in an International Declaration on Core Competences in job descriptions and job specifications. The move though did not Professional Psychology (BPS, 2015). With a concern being reflect in the roles of health and forensic psychologists. raised that the International Declaration ‘as it currently stands,

Don’t ignore biological factors

I am unsure which part of the scientific or clinical advocating for continued in the encephalitis/psychosis/ my letter (‘Keep looking for validity of schizophrenia, or tolerance of the potentially (diagnosis of) schizophrenia biological causes’, February, otherwise commenting on diverse origins of future findings. I also wondered if 2016) was unclear to Richard ‘whether or not schizophrenia advances in the understanding there is a small group within Hassall (‘Schizophrenia and is a distinct illness with a and care of people with our profession that is biology’, Letters, March 2016) biological basis’. ‘functional’ mental health becoming intolerant of such and made him think I was Richard may have missed conditions – as exemplified, issues: it sounds like Richard, perhaps offering a defence of my point. I was merely so strikingly in this instance, for one, thinks there might be.

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contribute diverse audience. These pages are central to The Psychologist’s role as a forum for communication, discussion and controversy among all ‘Reach the largest, most diverse audience of psychologists in the UK members of the Society, and we welcome your contributions. (as well as many others around the world); work with a wonderfully Send e-mails marked ‘Letter for publication’ to [email protected]; supportive editorial team; submit thought pieces, reviews, interviews, or write to the Leicester office. analytic work, and a whole lot more. Start writing for The Psychologist now before you think of something else infinitely less important to do!’ Letters over 500 words are less likely to be published. Robert Sternberg, Oklahoma State University The editor reserves the right to edit or publish extracts from letters. Letters to the editor are not normally For details of all the available options, plus our policies and acknowledged, and space does not permit the what to do if you feel these have not been followed, see publication of every letter received. www.thepsychologist.org.uk/contribute

326 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 letters

LGBT prisoners I read with great interest your four feature articles that pertained to life in prison (‘The survival secrets of solitaries’, ‘The emperor’s does not sufficiently represent, even at a broad, generic new clothes?’, ‘Rehabilitation – writing a new story’ and level, the competences required for the professional ‘Understanding the experience of imprisonment’, March 2016). practice of psychology as they have been defined in the What I found was missing from these pieces was a mention of United Kingdom’ (BPS, 2015, p.2). The authors wonder the struggles endured by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender how this relates to the state of UK practice. (LGBT) prisoners. Through this exclusion, these pieces continue The question proposed is whether we should seek to to cast a shadow over LGBT prisoners and their experiences either separate or align the practitioner roles. Accepting within prison. Unfortunately, despite being disproportionately that within them we all have specialties but that these do overrepresented within the criminal justice system, LGBT not necessarily cause differences in how we should be prisoners and their physical, psychological and social health defined. That the titles we have sought to create, Counselling, needs continue to be ‘hidden’ and ‘overlooked’ (Carr, et al., Clinical, Health or Forensic, are often illusory not only to 2016). ourselves but also to the roles we take on which seek to Conducting research with or providing psychological services elevate and confuse our purpose even further. to LGBT prisoners is exceptionally difficult work. Sexual Sacha Lawrence orientation and gender identity are terms that have only recently Oxford received attention within the UK criminal justice system, with Elaine Mayon-White prisons in England and Wales beginning data collection in 2011 Ashford, Kent (Dunn, 2013). Many have questioned the data collection Malcolm Cross methods of these prisons as being insensitive and not particularly London SW10 effective (Dunn, 2013). There are many reasons why individuals may not wish to References disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity while in British Psychological Society (2007). New ways of working for applied psychologists in prison. Incidents of homophobia, biphobia and, especially, health and social care: Working psychologically in teams. Leicester: Author. transphobia are common. Many individuals fear being British Psychological Society (2015, December). British Psychological Society discriminated against and intimidated, and being the victims response to the International Project on Competence in Psychology. Final Draft of physical and sexual violence. Some individuals fear losing (v1.0) International Declaration on Core Competences in Professional support from family, friends or their communities (Dunn, 2013). Psychology. Simply put: LGBT people don’t feel safe in prison. As a result, many of the physical, psychological and social health needs of LGBT prisoners are neglected. Recent research has shown that LGBT people face more health inequities when compared with heterosexuals (Institute of Medicine, 2011). For instance, LGBT people exhibit higher rates of chronic illnesses, like cardiovascular disease and certain forms of cancer, as well as mental health concerns, like depression, anxiety and suicide. condition (where they Researchers have called for more primary research to better pertain), and also by understand the experiences as well as health and service needs of avoidance of the LGBT prisoners, especially pertaining to psychological wellbeing presumption that their (Carr et al., 2016). Additional rigorous secondary and tertiary psychological distress, research is also needed to examine important moderators and disturbance or difference mediators involved in constructing theoretically designed health necessarily or singularly interventions that are both sensitive to the needs of LGBT arises from factors such as prisoners and effective. In a sense, we need more research to see trauma, adversity or mal- where and how we can help in the best possible manner given Either way, if there was attachment (nor do I current environmental and social constraints. lack of clarity in my letter understate how often those The health needs of LGBT prisoners are real and deserve there was surely none in Anna factors are relevant). attention. Focused research and effective health services are Galloway’s powerful account Patients/clients are desperately needed not only while LGBT people remain in of her own family’s experience ultimately be better served by prison, but also after their release. Making their experiences and of encephalitis presenting biopsychosocial formulations needs visible is one important step that can be taken to ensure atypically as a severe rather than psychological such empirical work takes place. ‘functional’ mental health ones. Paul F. Gorczynski condition (Letters, March Patrick Vesey Department of Sport and Exercise Science 2016). A similar narrative has Consultant Clinical University of Portsmouth been popularised in Brain on Neuropsychologist Fire: My Month of Madness Nottingham University Hospitals References (Cahalan, 2013). NHS Trust Carr, N., McAlister, S. & Serisier, T. (2016). Out on the inside. The rights, experiences Those affected by such and needs of LGBT people in prison. Dublin: Irish Penal Reform Trust. conditions will be better Reference Dunn, P. (2013). Slipping off the equalities agenda? Work with LGBT prisoners. Prison served by due Cahalan, S. (2013). Brain on fire: My Service Journal, 206, 3–10. acknowledgement of potential month of madness. Harmondsworth: Institute of Medicine (2011). The health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. ‘biological’ bases of their Penguin. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 327 letters

A therapy for each client

I was reading Jemma straight out of my armchair through its near monopolistic client is the starting point and Broadstock’s letter ‘Tailoring and onto my PC: ‘Whilst use by the NHS, and how little feels seen and understood as the treatment’ (March 2016), I appreciate that developing awareness there is of a unique individual. I say it where she movingly described a therapy for each client alternatives. I trained as an is high time our accrediting how she designed an app to would be time-consuming integrative psychotherapist professional bodies such as the help her brother through his and impractical…’. Well, good to learn from many modalities, UKCP and BACP, or ourselves feelings of anxiety and news, Jemma – this therapy such as CBT, psychodynamics, as practitioners, make people pointlessness because his CBT already exists and it’s called gestalt, transactional analysis, like Jemma aware that what ‘homework’ failed to engage integrative psychotherapy existentialism, they wish for is already out him. Her aim was to signpost (or integrative counselling phenomenology, mindfulness, there, although unfortunately the need for treatments to take psychology). precisely because I do not mostly unavailable on the into account the individuality I have to admit it makes believe that ‘one size fits all’. NHS. of each person, especially my blood boil to see how Change happens not when Corinne Lowry young people. Then I read a much CBT has become we apply one method or Barnet sentence that made me jump a synonym for counselling technique to all but when the Hertfordshire Felt presence and the ‘hard problem’

One class of those experiencing a ‘felt The most gripping of all felt presences matter derive from a more basic presence’ is missing from Alderson-Day’s is indeed that of the everyday sense of foundation that is neither one nor the otherwise excellent review (‘The silent self. Yet why any sense of presence should other (hence ‘neutral’). Many have made companions’, April 2016) – the category exist remains a mystery – it is the core of such claims; of interest in our context is of those intentionally cultivating such the ‘hard problem’ of consciousness, as the suggestion by Silberstein and experiences. Arzy and Idel (2015) have articulated by Chalmers (1995). Chemero that the neutral quality is best drawn attention to a subset of Jewish Silberstein and Chemero (2015) have captured by the term ‘presence’. As Seager mystics who pursued practices clearly argued for a neutral monist understanding puts it, ‘The neutral monist claim that it designed to induce alterations in the sense of consciousness, i.e. that both mind and [presence] forms the bedrock of reality is of self, culminating in some surprisingly powerful and fertile, and may cases with mystics yet help us understand reality and our experiencing autoscopy, place within it’ (cited in Silberstein and whereby they converse with Chemero, 2013, p.192). I would argue their double standing in front that this is the critical point about of them. mystics and shamans exploring These, or similar, alterations in the felt presence of self: practices are not confined they delve more deeply into that ‘bedrock to Jewish mysticism, being of reality’ than do those not so motivated, found throughout diverse bringing knowledge that enriched the traditions, and are probably cultures to which they belonged. And, also related to more to quote Silberstein and Chemero, ‘Given recreational use of some that presence is fundamental, it cannot psychedelics. Whilst the be defined in terms of other concepts, neurocognitive aspects of of either a material or mental nature’ such states may, as Arzy and (p.193). Idel propose, be common B. Les Lancaster across all cases – mystical and Past Chair, BPS Transpersonal Psychology pathological – the importance Section of including this category of Emeritus Professor of Transpersonal those intentionally seeking Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University alterations in their experience lies in what they contribute References to our understanding of the Arzy, S. & Idel, M. (2015). Kabbalah: A neurocognitive self. Far from being a approach to mystical experiences. London: Yale pathological disruption of University Press. those processes that bring Chalmers, D. (1995). Facing up to the problem of about the everyday sense of consciousness. Journal of Consciousness Studies, self, these mystical felt 2(3), 200–219. presences might be a means Silberstein, M. & Chemero, A. (2015). Extending neutral for enriching our grasp of the Mystics and shamans delve more deeply into that monism to the hard problem. Journal of role self plays in our lives. ‘bedrock of reality’ than do those not so motivated Consciousness Studies, 22(3–4), 181–194.

328 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 letters

Shy of reward

I understood what the letter titled education, where such a reward system with other incentives such as stickers, etc. ‘Discipline in schools’ (February 2016) was used in class, and the idea that while I saw that the idea of competing with the was getting at. Those who misbehave in behaviour is improved by such a system, more confident members of the class for class are likely to be encouraged to behave there is negative effect on those remaining the same goal was too intimidating for better by the incentive of getting their children in class who are well behaved yet them and they often left class crying names up on a board via a joint classroom shy. Being one of those children myself, because they remained without such reward system, creating almost an I remember always feeling inadequate praise or sense of achievement. environment for healthy competition with after class at not being able to have the Perhaps there is a reward system the generally good students who can get confidence to get my name up on the that can still engage the students without their names on the board rather easily. board. In fact, the lack of confidence was amplifying the insecurities of shyer pupils Thus, class behaviour as a whole is likely enhanced by such a regime, meaning that or without causing any negative effects at to be improved and control for the teacher I felt class feeling negative and deflated. all? Maybe even something that could can become easier. I have seen this occur many times in encourage these pupils to contribute in However, throughout the letter classes having worked with children for class is possible. I could not help but think back to my over six years in a classroom environment Alexis Baker own childhood in primary and secondary as my family run a Saturday school. Even Tonbridge, Kent

Organising our branches

The role of BPS Branches has recently been under consideration. There is current progress towards the devolution of the Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland Branches to new forms. In the meanwhile the English Branches survive as diverse structures – some progressive, some somnolent. The goals of the BPS are well detailed, but the structure and associated processes of the BPS in support of these goals are less well defined. As a bureaucratic organisation, the BPS is to a large extent supported by committees; committees being groups of individuals sharing common interests and an understanding of the remit of the committee. However, individual committee members’ goals may differ. Committees mainly influence an organisation’s policy, but do not necessarily promote it, and are often slow to respond to matters of concern related to the committee remit. Committees are unlikely to constitute a team. In contrast, Branch team members have shared goals, assigned roles, and aim together for the dynamic satisfaction of these goals. Moreover, 3. Team training is made available through the BPS and for a Branch team dynamically liaises on a daily basis with selected members of the BPS Branches. psychologists, other professionals, and the general public in 4. The BPS introduces an improved society communication order to promote BPS policy within their geographical area; that protocol that is trained and effective. should be their specific role within the BPS. 5. Video conferencing facilities are supplied to Branch Hubs. Importantly, the nature of team skills is different from that 6. A Branch should have a single point of contact at the BPS of individual or committee participatory skills; an individual may with relation to Branch matters. be highly educated and experienced in their own skill, but that 7. The BPS yearly monies to the Branch should be based on an expertise does not necessary morph into team-related skills as agreed business plan for that Branch. needed by Branches – this is not obviously considered by the 8. The Branch Secretary is a paid post. BPS. 9. The Branch Secretary is provided with access to a dedicated Developing on a model on team properties (namely, the ‘7Cs’ work space with commensurate role equipment. of teamwork as Command, Control, Communication, Co- 10. Branch team members, particularly student volunteers, ordination, Co-operation, Cohesion, Cybernation: Swezey & should be rewarded for good contributions by some form of Salas, 1992), a related article to this letter has been published in BPS acknowledgement. the spring 2016 issue of South West Review (available through the Iain Macleod BPS Shop at http://tinyurl.com/jg4j9su). From reasoning based Registered Occupational Psychologist on the ‘7Cs’ model a set of 10 suggestions were offered in the Chair BPS South West of England Branch article on how Branches should be improved, in sum that: 1. The society should carefully delegate control to Branches. Reference 2. A Branch team should be tasked to act dynamically and Swezey, R.W. & Salas, E. (1992). Teams: Their training and performance. Stamford, CT: directly as the BPS area representative to the general public. Ablex Publishing.

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 329 letters

Feedback needed obituary I decided to write this letter able to demonstrate stronger John F. Cole after reading the advice understanding and responses Roxane L. Gervais gave to to all questions’. After over aspiring psychologists in the two weeks of mulling over (1941–2016) latest issue of The Psychologist whether it would be (March, 2016): ‘Network, appropriate to ask for more Many former colleagues and volunteer, get involved with detailed information, I finally associates in the world of the BPS. You will always find sent an email requesting education will be saddened someone willing to help you to further clarification. I am still to learn of the passing of progress your career’ waiting for a reply. John Cole at the age of 74 (emphasis added). Following my experience on 11 March 2016. His I became a member of of applying for several terminal cancer was the BPS from my first year assistant psychologist jobs diagnosed shortly after Christmas, and John died in his sleep at his of undergraduate study. and failing the interview, home in Castle Cary. I attended conferences, talks, I believe that honest, John’s service with Somerset County Council as an educational and was eager to show my personalised feedback is psychologist was long and distinguished, spanning the years 1971 genuine interest and rather an exception. A rare, to 1995, first in a senior position at Yeovil and later as Head of enthusiasm for the field by fortunate opportunity and the Service. Apart from overseeing and steering the expansion of the approaching researchers and only thing, apart from hard service during some turbulent years in education, John developed professionals. I sent dozens of work, that can actually make a specialist interest in the needs of hearing-impaired children and emails following such you a better applicant. later took a managerial responsibility in the development of this networking events, expressing I don’t believe I am service also. After leaving the Somerset service John worked as my availability to work or entitled to receive anything. Head of a Special School for two years before developing a volunteer on their projects. I am aware that competition consultancy, combining this with his many outside interests and I still wonder if anybody read is fierce and the pressure is extensive travelling with his beloved wife, Trina. them. high on candidates and David Knapman After having applied to employers equally. I am trying Taunton a CAP course (the Scottish my best to follow every piece equivalent of IAPT courses) of advice I receive. My and being unsuccessful on the message to employers and interview, I requested interview panels: please take feedback on my performance. the time and send your The email with the feedback feedback to that oblivious came three months later and aspiring psychologist. Be that it consisted of five sentences helping hand. The silence is of general statements, earsplitting. including the famous Anca Panescu ‘…however, on the day there Glasgow were candidates who were T IM S AUNDERS Blog on I much enjoyed the piece on Free download for iOS blogging in the April edition of The Psychologist (‘Welcome to and Android via: blogademia’) but would like to emphasise that you do not need to be a computer whizz-kid to blog. I find it simple to write blogs in conventional App Store: text and submit them to the LSE Impact of Social Sciences Blog tinyurl.com/psychmagios ([email protected]). Here all the text settings, including Google Play: the addition of pictures, and links to any papers you refer to, are done for tinyurl.com/psychmagplay you and, since this blog reaches over 50,000 readers a month, why not take Amazon: a look? James Hartley tinyurl.com/psychmagamzn Keele

330 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 New Resources ffoor Psychologists

Tuulia Ortner / Fons J. R. van de Vijver (Eds.) Yael Benyamini / Marie Johnston / Behaavvior-Based Assess- Evangelos C. Karademas (Eds.) ment in Psychology Assessment in Going Beyond Self-Report in the Health Psychology Personality, Affective, Motivation, Psychological Assessment – and Social Domains Science and Practice, Vol. 2 Psychological Assessment – Science and 2016, vi + 346 pp. Practice, Vol. 1 £ 39.00 / € 49.95 2015, vi + 234 pp., £ 36.00 / € 44.95 ISBN 978-0-88937-452-2 ISBN 978-0-88937-437-9 Also available as eBook Also available as eBook

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read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 331 within an environment is the best way to facilitate growth, recovery and NEWS enablement. Together the psychologists and hostel staff designed an onsite psychologically informed environment service aimed at helping residents sustain accommodation and promoting access to services which would enable inclusion and engagement in opportunities.’ This was seen as an environment where everything could potentially be informed by the psychological needs of the client group. Williamson and her assistant psychologist worked full-time within the hostel environment itself and were available for informal engagement work and involved with the day-to-day goings- on in the hostel. The clients themselves could approach the psychologists on their terms and when more comfortable could have more formal treatment including mentalisation-based treatment (MBT) on an individual or group basis and take part in the MBT-informed art group and other hostel activities. Another key aspect of the onsite approach was that psychologists and hostel staff were able to work jointly in supporting clients, as well as receiving regular reflective practice, consultation and training. Innovative approach to The outcomes from this initial work, Williamson said, were ‘outstanding’. She added: ‘We saw great outcomes in terms of mental health improvement and a hostels shows promise reduction in drug and alcohol use, emergency service use, a 51 per cent reduction in all types of criminal justice contact in a one year sample and crucially people stabilising and A project aimed at encouraging homeless Williamson said, who have difficulty sustaining accommodation where they people to engage in psychological maintaining accommodation. Some had had trouble before.’ treatment and support, and maintain struggle with a ‘claustro-agoraphobic’ Based on this the partnership accommodation, has reported very dilemma. Those with early histories of applied to the Guy’s and St Thomas’ promising outcomes after a £1.3 million trauma or disruption can struggle to find Charity to expand the project, with the expansion. Clinical lead of the an area where they are not so close they aim of working towards mainstream Psychology in Hostels Project, Dr Emma feel trapped, intruded upon or commissioning. They were awarded £1.3 Williamson, spoke to The Psychologist threatened but also do not feel isolated million in funding starting in January about the project’s successes and or abandoned. She added: ‘This group 2015; this expansion included a larger potential for further growth. can find it very hard to find a clinical team working across a variety The Psychology in Hostels Project comfortable place to exist, and bounce of sites in three hostel settings. They was originally commissioned four years in and out of services, struggling to continued work in the original 19-bed ago after the London Borough of settle and make use of support. It is hostel in Waterloo but expanded to Lambeth’s (LBL) adult directorate knowledge of this experience and an include a 69-bed facility in Vauxhall and approached the South London and understanding of the high levels of a five-bed supported housing complex Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) complex trauma and unmet mental with female-only clients. and homeless charity Thames Reach to health need that led LBL to consider She explained: ‘We were finding change the approach used in hostels for trialling development of a certain subgroups of the population the homeless. Clinical psychologist Dr psychologically informed environment continued to be harder to engage with Williamson and an assistant psychologist (PIE) hostel in south London.’ direct psychological support, including from SLaM, worked in partnership with At the hostel Williamson looked females and those with poly-substance Thames Reach Waterloo Project hostel into work by Johnson and Haigh on misuse (drugs and alcohol).’ The team to develop this innovative pilot psychologically informed environments: original hostel had recently undergone service redesign. ‘It is recommended that a coherent a renovation at the start of the pilot, and There is a group of homeless people, shared psychological understanding was a mixed-gender service, and so the

332 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 news

Pictures: left, one of the clients responsible for maintaining the project’s therapeutic garden; above, a resident displaying his artwork from the therapeutic art group, artwork that was also showcased on the front of Europe-wide homelessness magazine – Feantsa; and below, Emma Williamson speaking to a client. team were keen to explore applications into mainstream services. They are now Chaos for an economic evaluation to of their PIE model in female-only developing a peer mentoring service for complement in-house evaluation. settings, larger hostels, supported clients to hear the experiences of others The early outcomes from the external accommodation settings and those that who had been in their shoes and who and internal evaluations, Williamson had not had large capital investment in will deliver psychologically informed said, had been ‘really positive’. She the building. support, training and advocacy. added: ‘We’ve continued to build on the The expansion saw Williamson The service has also developed great outcomes seen in the initial pilot. continue in the clinical lead role while a transition arm helping individuals Our in-house evaluations have seen a two specialist clinical psychologists, two to make the move into different clinically significant reduction in assistant psychologists and an accommodation and offering support psychological distress. Early indicators administrator were also taken on. They and training to other accommodation from the Southampton University also introduced one session of psychiatry providers working with those clients. assessment show there have been to be available each week to the clients They have bought in two evaluation improvements in emotion regulation with the aim of increasing accessibility teams – Southampton University to carry among clients as well as a reduction in of timely psychiatric input and referrals out a clinical evaluation, and Resolving incidents of aggression and alcohol use. Theoretically this would make sense with people better able to regulate their emotions and therefore less distressed, less aggressive and relying less on alcohol, which in itself feeds into cycles of distress and aggression.’ Of the future, Williamson spoke about the ongoing work needed in developing the evidence base for meeting the complex needs of homeless people and highlighting the gaps in current service provision which PIE approaches can answer. ‘We are gathering further health-economic data demonstrating the impact of our integrated service approach and finding promising early indications of savings across the system. This group have for so long struggled to access appropriate support and have provision of services that will meet them where they are at – we are addressing that and we feel that outcomes speak for themselves’. ER

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 333 news Replication – latest twists The findings of last year’s Reproducibility Gilbert and his colleagues point out this 30 percent could be full or empty, we can’t Project, which aimed to replicate 100 more powerful method led to a full 85 per tell till we get more data.’ psychology studies but only managed to cent of original studies being replicated. If Journalist and editor of Nature Reports do so in around 40 per cent of cases, have the MLP had used the OSC’s methods what Stem Cells, Monya Baker, wrote that, been thrown into question by a new would have happened to this result? The according to statistician Andrew Gelman, report. The Open Science Collaboration’s authors say the MLP would only have replications tend to be reliable guides to the work, which some took as an indication reported a replication rate of 34 per cent. existence and power of effects in of ongoing ‘crisis’ in the field, has been Finally, the authors point to a worrying psychology: ‘That’s in part because what is openly questioned by a group led by hint that bias may have been at play in the published in the original studies tends to Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert. original study. The OSC asked the authors be the statistical “flukes” that are left Gilbert, Gary King and Stephen of original studies to rate the standing after the researchers have cast Pettigrew (also Harvard), alongside methodological approach to the replication around to find publishable, positive results. Stephen Timothy D. Wilson (University – and whether they endorsed the new In contrast, for replication projects analysis of Virginia), wrote the comment piece approach or not. In comparing unendorsed plans are put in place before a study for Science criticising the original Open vs. endorsed study methodologies, those begins.’ Science Collaboration (OSC) study around that were endorsed were almost four times Baker also spoke to Steve Lindsay, a three areas: error, power and bias. They as likely to lead to a successful replication. psychologist at the University of Victoria suggest the original report made They write: ‘If OSC had limited their in Canada and interim editor of the journal conclusions that were not supported due to analyses to endorsed studies, they would Psychological Science, who said: ‘We have statistical errors. Without these, they claim, have found that 59.7 per cent... were a lot of reasons to believe that a lot of the conclusion may have been that the replicated successfully.’ psychologists have for a long time tended reproducibility of psychological to systematically exaggerate the effects science is actually quite high. of what they publish’. He added that the On the topic of error, the real urgency lay in improving bad authors write that even if an practices. original study shows a true effect a Reporting for The Verge, Jacob replication may not show that effect Kastrenakes, writes that, for now, there due to sampling error – as it is often is no real answer to which of the sides in impossible to replicate an original this debate is correct. He spoke to John experimental population. The Ioannidis, the Stanford professor who authors used a statistical benchmark wrote the famous 2005 paper ‘Why most that assumed sampling error to be published research findings are false’. He the only source of error in the data said: ‘Even the top of the top scientists – however, as Gilbert and his can disagree in interpretation of what are colleagues point out, the very solid results.’ Although not involved replications tended to differ quite with the psychology study or its critique, substantially from the original he added that the critique didn’t change research. his reading of the original OSC study. He Some examples of the methods told Kastrenakes that they may have and populations used in a few of the The original OSC authors have overestimated the number of reproducible replications are also listed: ‘An original published a rebuttal, saying: ‘Their very studies, but that constructive debate was study that measured Americans’ attitudes optimistic assessment is based on statistical useful. toward African-Americans was replicated misconceptions and selective interpretation Kastrenakes goes on: ‘Gilbert would with Italians, who do not share the same of correlational data.’ But what have the argue that, regardless of the field, taking stereotypes; an original study that asked media and academics made of this a better approach to replication in the first college students to imagine being called criticism? place should lead to clearer results. “Yes, on by a professor was replicated with Writing for the New York Times replicating can be done well, and yes, participants who had never been to college; Benedict Carey spoke to a researcher at doing it well is hard,” he [Gilbert] writes and an original study that asked students the Wharton School of the University of in an all-caps email to The Verge. “But just who commute to school to choose between Pennsylvania, Uri Simonsohn, who has because it is hard to do something well apartments that were short and long drives blogged on the topic. He told Carey the does not mean that you should do it badly. from campus was replicated with students original replication paper and the critique This applies both to replication and playing who do not commute to school.’ used statistical approaches that were the violin in public.”’ They write that these infidelities in the ‘predictably imperfect’ for this kind of On the Mind Hacks blog Tom Stafford replications are potential sources of random analysis. One way to think about the (University of Sheffield) points to a error. They also point to the power of the dispute, Simonsohn said, is that ‘the Bayesian reanalysis of the reproducibility OSC project, which only attempted to original paper found that the glass was project by Alexander Etz. Stafford writes: replicate each study once. However one about 40 percent full, and the critique ‘This take on the project is a great example of the OSC’s corresponding authors, Brian argues that it could be 100 percent full. In of how open science allows people to more Nosek and his Many Labs Project, included fact… State-of-the-art techniques designed easily build on your results, as well as 36 labs replicating 16 original studies to evaluate replications say it is 40 percent being a vital complement to the original repeatedly – leading to 574 replications. full, 30 percent empty, and the remaining report – not least because it stops you

334 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 news naively accepting any simple statistical Gilbert said to her: ‘Most people ‘ego depletion’ account of willpower is report of the what the reproducibility assume that when you say the word a high-profile example of a theory that is project “means”.’ The analysis is now replication, you’re talking about a study currently struggling to replicate – wrote available as a paper on PLoS One. Their that differed in only minor, uncontrollably in the Journal of Experimental Social interpretation of the reliability of minor details.’ Palmer adds: ‘That wasn’t Psychology on ‘Charting the future of psychology, as informed by the the case in many of the Project’s social psychology on stormy seas’. ‘We reproducibility project, is as follows: replications, which depended on a small have created a career niche for bad ‘Overall, 75% of studies gave qualitatively budget and volunteered time. Some studies experimenters,’ he argued. ‘This is an similar results in terms of the amount of were so difficult or expensive to replicate underappreciated fact about the current evidence provided. However, the evidence that they just … didn’t get replicated at all, push for publishing failed replications. was often weak… The majority of the including one of Gilbert’s.’ I submit that some experimenters are studies (64%) did not provide strong Andrew D. Wilson and Sabrina incompetent. In the past their careers evidence for either the null or the Golonka, two psychologists from Leeds would have stalled and failed. But today, alternative hypothesis in either the original Beckett University who tweet as a broadly incompetent experimenter can or the replication… We conclude that the @psychscientists, commented on another amass a series of impressive publications apparent failure of the Reproducibility brewing replication story: ‘Failure to simply by failing to replicate other work Project to replicate many target effects can replicate one version of the task, everyone and thereby publishing a series of papers be adequately explained by overestimation loses their minds in panic… Plus the media that will achieve little beyond undermining of effect sizes (or overestimation of angle is all “game over, man!” even though our field’s ability to claim that it has evidence against the null hypothesis) due this is just step 1.’ They referred back to accomplished anything.’ to small sample sizes and publication bias their 2013 blog post, ‘Replication will not Whether psychology’s glass is half full in the psychological literature.’ save psychology’: ‘Being able to replicate or half empty, expect this story to run and Katie M. Palmer, writing for Wired, said: a study is an effect, not a cause of good run… it is of course possible that the paper ‘Emotions are running high. Two groups scientific practice. So the emphasis on that said ‘the paper that said that of very smart people are looking at the replication as a goal has the whole thing psychology isn’t reliable isn’t reliable’, isn’t exact same data and coming to wildly backwards. We should actually be focusing reliable. ER different conclusions. Science hates that. on improving the experiments we run in I For a hyperlinked version of this piece, This is how beleaguered Gilbert feels: When the first place. If we run better see https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/ I asked if he thought his defensiveness experiments, the replicability will take care replication-glass-half-full-half-empty-or- might have colored his interpretation of of itself.’ irrelevant. See also our Research Digest this data, he hung up on me.’ Meanwhile, Roy Baumeister – whose April fool!

STUDENTS BECOME PIONEERS FOR JUSTICE

University of Bolton psychology parties unable to settle their Education and Psychology, said which is directly linked to many students have become pioneers differences. The panels they were thrilled with the of the career paths they can in a new Neighbourhood Justice encourage wrongdoers to students’ response and the pursue after they graduate.’ Panel (NJP) scheme, joining a acknowledge the impact of future career opportunities the The project is one of several team that works to settle local what they have done and make panel may give them. to develop from a Memorandum disputes and minor crimes. amends to the victim and wider Allen said: ‘We’re delighted of Understanding, signed Bolton is the first university community. to be the first university in the between the University’s School in the region to have students The aim is to resolve conflict region to have its students of Education and Psychology volunteering on such a panel. and harm caused by antisocial working within a project like and Greater Manchester Police An NJP is a voluntary behaviour and crime. Dr Gill this, and we believe we are in September 2015, which was process that brings together Allen and Dr Michelle Lowe, the first in the country. For reported in The Psychologist victims and wrongdoers, or two from the university’s School of our students this is experience (tinyurl.com/hskw372). ER

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 335 news Multifaceted and intricate

Ella Rhodes reports on some of the psychology and psychiatry events at this year’s Cambridge Science Festival fortnight A play inspired by research on bipolar perspective. The multifaceted and intricate for successful dating; be nice, don’t send disorder, thinking styles and emotion was aspect of imagery is what captured the pictures of your genitals to other people shown at the Cambridge Science Festival; imagination of Menagerie Theatre (unless they ask) and, importantly, be Pictures of You told the moving story of Company to produce their play.’ kind to yourself. two old friends reunited and attempting to Hitchcock suggested that people fall Picture yourself floating above your re-establish intimacy. The two characters on a continuum when it comes to verbal bed, looking down on… yourself. The presented two different styles of thinking; or visual thinking, and some will use the science behind out of body experiences one a free-spirited and joyful woman who former when thinking about negative or (OBEs) and some lesser-known forms of thought mainly in images, her friend a troubling memories to avoid reliving an so-called autoscopic phenomena were more controlled and negative person who event in pictures. discussed in a fascinating lecture. Anglia thought in a more verbal style. The two, After the emotional denouement of Ruskin cognitive neuroscientist and both psychology graduates, meet atop the play, funded by the MRC, a second psychology lecturer Dr Jane Aspell has a hill after a traumatic break in their panel took questions from the audience; explored the reasons some people have psychiatrists Muzaffer Kaser and this experience and how it is linked in Akeem Sule, playwright Craig with the body-location information that Baxter and cognitive scientist Phil our brain processes in one key area. Barnard spoke about their She gave examples of the most experience of collaborations common OBE – usually a person will feel between arts and sciences in their self is no longer in their body, they mental health. will usually be lying down and can see Viren Swami (Anglia Ruskin their body. However, this can vary in University) attracted a packed surprising ways: Aspell gave one example lecture theatre for a talk on the of a lecturer who experienced an OBE rules of attraction, using comic while still delivering his lecture. book hero Scott Pilgrim as the Although the samples of people used protagonist of the talk – explaining in experiments in the area are why Scott’s love of Ramona understandably small – it is after all a rare Flowers made perfect sense phenomenon – one finding that has according to science. persisted is abnormal function in the First, Swami pointed to some tempero parietal junction (TPJ), an area early sociological research showing that seems to combine proprioceptive and that a majority of people start vestibular information, which gives rise to relationships with those in close our conscious experience of where the Out-of-body experience in Cambridge? proximity. In fact, geographical body is in space. proximity is one of the biggest So what can OBEs tell us about our predictors of forming a relationship. brains and experience of ourselves? Aspell friendship, to discuss their potential Even in the age of online dating, people said they show that our bodily self- future and troubled past. The play was still look for matches who are close by. consciousness has different components interspersed with discussion led by Second, just being familiar with that can come apart when the TPJ is not Martina Di Simplicio, a psychiatrist and something, or someone, Swami said was functioning correctly. Aspell said the OBE Career Development Fellow at the MRC enough to make them more attractive. is one of a number of autoscopic Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit The ‘mere exposure’ effect shows we like phenomena, which also include working on mental imagery in bipolar things or people who are familiar. What autoscopic hallucinations and disorder, whose research inspired the about appearance? Although we know heautoscopy. In the former a person will production (tinyurl.com/z2d8jkt). beautiful people are seen as better and see a double of themselves appear but Doctoral students at the unit Alex have better chances at getting good jobs, their sense of self will remain in their Lau-Zhu and Julie Ji, along with clinical getting paid more and generally being body. In heautoscopy, a condition which psychologist Caitlin Hitchcock, discussed adored, it is not the most important factor has been described as ‘disturbing’ by how mental images, rumination and other in a relationship. In short-term sexual sufferers, a person will see their double, or thinking biases can change the way we relationships, Swami said, it’s a big factor, even multiple doubles, and their sense of feel. Lau-Zhu spoke about studies that but those people looking for long-term self can switch from their actual self to the have shown that when processing the partners are often seeking warmth, double and back again, occasionally they same written scenarios using mental humour, understanding and kindness may feel their self is located in both at the imagery, as opposed to focusing on verbal rather than attractiveness. same time. meaning, one tends to report higher The third and final lesson for Scott This ‘existentially awful’ experience, emotional impact, both for positive and Pilgrim was that ‘birds of a feather flock Aspell said, had driven several patients to negative scenarios. He added: ‘Further, together’: many people say opposites commit or attempt suicide. She gave an imagining from a first-person perspective attract, but there’s actually little or no example, reported by Wigan in 1884, of has shown to produce more intense evidence of this in the literature. Swami a man who could evoke his doppelgänger emotional responses than a third-person left the audience with three general tips at will; this double eventually became

336 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 news more autonomous and would appear disappeared once it had subsided. Aspell reality headset, subjects ‘see’ themselves randomly to humiliate the man. He explained heautoscopy was linked to standing in front of themselves. To eventually shot himself. abnormal activity in the TPJ and how it increase the power of the illusion Aspell But what do we know about what’s integrates information about the body also measures participants’ heart rate and happening in the brain? One patient with within the world, including vestibular places an aura of light around the epilepsy had experienced episodes of information. ‘double’, which beats in time with the heautoscopy since adolescence and As these are rare phenomena, Aspell participants’ heart. People in these happened to experience it while having has developed ways to study them in conditions feel as if their self is outside an EEG scan – her double appeared healthy participants. Using a camera of their body and that the virtual-reality during an epileptic seizure and placed behind a participant and a virtual body is their own.

WHERE TO START ON THE ROAD TO SUPERINTELLIGENT AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) has or Go, than to develop machines frighteningly rapid rates. with internal simulations fascinated us for decades. From that can execute seemingly However, while these networks including themselves, their Isaac Asimov’s famous I, Robot simple tasks like picking up an may be based on the neurons environments and other robots stories to more modern fiction egg. This highlights just how found in our brains, they are in the area. They are like the film Ex Machina, the idea much we take for granted about hugely simplified, and far less programmed to be ethical and of creating sentient machines our brains: the amazing efficient than we are at learning. prevent harm to the other fills us with both delight and interactions between our brain, So what is it about human robots, so will delay achieving dread. But just how realistic is senses and muscles that allow learning that makes it so their goal to intervene if they see it? What challenges do we face us to make the tiny adjustments efficient? Robbins explained that or predict that another robot is on the road to superintelligent needed. unlike machine learning, human about to do something AI? Recently, as part of the Despite the hold-ups in learning isn’t done passively. dangerous. This is a fascinating Cambridge Science Festival, terms of physical robotics, Shared attention, imitation and development, but raises some great minds from the fields of computer learning has come on social learning are all interesting ethical questions – robotics, computing and dramatically in the last decade. intertwined with how we learn particularly as Winfield freely neuroscience came together Both Hausner and Jamnik put language and skills: something admits the robots could be made in front of a packed audience. this down to three things – the that will be extremely difficult to unethical simply by changing a Taking to the stage were improvement in machine- replicate in computers. But single line of code! technology entrepreneur and learning algorithms based on maybe we won’t need to. The On the topic of ethics, the founder of Acorn computers neural networks, the availability amount of available data is only panel was curiously quiet. The Dr Hermann Hauser; senior of cheap distributed computing going to increase over the next ethical questions are, in my lecturer in the Computer power via cloud computing and decade, so it may be that the opinion, some of the most Laboratory of the University of the huge amounts of data now inefficiencies of requiring huge important and difficult to Cambridge, Dr Mateja Jamnik; generated on a daily basis. training sets to learn concepts answer. I have no doubt that with head of the University of These combine to allow us to won’t be a problem. And as the rate of technological advance Cambridge Psychology teach computers rather than computing power increases, we will, at some point, develop Department, Professor Trevor programming them, making speed isn’t likely to be an issue superintelligent computers and Robbins; and co-founder of the them much more flexible and for long either. functioning robots that will Bristol Robotics Laboratory, opening up the possibility for But is modelling the human become as ubiquitous as Professor Alan Winfield. The their intelligence to increase at brain really the best way to computers and mobile phones. discussion was ably chaired create AI? One But what happens then? Who is by BBC Radio 4’s Tom Feilden. project that Winfield to blame if your driverless car Interestingly, despite being is working on aims malfunctions and hits a organised by neuroscientist to endow robots with pedestrian while you are napping Professor Barbara Sahakian, ‘theory of mind’ – in the front seat? What is to stop the focus was very much on something that is someone hacking your robot- robotics and computer learning, vital for them to be butler to help them steal your with only Robbins to delve into able to interact with belongings? And eventually, will the complexities of the human humans in the real it be ethical, or even possible, to brain. world. His research keep robots subservient if they One major point that came is based on do develop consciousness and across is how difficult it is to simulation theory, emotions? These are the define intelligence, something which suggests that problems that we will need to psychologists are extremely we run possible grapple with as the inevitable familiar with. Interestingly, it outcomes in our happens and machines become has turned out to be much brains in order to even more a part of our daily easier to develop computers predict the lives. I, for one, don’t have a clue that can pass what seem like consequences. To where to start. extremely difficult cognitive model this, Winfield I By Ginny Smith, a freelance challenges, like playing chess Exploring at Cambridge Science Festival has created robots science communicator

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 337 news ‘Be the grit in the oyster’

Ella Rhodes reports from the Division of Clinical Psychology Pre-Qualification Group Annual Conference There was a hint of revolution in the air more. There are many ways community among the pre-qualified psychologists psychology can communicate – by who joined together to hear more about participating in social action, speaking community psychology, with the the truth to power, speaking out against conference set around the theme injustice.’ ‘Thinking more, speaking more, doing Nina Browne a third-year clinical more’. psychology trainee, and Senior Clinical Lisa Cameron MP, a former clinical Tutor, Dr Kat Alcock (both from UCL) considering external or societal influences psychologist and chair of the All-Party spoke about their fascinating work on mental health. Some of the key Group on Disability, delivered a message interviewing psychologists who actively processes in their policy work involved of hope and suggested psychologists were engage with policy. They gave a brief forming good relationships with ‘pushing at an open door’ in terms of their history on public health inequalities, colleagues and those outside of ability to get involved with the workings including mention of the 2010 Marmot psychology – many people mentioned of government and have impact on policy. review and the UCL Institute of Health these relationships helping them to have She described psychologists as ‘true public Equity study in 2014, which looked into more influence. Taking risks or accepting servants’ and emphasised the importance inequalities in physical and mental health opportunities also emerged as a key theme of mental health being given parity of as well as the social inequalities at the – whether this be involvement with the esteem with physical health. root of these problems. BPS [e-mail [email protected] to express During her next four years in But, Browne and Alcock asked, interest] or putting themselves forward for Parliament, Cameron added, she planned what can psychologists do about social other responsibilities, as a group these to work closely with the British deprivation, and who is already doing this psychologists tended to take risks, speak Psychological Society. She hoped that kind of work? For her thesis project out and stand up. Also important were the psychologists and their research would be Browne carried out interviews with 35 understanding of organisations and their involved in policy in the future, and she clinical psychologists working in policy structures as well as developing personal encouraged the audience to get involved or engaging in policy work. Policy, and professional skills and competencies. in Parliament through internships or Browne pointed out, can be at the local What were some of the barriers and visits. She told the gathered psychologists, level, in an NHS trust, Department of facilitators to policy work? The agendas trainees and undergraduates that they had Health or even at an international level. and timescales of policy makers excellent skills that could be used in areas A thematic analysis of the interviews is themselves can be a barrier to effecting of service to the public. ongoing, but Browne and Alcock shared change, whereas having a mentor or When asked how psychologists can some of the themes emerging so far. There people that share your views can be a become more involved in policy decisions, was a general feeling of frustration among huge help. Browne and Alcock concluded Cameron suggested they use social media clinical psychologists that the field by encouraging people to get out of ‘one- to their advantage, and make note of areas focused on individuals, often without to-one’ appointments and experience of importance, even on a local level, and contact their MPs. She added that working from the ground up could eventually help to feeding into policy making. Psychologists’ evidence-based practice was fundamental and should also be central to government policy. Cameron concluded that psychologists should be placing themselves at the forefront of policy decisions through involvement in policy groups, through links to Parliament or by holding more events in Parliament. President of the BPS Jamie Hacker Hughes encouraged the audience to find their voices – whether this be through social or traditional media. He said if they had something they wanted to say or a cause they wished to tackle, there were ways of doing it. Speaking of some of his recent work as President, including setting up a task force for asylum seekers and refugees as well as launching a campaign regarding work capability assessments, he said: ‘As psychologists I’d say it’s our Members of Psychologists Against Austerity, Edward Mundy, Rachel Tribe, Sinead professional duty to speak more and to do Peacock-Brennan and Christopher Jones, held a workshop

338 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 news society – placements for trainee feelings, stories and experiences psychologists in public health or improvised through movement and music government may be useful in helping by a small group of performers. Leader A HUB TO to understand the wider contexts of of the group Veronica Needa asked the treatment. audience themes and stand-out words CHALLENGE Clinical psychologist and blogger Dr and messages from the conference and Masuma Rahim gave a stirring keynote improvised movement and short plays MISCONCEPTIONS address pointing to the system of clinical around these ideas. The group of four psychology as part of the problem with performers along with a musician left COLLABORATIVELY regard to community psychology. She said many in the audience stunned by the A group exploring dementia and the arts from her first job upon qualifying she emotion conveyed in their short plays. has been invited to take up the 2016–2018 realised there was something wrong with The performers were largely from social residency in The Hub at London’s Wellcome the system – the field had never focused care, psychological or therapeutic Collection, a space for interdisciplinary on prevention of mental health problems backgrounds, and they demonstrated that projects exploring health and wellbeing. The in any large-scale way. Rahim painted a sharing stories and seeing them acted out group aims to examine and challenge picture of psychologists having to battle in very imaginative ways could be a perceptions of dementia through scientific to give people treatment as resources are deeply moving experience. and creative experimentation with the help of stretched so thin. She gave the example of Members of Psychologists Against £1 million funding to develop the project over people with eating disorders who may be Austerity, Edward Mundy, Rachel Tribe, two academic years. turned away from treatment for ‘not being Sinead Peacock-Brennan and Christopher This group will be the second to take up thin enough’: ‘You are left almost wanting Jones, held a workshop giving the space following in the footsteps of them to get more ill to prove how information about their own activism as ‘Hubbub’, which explored rest and busyness desperate they are for your help. What well as tips for those psychologists who in the modern world. The new group will be kind of a system is that?’ hope to make a larger difference with led by Sebastian Crutch (neuropsychologist Rahim said younger psychologists are their work. They pointed to evidence at the UCL Dementia Research Centre) and often great at questioning the status quo, showing the damaging effects of austerity Caroline Evans; they will be joined by a team as they may be less disillusioned with the – particularly on already deprived and that includes science writer Philip Ball, profession. She said: ‘There are a lot of us, disadvantaged groups. The group’s visual artist Charlie Murphy and BBC what could we do if we got out of our briefing paper, The Psychological Impact medical correspondent Fergus Walsh. world and into other people’s?’ As of Austerity, outlined five ‘Austerity Inspiration for the project came from the someone who had used mental health Ailments’ – experiences that they argue experiences, questions and uncertainties of services herself, Rahim said that in the have increased due to government cuts people living with dementia. The group aims current political and economic climate it and that lead to mental distress; namely, to challenge common misconceptions of was more important than ever that people increasing levels of fear and mistrust, dementia through artistic and scientific challenge inequalities and societal issues. humiliation and shame, instability and investigation of less recognised symptoms ‘The health and social care system we insecurity, and isolation and loneliness, associated with typical and rare dementias. have was set up because there was a will and experiences of feeling trapped and The team also hope to enrich understanding and a spirit to do things better. Those powerless. The group argue instead for about dementia by raising provocative principles are being stamped upon every policies that promote agency, security, questions about the healthy brain, our single day. People who need the most connection, trust and meaning. emotional reactions to change in ourselves help are getting less and less and it’s not Following group discussion on the and others, and the attributes by which we going to get any better.’ It is not enough contribution psychologists could make to value and define humanity. to carry out one’s day job and do nothing key societal issues, the conference closed The Hub space at Wellcome Collection more, Rahim urged. She encouraged the with a panel and Q&A session featuring will provide a base for the group, starting in audience to speak about the issues that input from BPS President Elect Peter October, to perform creative research and to bother them, speak to their supervisors Kinderman, Anne Cooke (Canterbury stage scientific and artistic experiments, about them, and consider doing work Christ Church University), psychology data-gathering and public events. The group with the media. She said: ‘Be undergraduate student Stephanie Allan will also have access to resources in troublemakers. Be the grit in the oyster, (who experienced a psychotic episode Wellcome Collection, the Wellcome Trust and it’s the troublemakers that change things.’ in 2010), newly qualified clinical the Wellcome Library. A fascinating session was held by the psychologist Sam Thompson and Gemma Dr Crutch, Project Director, said: ‘We London Playback Theatre group. This Budge, a trainee psychologist from the are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring form of theatre sees the audience’s University of Plymouth. together people from so many different disciplines and backgrounds to engage in a practical and authentic piece of interdisciplinary research. This project was IN THE PSYCHOLOGIST APP spurred by hundreds of conversations with people living with different forms of To mark World Autism Awareness Day on 2 April 2016, we released a free edition in dementia, and it is only by developing, our new app. As well as revisiting our October 2014 special and other archive content, deepening and broadening those we heard from leading researcher Professor Sir Michael Rutter and parent/disability conversations that we can achieve our goal of equality consultant Graham Findlay on what we should be ‘aware’ of on World Autism delivering novel toolkits, methodologies and Awareness Day. ways of thinking to enable us to better I If you haven’t downloaded the app yet, search your iOS or Android store or follow understand and use the arts in dementia.’ ER the links via tinyurl.com/psychmagapp

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 339 news Psychology Research Day More than 100 young academics, many of should present a new idea, something that Finally Rowena Macrae-Gibson (Head them students, gathered at the first ever ‘plugs a gap in the market’. It should be of Library Academic Services, Brunel Psychology Research Day at London’s topical and something that fits with recent University London) kicked off the last Senate House to learn about research skills debates either socially or within the field. panel discussion around research with and resources. The event, organised As Leman himself has only ever had digital resources – her talk discussed jointly by the British Psychological Society one paper which was accepted straight what it meant to be a digitally literate and Senate House Library, featured panel away he explained that students should researcher: a human right, she said, and discussions, one-on-one advice sessions steel themselves against rejection and aim a particularly important skill to have as and exhibition stands, including a range to take reviewers’ comments on board. He a researcher in the current academic of BPS teams and networks that support pointed out that reviewers have sacrificed world. She emphasised the importance of research. The BPS journal publishers their time to look through a paper and using digital tools in modern research – Wiley contributed with their own stand thus their comments should be noted, including resources such as Dropbox and and by sponsoring refreshments an lunch. replied to and addressed where reference management tools such as In the first panel discussion Ian Smith, appropriate. He gave some parting words Mendeley and Evernote. a Senior Journals Publishing Manager at of advice on ‘revise and re-submit’ papers Macrae-Gibson also spoke about the Wiley, was joined by Professor Patrick – not to leave those changes to the last need to communicate research outside of Leman (King’s College, University of minute, to ask people to read through the academic circles. She said being digitally London) to give some tips on what the work and feed back, and not to bounce literate involves communication of one’s publishing process involves, and how to a paper from one journal rejection to work and suggested that researchers catch an editor’s eye. Smith ran through another. should obtain an ORCID ID – a digital the basic Using libraries for research was next identifying number which makes work submission and up for discussion. First Thomas Baldwin, traceable even if a person moves peer-review Executive Manager of the M25 institution or changes their name. She process and gave consortium, gave a talk about the group stressed the importance of establishing some information which helps students access library a research identity online, both through about the 11 BPS resources within academic and other social media and within academic circles. journals which libraries in the M25 region and beyond. Having more of an online presence, she are available to John Woodcock (King’s College London), suggested, may also mean the ability to 8000 institutions Library Learning and Teaching Manager, better track and modify what information throughout the spoke out against Google Scholar and about you exists in the online world. world. He also gave ideas of better, more efficient Macrae-Gibson noted Twitter and spoke about literature searching techniques. Woodcock LinkedIn as particularly useful tools for altmetrics and said Google may not be the best tool for networking and raising one’s profile. the increasing academic literature searches as it is Paul Horsler, Academic Support popularity of open unclear how the algorithm works, it Librarian and PhD student (London access publishing. provides personalised results based on School of Economics), gave his view Leman then gave some examples from past browsing and its results also include on some of his favourite reference his time as editor of the British Journal of non-peer-reviewed content. He gave some management systems including Endnote Developmental Psychology. He advised the suggestions of potentially more useful and Mendeley and gave the pros and cons students that if their paper failed to be searching tools, including PubMed and of some of the most popular software. submitted for review this often meant they Medline. Another useful tool he pointed Finally Evangelia Lipitakis from Thomson had chosen the wrong journal for their to was ETHoS, provided by the British Reuters gave a talk on the benefits of work. He advised that people should Library, which consists of a searchable using Web of Science for research which check what a certain journal has database of doctoral theses. He added allows users to search academic literature published before, potentially its mission the NICE evidence search was useful by a huge number of criteria – including statement, what sort of work is current in for clinicians. He also pointed to the institution, number of citations, and the area – which could reveal who a Cochrane Library for finding systematic allows reverse searches to find articles potential reviewer may be. He said good reviews and suggested that many which cited a given paper. papers have several key features – quality universities have open-access repositories Peter Dillon-Hooper (BPS Academic science, innovative and original work, for research done at given institutions. Resources Manager) said: ‘The idea for making a distinctive contribution, and Ross MacFarlane (Research this day came out of a discussions with correctly formatted and well-written. Engagement Officer, Wellcome Library) the senior management of Senate House Expanding on each of these Leman took the audience through a whistle-stop Library last summer. It has been said ‘good science’ should include a good tour of some of the psychology-related rewarding seeing that idea come to thorough literature review, a clear line of special collections held at the recently- fruition through the hard work of a argument, hypothesis and research refurbished Wellcome Library in London. handful of people – they know who they question, good population sampling – These include the papers of Charles are. Thanks also to all who took part, taking into account representativeness and Spearman, Henry Tajfel, Charlotte Wolff but particular thanks should go to Mura diversity, it should also be ethical and the and Edward Tolman. Fascinatingly the Ghosh, the Psychology Research Librarian statistical analysis should be appropriate library now also holds the dream diaries at Senate House Library. We have learnt a and conclusions should follow naturally of World War II PoWs complied by Major lot, the feedback has been wholly positive, from these. Leman said new research Kenneth Hopkins. and we intend to do it again next year.’ ER

340 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 news Hostage-support network A charity that supports hostages and their families has put out years. All the things which are important to keep the body and a call for psychologists, who are experienced in working with mind healthy slip by the wayside. When hostages return, and trauma, to join their network of volunteer therapists. Director of most do, thankfully, they’re traumatised in a different way – you Hostage UK, Rachel Briggs OBE (pictured), spoke to us about an have the challenge of bringing the hostage and family together, increasing need for specialist psychologists to offer their support both who have been through their own traumas but in a very to a group of people with very complex needs. different way.’ Currently, Briggs said, the charity has a small team of The charity, Briggs said, aimed to create the UK’s first psychologists and psychiatrists who give their time to families network of hostage and trauma experts, not only to help families and hostages free of charge. However, she added, the number of and returning hostages but also to develop a community of best kidnappings the group is dealing with has practice in these cases. She said: ‘There are risen. She said: ‘I think this is partly because relatively few psychologists who have the kidnapping of Brits around the world is experience in this area. We’re keen to bring going up and getting more complicated, those people together to increase our potentially because of the number of high- understanding of the psychological profile kidnapping incidents in recent years. impacts of hostage-taking on families and But also because our profile is rising and hostages.’ families know we’re there to help them. We’re Briggs was also keen to point out that keen to find wonderful, talented, experienced time commitments for this sort of work are individuals who are psychologists but have a quite small: luckily kidnapping is still a particular interest and expertise in trauma.’ relatively rare crime. If a psychologist has The families of those who have been taken the family of a hostage in their area they hostage and hostages themselves have a very may be required to offer around one hour complex and unique set of needs, Briggs a week or one hour a fortnight while that explained: ‘Families are scared and for family requires support, but they may go prolonged periods may not know if their six months or a year without being involved loved one is alive or dead. Kidnappers often with any cases. cease communication for months at a time as If you would be interested in volunteering part of their communication strategy to really ramp up the visit hostageuk.org learn more about the charity and e-mail pressure. Families are often very isolated – because of the secrecy Coordinator Mags Heaton on [email protected] for that’s often necessary in most kidnapping cases. Then this is all information about how to get involved. Psychologists will be compounded by the fact families often stop looking after invited to all Hostage UK’s seminars and will be given a training themselves; they have chronic lack of sleep over months or even day at least once a year. ER Biggest Bang yet

This year was the busiest yet a privilege for Warwick confidence in what they are are just so grateful to our for the British Psychological Psychology to be involved doing.’ university partners for Society Stand at the Big Bang with the BPS at the Big Bang Kelly Auty, Policy Advisor supporting our efforts to get Fair. The Fair, which is one Fair. So much passion and to the Society’s Education and psychology out there to of the largest celebrations of expertise in psychological Public Engagement Board, children and young people science, technology, science, coupled with the praised the universities that and, just as importantly, their engineering and maths of commitment to communicate took part, highlighting that teachers and parents.’ its kind in Europe, brings this to the next generation of ‘co-ordinating over 70 The hard work all seemed together children and young psychologists.’ volunteers to deliver the worth it as Dr Roger Newport people from across the UK to The stand saw in excess demonstrations over the from the University of get hands-on with STEM. of 10,000 individuals taking course of the fair is no small Nottingham, whose team The British Psychological part in psychological feat, and our university partner demonstrated over 7000 Society stand hosted demonstrations, run by our leads put in an enormous illusions over the course of the colleagues from Aston volunteers. Kevin Silber from amount of work to recruit and fair, points out: ‘The BPS stand University, University of Derby, the University of Derby organise their staff and was by far the busiest stand as University of Nottingham, recognised the benefit to his students to volunteer and to word of mouth spread and Staffordshire University and students: ‘Some of those who build on what they have to people arrived saying they had the University of Warwick, volunteer might start their offer year on year. We owe the been told they simply had to all delivering high-quality shift quite timid and success of the BPS stand to come and see what we had to psychology demonstrations to overwhelmed by the numbers them and they all do a great offer. To do this in an thousands of children across of children passing though. job communicating environment designed around the four days of the fair. Dr Liz However, they soon get psychology to large numbers what science has to offer feels Blagrove, from the University involved and by the end of of people. We are all exhausted like an incredible of Warwick, said: ‘It is always a few hours they are exuding by the end of the Fair and we achievement.’

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 341 news Opening Skinner’s Box A play that explores 10 of psychology’s Vuong told us that he and Lazarus most famous experiments has its premiere had been involved throughout the in April (we hope to review it in the June development and rehearsals, a process he issue). Opening Skinner’s Box adapted by said was ‘fascinating’. ‘The idea was for us the theatre company Improbable is based to watch them rehearse and interact with on Lauren Slater’s book of the same name the actors. It was nice to learn about the and directed by Phelim McDermott and techniques they use, and you could see the improvisation process itself. I want to Lee Simpson, co-founders of the company. parallels between theatre and research. run experiments on what’s happening in Improbable, a theatre company that The actors asked us about science, what the brains of actors during improvisation uses improvisation in the development of it is, what a scientist does we tried to give using fNIRS. Similar things have been its work, has sought advice on the them a sense of the scientific process to done in jazz musicians and rappers, so it scientific method from Dr John Lazarus understand the 10 experiments in the would be a nice complement to those,’ he and Dr Quoc Vuong from the University book; about the interpretation of findings said. ER of Newcastle’s Institute of Neuroscience, from experiments, and the systematic I Opening Skinner’s Box is showing at the and Dr Edmund Ramsden, a scientific manipulation of variables to see if it has following places and times: 22 to 30 April, historian based at Queen Mary University. an impact on behaviour, emotions or Northern Stage, Newcastle; 5 to 14 May, The play will explore B.F. Skinner’s memories.’ West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds; 20 to experiments, Stanley Milgram’s work on Vuong said working with Improbable 21 May, Bristol Old Vic Theatre, Bristol. obedience to authority, Elizabeth Loftus’s had given him ideas for future research: For more information and to book see experiments and others. ‘We’ve been discussing how we investigate tinyurl.com/gq5v474 Sweet move in obesity policy Drinks that are high in sugar solutions to society’s problems, modelled these effects and recognise you need to change are to be taxed as part of the taxes can play a role in found that a 12 per cent price the environment in which we government’s strategy to tackle behavioural change. The increase leads to a steeper live including the food obesity. The tax will come into authors wrote that the levy reduction in calories industry, ranging from catering effect in April 2018; drinks will have a greater impact if consumed – this relies on the to food production and with more than 5g of sugar per the additional cost of sugary assumption that the price marketing and urban drinks is passed on to increase is passed on to planning,’ Professor Ogden consumers, especially where consumers. said. there is a diet / zero-sugar The full government Ogden added that the food alternative available. They ‘obesity strategy’ is set to be industry, major employers, added: ‘It will also have a released in the summer, and schools and universities would bigger impact if producers and we asked Professor in Health be good places to start in retailers shift their marketing Psychology Jane Ogden combatting rising levels of budgets to products lower in (University of Surrey, pictured obesity. But from a sugar, where they will in left), who has worked psychological perspective she future likely enjoy higher extensively in the field of said it would still be useful to margins.’ obesity, to share her thoughts focus on individuals: ‘The The authors added: on the new tax and potential emphasis has to be on ‘Research has shown that approaches the government structural, social and consumers underreact to taxes could take. She said over the environmental change but that are not salient. In one last 30 years individuals had as psychologists we still have study by Raj Chetty in the US, been the focus of obesity a role to play as all those in posting tax-inclusive prices prevention and treatment charge of those industries and 100ml will face a levy, while reduced demand by 8 per cent, with an emphasis on how organisations are still a higher tax will be placed on even though the same price individuals think and behave individuals who have their those with more than 8g. was paid whether the tax was in order to change their diet own beliefs and behaviours In an online article, the highlighted or not. In other and exercise habits. Slowly, which impact upon the government’s Behavioural words, if cans of cola are policymakers and environment of others. Insights Team, or ‘nudge unit’, clearly marked as being higher psychologists are beginning Therefore an interesting way wrote about the potential in price because of the levy, to realise that these problems forward for psychologists impacts of a sugar tax on this may lead to a greater effect occur on a societal level: ‘It’s would be to use our consumer behaviour. Hugo on behaviour.’ becoming increasingly obvious psychological skills to change Harper, Luke Ravenscroft and The authors also point to that people can’t make healthy the beliefs and behaviours of Owain Service pointed out that evidence that the effect of choices in a world that the people in charge of our while the team is usually more taxes on consumption may be encourages them to behave environment as a means to concerned with implementing disproportionately larger above in an unhealthy way. At last encourage others to make simple, non-regulatory a certain threshold. They experts are beginning to healthier choices.’ ER

342 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 news Psychology at the forefront in book prize shortlist

The shortlist for the Wellcome Book Prize 2016 was announced work of an early female medic (Signs for Lost Children). in March, with a strong psychological theme again running Worth £30,000, the 2016 prize is judged by a panel through the nominations. Celebrating the best new books that comprising chair Joan Bakewell; Frances Balkwill OBE, Professor engage with any aspect of medicine, health or illness, Wellcome of Cancer Biology at Barts Cancer Institute and an author of said that the 2016 shortlist ‘showcases the breadth and depth of science books for children; writer, columnist and salonnière, our encounters with medicine through six exceptional works of Damian Barr; award-winning journalist and author, Sathnam fiction and non-fiction’: The Outrun by Amy Liptrot (Canongate), Sanghera; and award-winning novelist, Tessa Hadley, who has Signs for Lost Children by Sarah Moss (Granta), It’s All in Your exclusively provided her thoughts on the shortlist for us below. Head by Suzanne O’Sullivan (Chatto & Windus), The Last Act Joan Bakewell said: ‘All the judges were engrossed by the of Love by Cathy Rentzenbrink (Picador), Neurotribes by Steve range of books we had to consider: we each learned important Silberman (Allen & Unwin) and Playthings by Alex Pheby things from the imaginative and inspiring way writers have (Galley Beggar Press: see our exclusive article at addressed their subjects. It has been an exhilarating journey. https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/schreber-plaything). The shortlist reflects what has moved and inspired us most about From memoirs on addiction (The Outrun) and on the books that deal with intimate and often complex matters of the aftermath of a debilitating accident (The Last Act of Love) to human body and human experience. Each one has found its way studies on autism (Neurotribes) and psychosomatic illnesses not just onto the shortlist, but into our hearts.’ (It’s All in Your Head), the non-fiction contenders reflect a broader Last year’s prize was awarded to Marion Coutts for her preoccupation with the human mind, while the two works of critically lauded memoir The Iceberg. One of the other shortlisted fiction on the list comprise an immersive account of authors, Henry Marsh, wrote for us on psychology and his work schizophrenia (Playthings) and an account of the pioneering as a brain surgeon.

Tessa Hadley on the Wellcome Book Prize 2016, for The Psychologist All the titles on our shortlist for the Wellcome Book Prize seem There’s no impersonal advance of pure scientific insight; the story to raise issues of interest to psychologists. What constitutes a of autism reads more like a novel, with a vivid cast of characters, self, for instance? How can the powerful, talented young woman power struggles, obsessions - and heroic efforts of insight. in The Outrun be at the mercy of her compulsion to drink, why I suppose it’s true that all of the shortlisted books are about doesn’t she just ‘know better’? When she’s sober, how should she suffering – which is perhaps the deepest point intersection of acknowledge that other part of herself, the self-destructive mind and body, the place where we can’t escape from ourselves. drunk, still there as a potential somewhere inside her? And Suzanne O’Sullivan in her study of psychosomatic disorders, It’s where does a self end? Is Cathy Rentzenbrink’s brother still All in Your Head, makes it clear what slippery categories ‘mind’ himself after the terrible accident in The Last Act of Love? All the and ‘body’ are, and how it’s impossible to separate out mind-pain personality and temperament and from body-pain with any confident empirical certainty. But forms of behaviour that made saying that these books all about suffering makes them sound him recognisable and that his dismal and sermonising and not much fun: nothing could be family once loved him for are further from the truth (we weeded out the dismal ones!) Good lost, and only his physical body writing itself is a manifestation of mind in words, needless to say remains - yet they can’t just put – it’s the writers’ wit and irony, their intelligence and control, an end to loving him. which make for a reader’s pleasure in all six books. Alex Pheby’s What does it mean when novel Playthings, about one of Freud’s patients, takes us inside a given culture sets about the experience of delusion, turning perception upside down – distinguishing sanity from but the results are darkly comical as well as tragic. madness? In Sarah Moss’s novel We’re trained in uncertainty these days, in our culture Signs for Lost Children the women without fixed religious or political convictions, lacking the large patients in an insane asylum confidence of the past. I suppose it’s inevitable that in an era of Tessa Hadley is the certainly seem to see things that doubt writers will turn a fascinated gaze inwards, asking how we author of four novels aren’t there, and they can’t cope know what we think we know, how we know what we feel, and (Accidents in the Home, with their normal lives: but the what it means to try writing about these things, tracing mental Everything Will Be All novel makes us question whether maps of our experience in words. Right, The Master what’s outside the asylum is any Bedroom and The London more ‘normal’. Studying the history Train), and two collections of the diagnosis of autism in of short stories, Neurotribes, we see how our MORE ONLINE… Sunstroke and Married categories of interpretation of …including a report from the joint conference of the British Love. She teaches mental ‘illness’ and ‘disease’ are Psychological Society’s History and Philosophy of Psychology Section literature and creative historically and culturally and the Critical Psychiatry Network, and the 60th Anniversary Annual writing at Bath Spa produced, even if they do also Conference of the Society’s Northern Ireland Branch. University. relate to real things in the world.

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 343 Inside the mind of an ultra-runner – the tougher it gets, the more fun it is DIGEST

According to UltraRunning Magazine, an ultra-run is anything motivation to test one’s limits, a will that’s generated by the longer than a standard marathon of 26 miles, but it’s not unusual enjoyable features of the journey; a sense of camaraderie with for people to participate in gruelling runs that take place in the partner; and self-awareness. As an example of the last punishing environments over days or even weeks. For people factor, the running pair formalised a rule to communicate to who struggle to run to catch a bus, the idea of deliberately teach other whenever they felt even a twinge of pain so that it putting yourself through this kind of physical punishment, for could be immediately addressed: a ‘not one step further’ rule. fun, seems little short of crazy. Yet this is a sport that’s on the In addition, the pair did not run to targets, covering as much increase – the number of official events has doubled in the last distance as felt comfortable day to day. decade. The ultra-runner also made a weekly record of her mood and Exercise-related distress was once seen as a simple exertion levels, starting three weeks prior to the run and ending consequence of physical symptoms like metabolic discharge three weeks after its completion. The researchers were building up in the muscles. But we now understand that the interested in finding out from these records whether the physical mind plays an important role in deciding whether a symptom impact of intensive running would produce psychological stress is acceptable or unbearable. It’s this that makes ultra-runners even in the absence of competition or targets. possible. In fact, a new in-depth case study of an ultra-runner During the run, the more physical exertion the runner published in the International Journal of Sport and Exercise experienced, the more her positive mood intensified. There was Psychology finds that with greater physical exertion comes the only one dip in positive mood during the run and this occurred experience of ever more positive emotion. during a two-week period where the close running dynamic was The profiled runner is an unnamed woman who was new disrupted by the temporary participation of a third runner. to ultra-running but had a pedigree of elite-level running in Meanwhile, a measure of more negative mood states found no international marathons. The researchers, led by Urban Johnson significant difference due to exertion, nor any differences inside at Halmstad University, examined her experiences during a 10- or outside of the run period. So for this runner, no, intensive week run in late spring covering 3641 kilometres (2262 miles) running was not psychologically stressful, but rather rewarding. across Europe. The route included flats and substantial rises, It was only after the run was over that our ultra-runner passing through mountain ranges such as the Pyrenees. She and experienced a drop in feelings of vitality, harmony and her experienced running partner covered between 26 and 80 appreciation from others, as she came down from her kilometres each day, typically running between five and eight remarkable trip. hours, taking turns to push a baby buggy holding their This case study provides insight into a person doing exceptional equipment. In case it’s not obvious… that’s a lot of running. things, with particular drives: as the authors note drily, ‘the runner After the run, the researchers interviewed the runner to enjoys running!’. But her breakdown of the key psychological understand what she perceived as the mental qualities that made ingredients for success in intense endeavours may resonate with for ultra success. She revealed four key factors: mental stamina; you, whether you climb, act or are founding a business. AF

In International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology

344 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 digest

Why narcissistic leaders are like chocolate cake In Journal of Personality

At a superficial level, people of the study, the students who are narcissistic seem like rated each other’s they will be good leaders. leadership skills. High They’re confident, outgoing and scorers in narcissism unafraid of putting themselves attracted positive leadership forward. But once in charge, ratings from their peers their appeal rapidly wanes. early on, but this positive In this way, say the authors of impression faded. The a new paper in the Journal of deteriorating perception of Personality, they are rather like narcissists over time was chocolate cake: partly explained by their lack ‘The first bite of chocolate of so-called cake is usually rich in flavor ‘transformational leadership and texture, and extremely skills’ becoming apparent – gratifying. After a while, that is, their inability to however, the richness of this motivate and inspire others. flavor makes one feel A second study was similar increasingly nauseous. Being but involved students who led by a narcissist could be already knew each other. In a similar experience.’ this case, the narcissists did Supporting their chocolate not receive positive leadership ratings from their peers. positive peer perceptions of cake model, the researchers ratings from the outset – there ‘Taken together, the findings narcissistic leadership fade over recruited 142 unacquainted was no honeymoon period for of the two studies are consistent time, and eventually become students to take part in weekly them – and as the study went with the chocolate cake model negative,’ the researchers group tasks. Through the course on, they received more negative and demonstrate that initial concluded. CJ

How trustworthy is the data that psychologists collect online? In Computers in Human Behavior

The internet has changed the way that many the questions on the second questionnaire results were more disappointing in general, psychologists collect their data. It’s now were repeats from the first. The idea was to but actually the Turkers performed the best. cheap and easy to recruit hundreds of see whether the students had really been Just under 15 per cent of students on- people to complete questionnaires and tests paying attention to the questions – if they campus appeared to have read the online, for example through Amazon’s hadn’t, they wouldn’t be very good at instructions closely compared with 8.5 per Mechanical Turk website. This is a good spotting duplicates in the second cent of off-campus students and 49.6 per thing in terms of reducing the dependence questionnaire. cent of Turkers. Perhaps users of sites like on student samples, but there are concerns In fact, both groups of students – those Amazon’s Mechanical Turk are actually about the quality of data collected through supervised on campus and those who could more motivated to pay attention than websites. For example, how do researchers do the questionnaire anywhere – performed students because they have an inherent know that the participants have read the well at spotting when questions were interest in participating whereas students questions properly or that they weren't repeated. This suggests that even those who might just be fulfilling their course watching TV at the same time as they had completed the questionnaires at home, requirements. completed the study? or out and about, had been paying attention Of course this paper has only looked Good news about the quality of online – good news for any researchers who like to at two specific aspects of conducting psychology data comes from a new paper collect data online. psychology research online, both relating in Computers in Human Behavior. Sarah A follow-up study was similar, but this to the use of questionnaires. However, the Ramsey and her colleagues at Northern time there were three participant groups: researchers were relatively upbeat – ‘These Illinois University first asked hundreds of students on-campus, students off-campus, results should increase our confidence in university students to complete two and 246 people recruited via Amazon's data provided by crowdsourced participants questionnaires on computer – half of them Mechanical Turk. Also, the researchers [those recruited via Amazon and other did this on campus in the presence of a added a trick to see if the participants had sites]’ they said. But they also added that researcher, the others did it remotely, off read the questionnaire instructions properly their findings raise general concerns about campus. – they did this by making an unusual request how closely participants read task The questions were about a whole range for how participants should indicate the time instructions. There are easy ways round of topics from sex to coffee. The researchers they completed the questionnaires. this though – for example, instructions can started off leading the participants to believe In terms of the participants’ paying include a compliance test that must be they were really interested in their attitudes attention to the questionnaire items, the completed before the proper questionnaire to these topics. But when the students results were again promising – all groups or other task begins, or researchers could started the second questionnaire they were did well at spotting duplicate items. try using audio to provide spoken told the real test was to spot how many of Regarding the reading of instructions, the instructions. CJ

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 345 digest

Can psychosocial interventions extend the lives of and 2014. However, once the researchers included only those cancer patients? papers that were randomised controlled trials and that included interventions delivered by professionals and had data on patient In Psychology and Health survival times, they were left with just 15 suitable studies conducted in five different countries and involving a total of 2940 participants The idea that prolonged stress is bad for your health is with an average age of 52 years. The studies involved different types uncontroversial. And few things can be more stressful than receiving of intervention including psychoeducational programmes, CBT and a cancer diagnosis and undergoing treatment. It makes sense, then, supportive-expressive groups (a form of psychodynamic to consider that psychological interventions, aimed at providing psychotherapy). The patients in the studies had a range of different cancer patients with emotional support and guidance on coping, cancers at different stages, including breast cancer, gastrointestinal might be beneficial. However, this is a delicate, controversial topic. cancer and melanoma. Not only is the evidence for the benefits of psychosocial Looking at all the data from all 15 studies, there was no interventions extremely mixed, but some cancer patients and their evidence that psychosocial interventions prolong the lives of cancer relatives have understandably railed against the ‘cruel’ suggestion patients. However, because of the huge variation between the that they might live longer if only they looked on the bright side and studies in terms of the interventions and the types of patient, the didn’t get so stressed. researchers also broke down the evidence into subcategories and It’s against this background that researchers in South Korea here the picture was more promising. For example, by excluding six have conducted a new review of the effects of psychological studies that had exclusively involved patients with late-stage cancer, interventions on cancer patients’ survival time. Their study the researchers found that psychosocial interventions reduced the published in Psychology and Health is a meta-analysis, which means likelihood of patients dying during the course of the study (follow-up that they have combined the results from prior research to get an times varied from one to 12 years) by 27 per cent, on average. overview of the current evidence base. ‘Stress reduction, if that is the causal mechanism, may have to The researchers, led by P.J. Oh at Sahmyook University, found occur earlier to achieve positive results,’ the researchers said. over 4000 studies that looked promising, published between 1966 Other details to emerge included the finding that a positive benefit of psychosocial interventions was only apparent for studies involving patients with gastrointestinal cancer, although there was too little data to speculate as to whether this finding is meaningful or a chance result. Comparing the different types of intervention, the strongest positive evidence was for one-on-one programmes LINK FEAST compared with groups, and for psychoeducational approaches delivered by medical doctors and nurses, as opposed to The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers psychologists or other non-medical professionals. How do creative people come up with great ideas? Organisational Psychoeducational interventions involve health education, psychologist Adam Grant studies ‘originals’: thinkers who dream coping skills training, stress management and psychological support, up new ideas and take action to put them into the world. Here's and the researchers speculated their benefit might arise through his recent TED talk. a mixture of reducing patients' distress, encouraging healthy tinyurl.com/zls922d behaviours and treatment compliance. ‘In addition, supportive social relationships might buffer the effects of cancer-related stress on Lost for Words immunity and thereby facilitate the recovery of immune mechanisms A disease called primary progressive aphasia gradually robs people and may be important for cancer resistance,’ they said. of their language skills while leaving their minds intact. Critics may question whether it is reasonable to combine results tinyurl.com/zqtn2qy from such varied studies as was done in the current meta-analysis, and the researchers acknowledged that many of the studies were The ‘Drugs vs. Talking’ Debate Doesn’t Help Us Understand Mental not as robust in their methodology as they should be. However, they Health end their review on a positive note: ‘…a tentative conclusion can be Mental illness and how we treat it is back in the spotlight – but reached,’ they said, ‘that psychosocial interventions offered at an confusion and false distinctions create problems for both doctors and early stage may provide enduring late benefits and possibly longer patients, argues Simon Wessely. survival.’ CJ tinyurl.com/h9xuytn

Runs in the Family The material in this section is taken from New findings about schizophrenia rekindle old questions about genes the Society’s Research Digest blog at and identity. www.bps.org.uk/digest, and is written by its tinyurl.com/jpwfd23 editor Dr Christian Jarrett and contributor Dr Alex Fradera. Make Recycled Goods Covetable To reduce consumption and waste we must overcome our Visit the blog for full coverage including squeamishness about repurposing pre-owned possessions, says references and links, more reports, an archive, Bruce Hood. comment, our podcast (Episode 5!) and more. tinyurl.com/zosonua Subscribe to the fortnightly e-mail, friend, Why Are We Eternally Fascinated by Serial Killers? follow and more via www.bps.org.uk/digest Murderers like Charles Manson and Ted Bundy are a tiny threat to our society – yet our interest in them appears to be endless. Why? tinyurl.com/j8nxkcb

346 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 digest

How often does psychotherapy make people feel worse? DIGEST DIGESTED In British Journal of Psychiatry Full reports are available at www.bps.org.uk/digest We hear a lot about the those who indicated they Children aged four to seven were able to tell the difference between unwelcome side-effects of hadn't been given sufficient unlabelled professional abstract art and superficially similar works psychiatric drugs, but not so information about therapy produced by other children or animals (chimps, monkeys and much about the fact that before it started. gorillas). However, they preferred the work of children and animals therapy can also leave people Participants from ethnic and thought it better quality. Journal of Cognition and Development feeling worse than they did and sexual minorities were also already. Data is thin on the more likely to report lasting bad Being in a bad mood won’t necessarily impair your mental ground, but best estimates effects – the researchers don’t performance. When participants completed mood questionnaires suggest that between 5 and know why this might be but they and mental tests for five consecutive days, both mood and cognitive 10 per cent of therapy clients said it may indicate a need for performance fluctuated, but they did not correlate. Intelligence experience a worsening of their more emphasis on ‘cultural symptoms. Now a study in the competence’ in therapists’ Spending work breaks on a British Journal of Psychiatry has training. smartphone doesn’t seem to be provided further evidence, from Therapeutic harm is a as rejuvenating as device-free the clients’ perspective, about difficult issue to study – among activities. A study of hundreds the prevalence of harmful other things, it’s possible that of Korean workers found that therapy outcomes, with around any symptom deterioration those who spent their lunch 1 in 20 of thousands of would have happened anyway breaks on their phones tended participants saying that they (of course this problem of to show more emotional had experienced ‘lasting bad interpretation also works the exhaustion in the afternoon. effects’ from therapy. other way in that any symptom Computers in Human Behavior Mike Crawford improvement may and his colleagues actually have been Busy people are better at bouncing back from missed deadlines than surveyed nearly quicker without those with fewer demands on their time. The researchers think it’s 15,000 people who therapy). But nearly because busy people are less demoralised by missing deadlines – were currently all psychologists are they know that they’ve been spending their time productively on receiving, or had in agreement that other tasks. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology recently ended, adverse effects from outpatient therapy therapy are a real Unlike most people, healthy individuals who score highly on for depression or risk, and that we schizotypic personality traits seem to be able to tickle themselves. anxiety via the need to know more The finding adds to previous research that showed unusual self- National Health about how tickling abilities in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia who Service in England commonly they experienced hallucinations and delusions of control. Consciousness and Wales. Of the occur and how to and Cognition 14,270 people who answered reduce the likelihood of them the question about potential happening. This study therefore Psychologists in South adverse effects of therapy, 763 provides some welcome data Africa have successfully said that they agreed strongly on an important topic. reduced the average call or slightly that their therapy had Indeed, Crawford and his time of ambulance phone resulted in lasting bad effects, team point out that well over operators by several a proportion the researchers a million people in England seconds. The described as a ‘substantial have received psychological researchers analysed the minority’. treatment for common mental operators initial The most common form disorders in recent years, which responses to calls and of therapy was CBT, but other means (based on the new data) removed causes of therapies the participants had that ‘thousands of people could ambiguity and delay. The received included have experienced negative new protocol is for them psychodynamic therapy, effects from treatment’. The to say ‘Ambulance counselling and solution- researchers advised that service, Simon [replaced focused therapy. The survey ‘clinicians delivering with their name] suggested that no particular psychological therapies should speaking’. Journal of therapy approach was more ensure that people feel that Health Psychology often associated with bad they have sufficient information outcomes. However, about treatment before it starts A longitudinal study of over 3000 male and female children growing participants who said they were and obtain informed consent to up in Pelotas in Brazil, has found that those with lower resting unsure what kind of therapy treatment by ensuring that heart-rates were more likely to commit acts of criminality. The they'd received or who said people considering result extends the established heart-rate/criminality association to they'd received an ‘other’ form psychological treatment for their women and to a culture with high crime rates. International Journal of therapy (not listed on the condition are aware that there is of Epidemiology survey) were more likely to the potential for both positive report bad effects, as were and negative effects.’ CJ

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 347 The only BPS Textbooks series to be approved by the in Psychology BRITISH No other series bears the BPS seal of approval PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Refreshingly written to consider more than Northern American   









  
 







  


 

 





 
 
 
 
 
  


 

 

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348 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 High quality training, supervision and therapy in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy and Contextual Cognitive Behaviour Therapies.

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read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 349 some of the research coming out of his department at Cardiff University. Chambers also helped to set up Are we punching our Headquarters, the Guardian’s psychology

FEATURE blog, and contributes to it regularly. Pointing to many excellent psychology weight? bloggers – including Dorothy Bishop, Neuroskeptic, and Vaughan Bell and Tom Our journalist Ella Rhodes asks whether psychology is having the desired impact, Stafford of Mind Hacks – Chambers told through the media and policy me that psychology was emerging as a field that was not afraid to be self-critical in public. However, he added, psychology is still regarded by the media as the ‘court jester’ of sciences. ick up today’s newspaper, or go communicate quality science better? ‘Present something counterintuitive online, or turn on the radio. You Will psychology always be considered and novel about human behaviour and Pwill immediately be immersed in lightweight in science terms, or can we you are more likely to get a Nature paper a world where psychology surely has so learn from individuals who have had and a lot of media coverage,’ Chambers much to offer. An evidence-based success in getting their message across? said. ‘The problem is that most of the approach to human behaviour is central In a search for impact, I spoke to time such claims turn out to be based to mental health, education, healthcare, academics, journalists and science-media on very flimsy evidence, and academics employment, crime and justice. specialists for their views on what we are themselves can be complicit in Behavioural change has been a hot topic getting right and wrong. exaggerating their evidence to publish of recent years. But as a discipline, is psychological research in high-profile psychology there on the top table? Does outlets.’ the public really understand its full range The court jester of sciences? Chambers suggested that academics of applications, or is it only the quirkier Professor Chris Chambers was inspired to should take more responsibility for the studies that make it into the mainstream speak out about how scientists can help content of the press releases that report media? What can psychologists do to journalists (and vice versa) after what he on their work: some of his own research move beyond ‘pop psychology’ and to described as some ‘interesting’ coverage of found much exaggeration in health news originates from press releases. The study, published in the British Medical Journal, looked at 462 press releases from 20 leading universities in the UK and found 40 per cent contained exaggerated advice, 33 per cent contained exaggerated causal claims and 36 per cent contained exaggerated inference to humans from animal research. Professor Chambers added that the British Psychological Society has a role to play in ensuring that its members are not pedalling pseudoscience, although he admits that detecting this can be challenging. ‘Pseudoscience is often unfalsifiable, reliant on anecdotal evidence and often in a commercial capacity, and not available for public scrutiny. There are also established lists of areas of science that are categorised as pseudoscience, for example neurolinguistic programming. In my opinion, the BPS should regularly review its member charter and ensure that where members do indicate pseudoscientific interests, those members are not using the BPS to promote those interests – and, if they are, their membership should be revoked.’ I asked Chambers why he felt so strongly about this. ‘It matters because psychology is a young science with a lot to say about the mind and brain, and it has a role in shaping public policy,’ he replied. ‘So it’s vital that we engage and interact with the public effectively. To

350 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 are we punching our weight?

‘We aren’t trained to think that we know best’ ‘A lot of clinical psychologists Hoarding: DCP Good Practice for people who appear in refused to film the client’s wouldn’t think of themselves as Guidelines – garnered much documentaries about mental therapy in the Channel 4 experts. We take the position media attention. health. There’s also a benefit documentary – despite his that the client knows best – it’s Holmes said psychologists’ to being able to influence approval. ‘I held my ground on at the centre of our nervousness about engaging programmes and having a role that issue, I didn’t want to use psychological training. We with the media was not always in making them more the client to “sell” psychology, aren’t trained to think that we misplaced, as often psychologically and I was able to talk it through know best.’ So said Sophie a journalist or minded and based with John Oates. He knew about Holmes, Lead Consultant documentary less on the medical Ofcom ethics and the processes Clinical Psychologist for Sussex maker’s agenda discourse.’ involved in making a Partnership NHS Foundation is likely to be Holmes spoke documentary.’ Trust, speaking to us about entertainment. of the support she Holmes suggests what stands in the way of some ‘Many received from the encouraging psychologists to applied psychologists speaking documentaries British engage with the media when out about their given fields. either fall into an Psychological they are trainees. ‘Students Holmes has been an entertainment or Society, whose should consider including bullet advocate of media engagement factual and science Comms team put points at the end of their work since the start of her career, category. If you’re her in touch with suggesting three ways it may be when her thesis on women’s engaging with Professor John broadcast on local radio. We experiences of pain in childbirth television you need Sophie Holmes Oates, who leads need to get the message out attracted local media attention. to be sure of which the Media Ethics there. The public’s interest in Later, after extensive work with department a Group. He offered mental health and psychology is people who experienced particular programme is support to her as well as her immense, and if we don’t speak problems with hoarding, she coming from.’ If a programme Trust. She said: ‘I can’t rate the out we end up with potentially took part in a Channel 4 appears to be made purely for advice I was given highly unqualified people giving documentary Obsessive entertainment, Holmes adds, enough. I don’t know if I would comments with an aim to be Compulsive Hoarder. In turn, ‘there’s a role for psychologists have been able to get through famous. There are many a report she later wrote – in advising documentary the process without his worrying examples of that in A Psychological Perspective on makers on care and aftercare support.’ For example, Holmes the media.’ paraphrase Fiona Fox, director of the don’t take the time to engage when an research, and even when they do, it’s not Science Media Centre, “the media will important story is about to break, then easy to find out what consensus from do psychology better when psychologists millions of people may be misled. When research is, if they don’t have access to do the media better”.’ shoddy science is allowed to claim the specialist psychology journals.’ Hammond headlines, trust in the entire field gets would like to see the day when eroded.’ researchers included on their websites the How can psychologists do the Julia Faulconbridge, a Consultant top three policy implications of their own media better? Clinical Psychologist and Chair of the work. She added: ‘Sometimes researchers Ed Sykes (Science Media Centre) told me British Psychological Society’s Faculty will say that it’s hard making definitive that psychology stories make it into the for Children, Young People and their recommendations until more research has mainstream media quite easily compared Families, said problems psychologists face been done, but policy decisions are being with other sciences, but he agreed with when trying to engage with the media made right now. If we want psychology to Professor Chambers that we should be could potentially be overcome. ‘The BPS have an impact, psychologists need to be sure to showcase our most rigorous needs a bigger set-up to deal with the prepared to say what decisions they would research. He said: ‘If you’re working on media, and more support… It could be make now if they were in charge, based something important and you are proud an idea to have a spokesperson from each on the best evidence we have so far.’ of your science, then tell your press office Division or Section who is trusted to deal When I spoke to Lead Policy Advisor and tell the BPS press office – take the time with the media with some training… for the British Psychological Society, Dr to prepare and you’ll end up with more there needs to be less centralisation and Lisa Morrison Coulthard, she agreed with accurate coverage as a result.’ more autonomy. Psychology should be Claudia Hammond that key insights from Sykes concedes that many scientists much more out there in the world.’ psychology were often not fairly have been put off speaking to the media, Claudia Hammond, a psychology acknowledged as such. ‘There is greater either for fear of being judged by graduate and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s recognition of the contributions of colleagues or potentially broadcasting All in the Mind, emphasised the role psychological science to a wide array the wrong message. However, he feels psychology could play in policy if it had of societal concerns – the Research that with a greater emphasis for better exposure. She said where policy Excellence Framework of 2014 researchers on public engagement now makers include psychology in their work highlighted this. But again a lot of is the time to become more media savvy. it often comes via economists (see also “psychological” research is often labelled ‘Psychology experts need to stand up and box, ‘An image problem?’). ‘Policy makers as another discipline – neuroscience, get involved. If they don’t weigh in when won’t even realise that there are vision science, infant health, for example. issues are being misreported, or if they psychologists out there doing relevant So the impact for psychology can be lost.’

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 351 are we punching our weight?

Dr Morrison Coulthard said that as long as the discipline does not speak with a united voice there will be barriers to having impact. ‘It’s no wonder that psychology is not as widely recognised as it could be when it is not portrayed as or understood to be psychology, and positions or views are not consistently conveyed as from psychology or from the BPS,’ she added. Morrison Coulthard suggested a ‘perceptions audit’ for psychology and the BPS would be welcomed, to find out what needs to be done with respect to different target audiences. I asked whether the relationship between policy and research work both ways: does legislation have an impact on the types of Professor Fiona Gabbert and her colleagues have organised fascinating public engagement events – including research being done? Dr a murder mystery evening Morrison Coulthard replied: ‘There is an increasing need for same token we need to be quicker as commonly held assumptions are tested policy proposals or changes to existing a discipline to react to emerging policy in order to inform policy development in policy to be evidence-based. But by the areas, and ensure that some of the those areas.’

Can a social science ever truly punch its weight? An image problem? Is psychology as a whole sufficiently weighty to have a big impact? In a letter Professor Adam Grant (Wharton Management Department, University of Pennsylvania) is to The Psychologist published in 2015, Phil an organisational psychologist, but he reports being introduced ‘at least once a week as Banyard (Nottingham Trent University) a behavioural economist’. Writing for the LinkedIn (tinyurl.com/zpz42rf), he pondered why suggested that psychology had never had so many psychology studies are presented as behavioural economics in the media. Are its own ‘Big Bang’ moment, and perhaps behavioural economists doing more interesting work than psychologists? Are they simply lacked the testable theories and influence ‘hotter’? After rejecting such hypotheses, Grant moves on to other potential explanations. of other sciences. Could this be why it may Grant suggests that people often think psychology simply points out the glaringly not have the impact via the media and obvious, but he gives examples of experiments that point out the opposite of what we may policy that many would like to see? assume to be ‘common sense’; ‘Ellen Langer and her colleagues found that if you ask to cut Banyard stated that despite the in front of people in line at a copy machine “because I’m in a rush”, 94 percent say yes. ‘bluster about science’ and millions of If you give no reason, only 60 percent say yes. But if you give pounds in grants, psychology had never a bogus reason, “because I have to make copies” 93 percent really come to any huge or important say yes. The use of a logical “because” is enough to trigger understandings about the subject we a mindless yes, even though the information that follows study – ourselves. He wrote: ‘A standard provides no new information,’ he writes. definition of psychology is “the scientific Grant also presents another hypothesis: that behavioural study of people, the mind and economics is viewed as more rigorous than psychology. He behaviour”. So what are the headline suggests that while people see economists as super-smart discoveries about people, mind and number crunchers, psychologists are seen as varying versions behaviour? And do these findings match of Sigmund Freud. He concludes: ‘Psychology has come a long up to the discoveries of the other way since Freud, but the brand hasn’t caught up. The new sciences?’ Professor Adam Grant psychological science of the mind and behaviour is based on He said the central issue with randomized, controlled experiments with measurable psychology was the way in which we behaviors as well as fMRI and physiological data. Ideally, we’ll start rebranding psychology develop knowledge in the field: while as a source of interesting, rigorous ideas. Alternatively, [Daniel] Kahneman proposes that other sciences have testable theories when it comes to formulating policy, we should stop drawing major boundaries between (such as Einstein’s theory of general fields and just call ourselves behavioral scientists.’ relativity), psychological theories do not produce predictions that can be tested in

352 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 are we punching our weight?

this way. ‘When it comes to driving people mad, and pathologising academic research addresses “real world” knowledge in psychology,’ Banyard individuals deflects attention away from problems.’ wrote, ‘we are not so much that. This kind of distress happens in a uncovering it as inventing it.’ context and there’s a real risk of sanitising However, Banyard concluded that madness, clustering it into abstract What can we do about it? we should perhaps look to different symptoms and syndromes.’ Striving for the ‘right’ sort of coverage, types of impact. Speaking of a 1969 Clinical psychology, Longden said, appealing to the general public while talk by George Miller to the American should not be removed from social reality. holding on to scientific rigour, all in the Psychological Association he wrote: ‘I do think psychology has a moral, ethical context of increasingly stretched ‘[Miller] seemed to come to the same and professional responsibility to raise its resources… that’s a heavyweight challenge. conclusion. He argued that we are voice and challenge social systems of From all those I have spoken to the looking in the wrong place if we are injustice. There’s a risk of over- defining message is one of not being afraid waiting for the great discoveries and professionalising psychology in academia. to stand up for, and speak out about, applications to appear. He suggested I’m part of that institution as a research research, while taking responsibility for that the revolution will come in how scientist but it’s important, while how one’s work is covered. It seems many we think of ourselves.’ recognising the valuable role of research, are calling for greater levels of bravery – to try not to be too rarefied about it.’ in identifying oneself as an ‘expert’, a In looking for alternative routes to word that makes many academics cringe, A different approach engagement and impact, I also came and joining together in an attempt to Perhaps taking this approach – one across the Forensic Psychology Unit at speak with one voice as a discipline. based largely on self-insight – demands Goldsmiths, University of London, which But perhaps we shouldn’t beat a more personal perspective. I spoke to opened in September last year. Unit ourselves up too much. Although Eleanor Longden about how she shared director Professor Fiona Gabbert and her psychology may be yet to fully punch its her own experiences of hearing voices colleagues have organised fascinating weight, when I spoke to Dr Tom Stafford and learning to public engagement events, including a (University of Sheffield) he pointed out live with them in a fascinating TED murder mystery evening, and are already that psychology is not the first science to talk which has now been viewed seeing the research at the unit sparking be in this sort of bind. Speaking of the more than three million times (see debate and potentially impacting on parallels between early geology and tinyurl.com/jj455s5). Since that time policy. psychology, he said: ‘On the one hand Longden has not only gained a PhD in Gabbert made the interesting point they [geologists] could only distinguish psychology but has been on numerous that psychology does not have a standard themselves if they said something new, lecture tours in the USA and Australia. She audience any more. ‘This makes it difficult such as that the earth was millions of told me about engaging with the media in to know what the audience want. Some years old, rather than thousands. On the a truly unique way. are drawn to the hard science, while other hand they found it easier to be After struggling with increasingly others want to be drawn in to more accepted, and funded, if they pandered to threatening and abusive voices, Longden accessible, entertainment-based forms popular prejudices, such as that the earth discovered the Hearing Voices Movement, of engagement, and shown the relevance was in fact only 6000 years old. This founded in 1987, which sees hearing of research to their own lives. The type tension between being able to get voices not necessarily as a symptom of and tone of public engagement events is attention for ideas that fit with existing mental illness but as something that can particularly important to consider now! beliefs, but that ultimately degrade the be coped with and understood. This As psychologists we shouldn’t rule out value of the discipline, is exactly the one theory allowed her to learn to live with true interdisciplinary collaborations with psychology faces today, I believe.’ her voices and was the basis of her TED our colleagues in the arts to help satisfy Stafford said that the discipline has a talk. some of these demands.’ dilemma: ‘The media are keen to report Longden told me she was inspired Gabbert said the forensic unit had psychology, but they are most keen when to share her experiences as a means of been active in engaging with groups psychology just confirms common sense, transforming the abuse she had outside the immediate research our prejudices or suspicions – things like experienced into the basis for social community, including working with “bullies grow up to be unhappy adults”. action, adding: ‘I’ve been harmed by Amnesty International and the College Everyone has an opinion on psychology, many people who have never been held of Policing. She said recent work within which is great in terms of engagement, accountable for it. That can be intolerable, the unit, particularly a new Structured but it can be a double-edged sword in but although I may not have been able to Interview Protocol, has sparked interest terms of conveying nuances, or findings find justice in the legal sense it’s another among police forces and the International which don’t conform to people’s avenue for pursuing it.’ Criminal Court. She added: ‘Myself and expectations.’ Longden, who works as a postdoctoral colleagues in the unit have run training researcher, said there were many good courses in how to use the protocol to examples of psychologists engaging well maximise the information gained from Over to you… Is psychology punching its with the media, but that more could be witnesses and victims. This kind of weight? What does true ‘impact’ look like, and done. She suggested that her area of engagement is something we strive for how is it best achieved through the media and interest, clinical psychology, needed a in our research. We can maximise policy work? strong critical and political focus. ‘It’s not impact by developing collaborative Join the debate by commenting on the just about maladaptive schemas and working relationships with online version of this article, tweeting cognitive dysfunctions, there are practitioners and policy makers from @psychmag with #PsychPunch, or e-mailing fundamental issues of abuse, social the outset. It’s only by speaking with your letters for publication to injustice, oppression and trauma. These practitioners about what the key issues [email protected]. are pervasive factors which are literally are for them, that we can ensure our

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 353 (‘data’), analysing collected materials, through to representing and disseminating findings.

ARTICLE Such an all-encompassing process Arts-based research – cannot be neatly defined, categorised or delineated. Yet it does have some more general characteristics or hallmarks. In radical or conventional? his 2013 Reith Lectures, artist Grayson Perry offered a series of boundary markers David Carless and Kitrina Douglas make the case for an alternative methodology to identify what is – and what is not – art. Here, we use a similar strategy to briefly describe six boundary markers that, together, help clarify how our approach an psychological research help to all people as they navigate their lives, to research differs from methods more people live their lives? Can it offer this is a disappointing state of affairs. common to psychology: Cmembers of the public personally Could it be different? Is it possible I Participants shape direction and focus meaningful insights to help them to do and share psychological research I Embodied researcher–participant surmount the day-to-day challenges they in ways that directly reach, affect, guide interaction face? Can it provide resources for or help members of the public? Perhaps I Imagination individuals to draw upon as they strive leading towards personal reflection, I Accessible and engaging to negotiate the complex realities of 21st- a sense of solidarity, local action, or more I Expressing what cannot otherwise be century life? Like many readers, perhaps, widespread social change? In this article said we would answer the first question with we briefly outline one approach that I Active audience a resounding ‘Yes!’ We would also answer strives towards these kinds of goals. It is the other questions with a yes – although a form of research we have engaged with While other approaches to psychological it might be more cautiously voiced. since the early 2000s, which can be research might share one or two of these Replace the word ‘Can…’ in each of these broadly described as critical arts-based characteristics, the combination of most questions with the word ‘Does…’ and our research (see Bagley & Castro-Salazar, or all of the six is, we think, unique to responses would be more uncertain. In 2012). arts-based work. fact, we would probably be forced to Arts-based research is ‘an effort to Our description, however, can only go change our responses to: ‘In general, utilize the forms of thinking and forms so far – we really need you to experience probably not.’ Given that the subject of representation that the arts provide as some of this work. Experiencing is key to of psychology covers terrain that is – a means through which the world can be grasping the contribution of artistic and potentially at least – of such importance better understood and through such performative methodologies. Without understanding comes the enlargement of this, the words and arguments that follow mind’ (Barone & Eisner, 2012, p.x). Arts- risk ringing hollow. Therefore, we cite based research is critical when it becomes some examples of our work that are overtly political by challenging dominant available in the public domain as short Online videos discourses and conventional ideas within films that can be freely viewed online via society, while aligning with subjugated YouTube (see box ‘Online videos’). We Across the Tamar: Three Poems peoples and voices (Bagley & Castro- invite you to explore these examples for www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcJCjtTHaLw Salazar, 2012). yourself (and some accompany the online Blue Funnel Line Our way of doing critical arts-based version of this article). Please feel free, if www.youtube.com/watch?v=cftAy_SaurY research has not been developed in you wish, to ‘talk back’ to us by posting isolation but has benefited from the a comment or response. For academically Gwithian Sands work of a number of other researchers in inclined readers, we also cite a few www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuUFDMLGfiE psychology and beyond (e.g. Barone & examples of parallel work that we have The Long Run Eisner, 2012; Chadwick, 2001; Gergen & published in peer-reviewed journals. www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-fprKKUGKo Gergen, 2012). Our approach can affect Throughout, we do not mean to imply These Things and inform all phases of a project – from that arts-based methods replace existing www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHFfa1Opm9w identifying a ‘problem’ or research ways of doing psychological research. We question, gathering empirical materials do, however, believe that these kinds of

Bagley, C. & Castro-Salazar, R. (2012). Research in Psychology, 5(4), 233–248. Sharing stories of trauma and approach. Reflective Practice, 10(3), Critical arts-based research in Carless, D. & Douglas, K. (2010a). recovery. Sport, Education & Society, 311–323. education: Performing Performance ethnography as an 21(1), 47–61. Gergen, M. & Gergen, K. (2012). Playing undocumented historias. British approach to health-related Chadwick, P. (2001). Personality as art: with purpose: Adventures in

references Educational Research Journal, 38(2), education. Educational Action Artistic approaches in psychology. performative social science. Walnut 219–239. Research, 18(3), 373–388. Ross-on-Wye: PCCS Books. Creek, CA: Left Coast Press. Barone, T. & Eisner, E. (2012). Arts based Carless, D. & Douglas, K. (2010b). Sport Douglas, K. (2012). Signals and signs. research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. and physical activity for mental health. Qualitative Inquiry, 18(6), 525–532. Carless, D. (2008). Narrative, identity, and Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. Douglas, K. & Carless, D. (2009). recovery from serious mental illness: Carless, D. & Douglas, K. (2016). Exploring taboo issues in A life history of a runner. Qualitative Narrating embodied experience: professional sport through a fictional

354 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 arts-based research approaches can beneficially extend and instrumental, self-focused improve the ways psychological portrayal as a way of knowledge is both generated and maximising one’s own health disseminated. and wellbeing. Through Meet the authors sharing with us their life stories, we saw how physical ‘In addition to being a great source of enjoyment, the Participants shape direction activity was often closely arts – for us particularly songs, films and novels – have and focus woven into their early life also always been a way to better understand ourselves, In contrast to the natural sciences experiences – as daughters, other people and the wider social world. Initially, this research model, the focus and direction sisters, friends, wives, mothers was through listening, witnessing or reading other of our studies are strongly influenced by and, later, grandmothers. For people’s art. But as we began creating our own songs, the participants. Through interviews and many of these women physical films and stories, we began to recognise that these kinds fieldwork we invite people to tell us activity was not about the self of aesthetic and imaginative ways of working could lead about their lives in an extended at all – it was about the other. us to new and sometimes unique insights. How ironic, conversation. Doing so, we witness their While they often turned away we felt, that these approaches were rarely – if ever – life stories. As students, conducting our from activity for themselves, used in psychology! So, around 15 years ago we made a first studies, we found that through this they would often engage in deliberate effort to invite and welcome our artistic selves process participants often redefined the activity when it was with and into our social and psychological research endeavours. area of focus that we had identified in for a significant person in their Although this required us to support and nurture each our research proposal. We felt compelled lives. A sense of historical other in the face of scepticism from some psychologists, to respond to this redirection to be able relational connections is we have increasingly found that our arts-based projects to learn from relevant aspects of their evident in our film Gwithian have become among our most valued, meaningful and experience. Our position became – and Sands and discussed in influential research.’ remains – that of a student, while we see Douglas (2012). the participants as experts of their own David Carless life experiences. Rather than us directing is Professor of Narrative Psychology the focus, we ask them to take us and Embodied researcher– at Leeds Beckett University show us what is important in their lives participant interaction [email protected] (in the context of the research). Each Central to our way of working participant points out what we need to is an embodied presence with know and where we need to look to find participants during the it. Now, as experienced researchers, we research. As important as it are more likely to hold off defining/ undoubtedly is to listen – to Kitrina Douglas identifying a focus and direction truly hear what is being said – is Senior Research Fellow at Leeds ourselves to allow instead the participants there is more to it than this. It Beckett University to do this. is not just the words captured [email protected] This process was particularly evident by our digital recorder that tell during a study we conducted into the the tale. Instead, we try to place of physical activity in the lives of become a ‘listening body’ and older women in Cornwall. Time and have faith that our body will again, the women we interviewed sense, remember or repositioned the meaning and value of understand certain kinds of insights and documenting expressions and physical activity in their lives – reclaiming that words may not capture. Obvious behaviours. More complex examples – it from its currently fashionable examples of this might include noticing which are harder to explain – might include an implicit understanding of something intangible, a personal connection with an aspect of an individual’s history, or a sensitivity towards a feeling of alienation. In recent work with military personnel who have experienced physical and/or psychological trauma, we have explored the value of a residential sport and adventurous training course. During our fieldwork, we both took part in several weeks of courses, engaging as group members in the course activities. Understanding the soldiers’ experiences, we noticed, depended in large part on this shared experience. Co-experienced physical movement – for example during a wheelchair basketball session – seemed to ‘loosen’ otherwise silent stories, allowing personal and sometimes sensitive experiences to be shared (see A sense of historical relational connections is evident in our film Gwithian Sands Carless & Douglas, 2016). Readers might

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 355 arts-based research

also get a sense of this kind of immersive outside academia it is completely music, and diverse imagery – adds not researcher-participant interaction from the inaccessible. If this knowledge is to only to its potential to engage, but also film Across the Tamar: Three Poems. help ordinary people, an intermediary – to what can be expressed about physical perhaps a professional psychologist? – activity and mental illness. is required to interpret and enact its Imagination insights. We envision an alternative: In times when empirical observations of that the valuable insights of psychological Expressing what cannot grounded reality are held as central to research can also be circulated in such otherwise be said research, suggesting that psychological a way that they can be directly accessed Some kinds of psychological knowledge studies can include – even depend upon – by the public. This is a democratic ideal and understanding, it seems to us, can imagination feels risky. To those for research – one that does not depend only be glimpsed tangentially, through psychologists wedded to a natural upon an academic or professional ‘elite’ a kind of physical-emotional sensibility. sciences model, it may be simply to act as mediators or gatekeepers. They may not be amenable to being unacceptable and, perhaps, somewhat We have worked towards this aim labelled, categorised or expressed through frightening. While we too value empirical through some of our research, when we a numeric formula, a theory or logical observation of grounded realities, it is have felt it appropriate to do so. One statement of fact. Deep insights perhaps the inclusion and facilitation of example is our ongoing research into concerning, for example, another person’s imagination during what is traditionally the value of sport and physical activity embodied experience can perhaps only be described as ‘data analysis’ that most for people diagnosed with severe and evoked, implied or rendered aesthetically clearly distinguishes arts-based enduring mental health problems. At – perhaps through a more indirect or approaches. As students, we risked times, we have published traditional oblique use of language (such as playing and imagining when we had been academic analyses of participants’ metaphor and poetic, lyrical or evocative taught to work in more strictly controlled, experiences (e.g. Carless, 2008) that are forms). We have found that artistic forms methodical, structured, planned and theoretically and analytically ‘dense’ – this sometimes allow us to express complex, focused ways. We didn’t know if it would work is targeted at scholars of psychology paradoxical or ambiguous forms of work, but (at times) it felt instinctively and is unlikely to be accessible to the knowledge, understanding or wisdom. right to do so. Over time, others’ layperson. Seeking to offer more Sometimes, we may not have fully responses to the insights we’ve generated accessible, engaging and emotionally grasped these understandings ourselves, through including our imaginations in a stimulating portrayals, we have also yet we want to include these tentative more open and unencumbered way has published accounts of participants’ insights in our research, rather than omit given us confidence to continue, realising experiences in short-story form (e.g. them simply because they resist clear that doing so opens a door to insights and Carless & Douglas, 2010b). More expression. Indeed, a good portion of the understandings that may otherwise recently, we have asked ourselves why potential subject matter of psychology is remain inaccessible. we are limiting ourselves – and our sufficiently complex that it may never be The song and film Blue Funnel Line participants – to academic arenas. The fully grasped. Yet we believe it is recounts the journey of a merchant main reason, we decided, is simply sufficiently important that it should be seaman from Merseyside, through academic convention! We now feel included – even in an ‘un-mastered’ or alcoholism and homelessness, to a comfortable moving beyond academic imperfect form. By doing so, there is the supported housing scheme in Bristol. channels of dissemination to share chance that others may draw meaning Although some lines in the song come research through live performances, CDs and value from insights we are yet to fully directly from the interview transcripts, and films. The Long Run – a film based on appreciate ourselves. other sections stem from David’s aesthetic one participant’s experiences of physical A sense of these processes in imagination as he searched for ways to activity and mental health – is one operation is evident in the song and film musically make sense of and express example. By posting this film on YouTube, These Things, which explores the chaotic experiences and powerful it is freely available to billions of potential experiences of residents and staff living emotions. Although the song traces this international viewers. The form of the and working together in an urban individual’s particular experiences, any film – combining first person narrative, supported housing scheme. The separation between participant and participants in this research faced many researcher is blurred as David reflects significant difficulties in their daily lives and draws upon emotions that arose as which we, during our fieldwork, he became a container for the other’s story. sometimes experienced vicariously. Similar processes operated in writing the Emotions frequently ran high, anger and fictionalised story ‘That Night’ in response frustration sometimes raged. While we to stories of sexual abuse in professional came away from the study with a sense sport (see Douglas & Carless, 2009). that a highly complex social dynamic was at least ‘working’, it seemed fragile, volatile and under threat from economic Accessible and engaging and political changes. Through the song, For many years, we both sometimes we tried to express the melting pot of felt disempowered and excluded by the emotions that we, too, felt so acutely. ways in which psychological research Sections of the song are no more than is typically written and disseminated. a guttural scream that communicates an Understanding much of the research intensity of feeling that we could never shared in journal articles, books and communicate in words alone. Yet without conference papers often necessitates We now feel comfortable moving beyond facing and acknowledging these a PhD-level education. For many people academic channels of dissemination emotions, any understanding of the

356 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 arts-based research

decade as postdoctoral researchers conducting arts- based and performative research in the human sciences, we are aware that some colleagues regard our ways of working as radical, others perhaps even find it preposterous. For these individuals, this simply is not the way human science research is done. Even one of our close collaborators and friends recently described us as ‘mavericks’. But we have no desire to be seen as radicals or mavericks simply to be different – this threatens the acceptance and credibility of our work and, by implication, the interests of participants in our research. We want others to take our work seriously and to be unable to These Things explores the experiences of residents and staff living and working together in an dismiss it as ‘out there’. In this urban supported housing scheme sense, we are happy to be seen as conventional. It even comes as behaviours and needs of residents and to improve their relationships with older something of a relief. staff is impoverished. people within both their family units and We aspire to live and work within their professional practice. For some, this a research community where the six personal change occurred through boundary markers of arts-based research Active audience gaining a different kind of understanding we describe above are accepted, respected Arts-based approaches tend not to than is communicated through traditional and understood as vital components of provide a finalised interpretation or research presentations. A hallmark of this psychological research. We want to walk conclusion, but instead offer the audience understanding was that it derived from into a lecture theatre and be able to an experience from which they may form personal experience and retained perform our songs without fearing a rude their own interpretations and sufficient emotionality and humanity or dismissive response from a student conclusions. The composition, if it is to engender empathy, identification and who has been ‘educated’ to respect only successful, enables the audience to advocacy. scientific presentations of psychological ‘vicariously re-experience the world’ So often, we find, the truest answer ‘fact’. We hope that soon technical (Barone & Eisner, 2012, p.20), thereby to a real-world psychological question is support and professional standards of opening up new ways of seeing ‘It depends.’ Q: Does physical activity help sound and lighting will be routinely psychosocial phenomena. This places mental health? A: It depends. Trying to offer available at academic conferences to an onus on the audience to a universal answer to support live performances of research. be active – to not sit back these kinds of questions We work towards a time when arts-based as passive recipients of “We have no desire to strikes us as misguided. research will be welcomed and dignified knowledge, but to engage be seen as radicals or If, however, the next with informed review by mainstream, with and reflect on the question is ‘What does it high impact psychology journals. We material in the context of mavericks simply to depend on?’ then we’re look forward to the day when arts-based their own lives. In this be different” getting somewhere. This psychological research is rewarded with sense, although we as moment is an opening – it is grants and financial support comparable researchers may resist the the beginning of dialogue and to that received by experimental impulse to generalise in our insight. Critical arts-based research is methodologies. We will embrace the compositions, it is often the case that ideally suited to triggering, generating moment when professional psychologists audience members will engage in some and informing these kinds of moments. begin to routinely draw on the insights of form of generalisation. The result can be Through our critical arts-based research arts-based research to improve their local knowledge that spurs action at we aspire to deepen and expand public practice. We encourage those in positions individual and, potentially, community understanding through dialogues of this of power to find some give in their levels. kind. seemingly unbending faith in statistics, We have documented these processes to open their hearts, minds and wallets in action in the wake of live performances in response to the rigorous, ethical and (based on our research with older women Conventional? Radical? revealing portrayals of human experience in Cornwall) given to occupational When we submitted this article, one that arts-based methodologies can therapy, physiotherapy, and sport and reviewer responded: ‘At the end, the provide. At this point in time, these aims health science students (see Carless & authors actually make a rather and desires still feel to us to be radical… Douglas, 2010a). The songs, stories and conventional point.’ As surprising as it in the extreme. We look forward to the poems that comprise this 30-minute piece may seem, we were both quite pleased time when they are regarded as provoked many students to reflect and act with this response. After more than a conventional.

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 357 neuroscientific experts, questions about that claim’s effects on society call out for an alternative analysis. Social

ARTICLE Making brain psychological theories of knowledge, communication, attitudes, emotion and behaviour are ideally positioned to waves in society conceptualise the socio-cultural ripple- effects generated as a piece of science Cliodhna O’Connor and Helene Joffe on the ‘ripple effects’ generated as a leaves the laboratory and enters wider piece of neuroscience leaves the laboratory society. Likewise, established social scientific methodological tools like surveys, interviews and textual analyses can empirically capture the repercussions he early years of the 21st century governments, employers and insurance that neuroscientific ideas have for the saw the increasing prominence of companies, and brain images were individuals and communities who Tneuroscientific ideas in society. admitted as evidence in courtrooms to encounter them. Popular science texts that drew heavily on argue that accused criminals could not Fortunately, over the last few years, neuroscientific findings became fixtures control their violent impulses. Vials of a growing body of research has been of bestseller lists, while neuroscientific oxytocin were sold as ‘Liquid Trust’ for applying these methodological tools concepts and imagery made regular use in dating and the workplace, while to enlighten the position neuroscience appearances in novels, art galleries and 2010 saw the commercial launch of occupies in contemporary society. In this museums. In the media, neuroscience ‘Neuro Drinks’, a range of ‘drinks with a article, we consider the key themes that became a standard reference point for purpose’ that variously claimed to target characterise popular representations of explaining topical social and political the neurochemical foundations of sleep, neuroscience, and the risks and issues: the global financial crisis, alertness, mood, appetite control, libido, opportunities that lie therein. ascendance of ISIS and massacre on Utøya immunity and fitness. Island were just some of the events Many have celebrated the prospects explained with reference to the relevant the so-called ‘neuro-revolution’ offers for Self-improvement actors’ neural processes. Campaigners advances in medicine, business and In 2012 our research group published an against pornography, video games and politics (Lynch, 2009). However, the analysis of 3000 articles discussing brain social media began to employ cultural enthusiasm for neuroscience also research that had appeared in the British neuroscientific concepts to paint the has its detractors. So far, the most vocal press in the previous decade (O’Connor respective activities as dangerously criticisms focus on the frequently et al., 2012). Our analysis showed that by addictive. Security companies advertised incorrect or exaggerated nature of popular far the greatest preoccupation related to lie-detecting brain scans to lawyers, neuroscience claims. Yet accuracy is not ways individuals could enhance or protect the only – or necessarily the their brain function. Almost half of the most important – standard by articles, flagged by titles like ‘10 which popular neuroscience scientifically proven ways to boost your can be appraised. In his brain’, advised readers about lifestyle or recent book, Jarrett (2015) dietary changes that would allegedly argues that many ‘brain increase their neurocognitive capacity or myths’ are not merely guard against cognitive decline. Similar factually incorrect, but themes are found in other analyses of actively harmful to those media coverage of neuroscience who come into contact internationally (Thornton, 2011). with them; some brain It seems that this media trend has myths, for example, registered with the lay public: a recent perpetuate damaging interview study we conducted, which stereotypes or ideologies. asked members of the public to describe While the factual accuracy their associations with ‘brain research’, Vials of oxytocin were sold as ‘Liquid Trust’ for use in of a given neuroscientific claim found that respondents often mentioned dating and the workplace can be determined by ‘brain-training’ and expressed concern

Ajzen, I., Joyce, N., Sheikh, S. & Cote, N. Bulletin, 137(5), 800–818. Christian, C. & Hodges, S. (2015). science 2014. Retrieved 19 October G. (2011). Knowledge and the Deci, E.L. & Ryan, R.M. (2008). Superfluous neuroscience 2015 from tinyurl.com/jb3uxyl prediction of behavior. Basic and Facilitating optimal motivation and information makes explanations of Jarrett, C. (2015). Great myths of the Applied Social Psychology, 33(2), psychological well-being across life’s psychological phenomena more brain. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

references 101–117. domains. Canadian Psychology, 49(1), appealing. Journal of Cognitive Joffe, H. & Staerklé, C. (2007). The Buchman D.Z., Borgelt E.L., Whiteley L. 14–23. Neuroscience, 27(5), 926–944. centrality of the self-control ethos in & Illes J. (2013). Neurobiological Farah, M.J. & Hook, C.J. (2013). The Haslam, N. & Levy, S.R. (2006). Western aspersions regarding narratives. Sociology of Health & seductive allure of ‘seductive allure’. Essentialist beliefs about outgroups. Culture & Psychology, Illness, 35(1), 66–81. Perspectives on Psychological Science, homosexuality. Personality and Social 13(4), 395–418. Dar-Nimrod, I. & Heine, S.J. (2011). 8(1), 88–90. Psychology Bulletin, 32(4), 471–485. Kahan, D.M., Jenkins-Smith, H. & Genetic essentialism. Psychological Fernandez-Duque, D., Evans, J., Ipsos MORI (2014). Public attitudes to Braman, D. (2011). Cultural cognition

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that they were failing to fully exploit to ‘work on’ one’s brain will their brain’s potential (O’Connor & Joffe, generate endemic guilt and 2015). The interviewees also echoed anxiety about the insufficiency a well-worn media trope in frequently of one’s efforts, and that cases Meet the authors comparing brain enhancement to physical of neuropathology will exercise, implying that ensuring brain ultimately come to be seen as ‘When we began researching this topic in 2011, health requires a continuous programme the individual’s own fault. In neuroscience’s star was very much on the rise in of self-discipline. a society facing increasing rates popular culture. The conversations and column inches What are the potential risks and of dementia and psychiatric that might previously have been devoted to genetics or benefits of this current interest in brain disorder, this will compound biotechnology were increasingly absorbed with the brain. enhancement? So far, there is little the difficulties of these already At the time, this cultural shift was inciting much debate evidence that commonly advised vulnerable populations. among philosophers and sociologists, many of whom techniques, such as playing brain-training Individual responsibility asserted that neuroscience was revolutionising games and eating fish oils, have for neurocognitive productivity commonsense understandings of self, others and substantive or sustained neurocognitive may also place particular society. Tellingly, however, these dramatic claims were effects (e.g. Kirby et al., 2010; Owen et pressures on parents. Research rarely accompanied by reference to empirical research al., 2010). However, some have suggested shows that brain enhancement that tracked the social and psychological impacts that that the experience of deliberately ideas frequently appear in neuroscientific ideas were having. We set out to ‘working on’ one’s brain may nonetheless popular parenting literature investigate the empirical evidence for these assumed have positive psychological consequences. (Thornton, 2011), where effects. Our research confirms that neuroscience Neuro-enhancement practices parents are told they can boost features prominently in the mass media and is intrinsically convey an understanding of their child’s IQ by adopting increasingly drawn upon in commercial, educational and the brain as plastic and malleable to certain nutritional, recreational social policies. However, direct research with members individual will. Rose (2007) and Malabou or socio-emotional practices. of the public suggests that in everyday thought and (2008) suggest that consciousness of the This advice is often socially behaviour a true “neuro society” remains some way off.’ brain’s plasticity may afford a greater loaded: women who work sense of control over one’s life. Extensive outside the home, opt not Cliodhna O’Connor research shows that the experience of self- to breastfeed, or fail to heed is a Lecturer in the Department determination is linked with a range of warnings about ‘neurotoxins’ of Psychology at Maynooth positive psychological, social and material during pregnancy are University outcomes (Deci & Ryan, 2008). frequently condemned as [email protected] However, this valorisation of irresponsible or uncaring individual autonomy also has a darker mothers (O’Connor & Joffe, side. Many social psychologists have 2013). Claims regarding the drawn attention to the role played by lasting neurobiological effects Helene Joffe individualistic values in solidifying of early experiences have been is Professor of Psychology at inequalities and obscuring the influence enthusiastically adopted by University College London of socio-structural factors on individuals’ policy makers (Macvarish et [email protected] life-outcomes (Joffe & Staerklé, 2007; al., 2014). In Britain a 2011 Sampson, 1988). The brain enhancement governmental report Early trend coheres with a cultural context in Intervention: Smart Investment, which individuals are afforded sole Massive Savings (see responsibility for their future health, tinyurl.com/oohbygn), backed wealth and wellbeing. Thornton (2011) by all political parties, drew heavily on also serve political agendas by situating contends that appeals for brain-training neuroscientific evidence to emphasise the the causes of social problems within ultimately function to trap people in moral and economic imperative of early parental failings, rather than structural ‘endless projects of self-optimization in intervention in the children of ‘problem issues of poverty and inequality. Since which individuals are responsible for families’, which would allegedly reduce framing debate in terms of shrunken continuously working on their own teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, crime infant brains affords an emotive urgency brains to produce themselves as better and unemployment. Early intervention and scientific gloss to these policy parents, workers, and citizens’ (p.2). The initiatives can indeed yield many positive agendas, neuroscientific ideas can be used worry is that exposure to constant appeals results for families. However, they can to justify the withdrawal of social support

of scientific consensus. Journal of mainstream school population. New York: Fordham University Press. on the brain. PLoS ONE, 9(10), Risk Research, 14(2), 147–174. Research in Developmental McCabe, D.P. & Castel, A.D. (2008). e110830. Kahn, K.B. & Fingerhut, A.W. (2011). Disabilities, 31(3), 718–730. Seeing is believing: The effect of brain O’Connor, C. & Joffe, H. (2014b). Social Essentialist beliefs and sexual Lynch, Z. (2009). The neuro revolution. images on judgments of scientific representations of brain research: prejudice against gay men. New York: St. Martin’s Press. reasoning. Cognition, 107(1), 343–352. Exploring public (dis)engagement Psychology & Sexuality, 2(2), 137–146. Macvarish, J., Lee E. & Lowe P. (2014). O'Connor, C. & Joffe, H. (2013). Media with contemporary neuroscience. Kirby, A., Woodward, A., Jackson, S. et al. The ‘first three years’ movement and representations of early human Science Communication, 36, 617–645. (2010). A double-blind, placebo- the infant brain: A review of critiques. development: Protecting, feeding and O'Connor, C. & Joffe, H. (2014c). The controlled study investigating the Sociology Compass, 8(6), 792–804. loving the developing brain. Social social aetiology of essentialist effects of omega-3 supplementation Malabou, C. (2008). What should we do Science & Medicine, 97, 297–306. beliefs. Behavioral and Brain in children aged 8–10 years from a with our brain? (R. Sebastian, Trans.). O’Connor, C. & Joffe, H. (2014a). Gender Sciences, 37(5), 498–499.

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systems and the stigmatisation of universally shared by all members of that disadvantaged communities. category. Popular neuroscience can thus It is, however, important not to be purvey essentialist representations of overly deterministic about the potentially social groups as biological ‘kinds’ negative repercussions of the media focus (O’Connor & Joffe, 2014c). on brain enhancement. Recent studies Many welcome the advent of show that while people often raise these neuroscientific explanations of social ideas when conversing about neuroscience, difference, due to their perceived ability relatively few actually engage in brain to ameliorate stigma. For instance, mental enhancement practices (O’Connor & health charities strongly campaign for Joffe, 2015). Despite their strong media greater public awareness of the biological and policy presence, appeals for brain roots of mental illness, because they enhancement are not experienced as assume that this will foster more tolerant For many people, science also invokes sufficiently compelling to have affected attitudes. Research shows that this a sense of fear and intimidation day-to-day behaviour. One exception is expectation is shared by people with in universities, where there is increasing psychiatric diagnoses, for whom concern about student use of artificial neuroscientific explanations can be biologically determined can be used to cognitive enhancers: yet even here, the critically important resources in purvey an image of sexual minorities as proportion of students who use such sustaining positive personal and social intrinsically disordered (Kahn & Fingerhut, measures is under 10 per cent (Singh et identities (Buchman et al., 2013). 2011). Furthermore, in the criminal justice al., 2014). Neuroscientific explanations have also system, neuroscientific explanations are Worries that brain enhancement been recruited to justify arguments for not consistently linked with more discourses are feeding an increasingly less punitive responses to crime and compassionate responses to deviance: in competitive, individualistic society may addiction, and to support the ‘born this some contexts, they can increase rather therefore be somewhat premature. way’ narrative of sexual orientation, than decrease punitive attitudes and Nevertheless, a critical perspective on the which has historically been a key plank sentencing decisions (Saks et al., 2014). ways brain enhancement can be drawn of the gay rights movement. Endorsing Neuroscientific explanations of difference into socio-political agendas remains biological theories of sexuality does may therefore be a double-edged sword necessary. Given the limited evidence of indeed correlate with more positive when it comes to intergroup relations. the effectiveness of brain enhancement attitudes towards sexual minorities The ambiguous effects of exercises, there is also an opportunity cost (Haslam & Levy, 2006). neuroscience on stigma should not come to consider: most people’s leisure hours Anti-stigma campaigners’ hope that as a surprise to anyone familiar with the are limited, and time spent playing brain- neuroscientific advances will prove attitude change literature. Decades of training computer games is time not a panacea for fighting social prejudices, research show that gaining new spent in activities with demonstrable however, may be unrealistic. The knowledge is a poor predictor of attitude benefits for physical and psychological psychological essentialism literature has or behaviour change (Ajzen et al., 2011). health, such as exercising or connecting amassed an impressive body of research Indeed, due to the motivated nature of with loved ones. showing that for many social categories, human reasoning, incoming scientific such as gender, race and obesity, biological information is often reconstructed so explanations consistently promote that it supports, rather than challenges, Underlining group differences stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination existing values and beliefs (Kahan et al., In the media, many of the group divisions (Dar-Nimrod & Heine, 2011). The 2011). This was vividly illustrated by that exist in our society – relating to literature shows more positive effects in a recent project we conducted, which variables such as gender, sexuality, relation to biological theories of mental analysed how representations of a criminality and mental illness – are illness and sexual orientation, yet even particular study of sex differences in brain frequently traced to these groups’ these are not unambiguous. While structure evolved as the neuroscientific possession of distinct neural characteristics biological explanations of mental illness do information moved from the initial (O’Connor et al., 2012). This theme is reduce blame for inappropriate behaviour, journal article, through a university press exemplified in the ubiquitous phrase they also increase fear, perceived release, into the traditional media and ‘the [female/gay/depressed/criminal] dangerousness, harsh treatment and social online commentary (O’Connor & Joffe, brain’, which implies the existence of distance (Read et al., 2006). Similarly, 2014a). Our analysis documented how a homogeneous brain ‘type’ that is representations of homosexuality as aspects of the research that resonated

O’Connor, C. & Joffe, H. (2015). How the the brain: Neuroscience in society. Saks, M.J., Schweitzer, N.J., Aharoni, E. e107529. public engages with brain Current Sociology, 61(3), 322–340. & Kiehl, K.A. (2014). The impact of Singh, I., Bard, I. & Jackson, J. (2014). optimization. Science, Technology & Racine, E., Bar-Ilan, O. & Illes, J. (2005). neuroimages in the sentencing Robust resilience and substantial Human Values, 40(5), 712–743. fMRI in the public eye. Nature phase of capital trials. Journal of interest. PLoS ONE, 9(10), e105969. O'Connor, C., Rees, G. & Joffe, H. (2012). Reviews Neuroscience, 6(2), 159–164. Empirical Legal Studies, 11, 105–131. Thornton, D.J. (2011). Brain culture. New Neuroscience in the public sphere. Read, J., Haslam, N., Sayce, L. & Davies, Sampson, E. (1988). The debate on Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Neuron, 74(2), 220–226. E. (2006). Prejudice and individualism. American Psychologist Press. Owen, A.M., Hampshire, A., Grahn, J.A. schizophrenia. Acta Psychiatrica 43(1), 15–22. Weisberg, D.S., Keil, F.C., Goodstein, J. et et al. (2010). Putting brain training to Scandinavica, 114(5), 303–318. Scurich, N. & Shniderman, A. (2014). The al. (2008). The seductive allure of the test. Nature, 465(7299), 775–778. Rose, N. (2007). The politics of life itself. selective allure of neuroscientific neuroscience explanations. Journal of Pickersgill, M. (2013). The social life of Princeton, NJ: Princeton Uni Press. explanations. PLoS ONE, 9(9), Cognitive Neuroscience, 20, 470–477.

360 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 public understanding of neuroscience with traditional gender stereotypes were people to higher mental planes. cultural role-divisions (O’Connor & Joffe, preferentially emphasised by the press In pointing to neural correlates of 2014a). release, media accounts, and the a phenomenon, writers can portray Finally, it is important to remember researchers themselves in their interviews themselves as dispassionate observers that despite the extensive media coverage, with journalists. Furthermore, elements demonstrating the simple fact of their for many if not most of the lay public, of stereotypes not mentioned in the worldview’s basis in the natural order. neuroscience remains mere background original research report, such as women’s Thus, neuroscience’s ability to noise in everyday life. Many people do not supposedly greater affinity for parenting imbue arguments with objective, scientific notice its prominence in the media, and and ‘multitasking’, were reconstituted in authority makes it an effective vessel for certainly do not actively seek its input in media coverage as the key ‘findings’ of the propagating beliefs, values and ideologies. their day-to-day activity (O’Connor & study. Our results suggested that scientific This is worrying, since those who exploit Joffe, 2014b). Until placed in a position research on sex difference offers an neuroscience’s rhetorical power for where neuroscience suddenly becomes opportunity for society to rehearse and commercial or political gain jeopardise personally relevant (e.g. when one reinforce prevailing gender stereotypes, the public’s relationship with science more develops a brain disorder), neuroscience’s which then benefit from the air of science broadly. Public trust in science currently direct influence on everyday thought and that brain-information bestows. Thus, remains high, despite ongoing high-profile behaviour may be limited. To overestimate due to the human propensity to interpret controversies over issues like MMR the sway neuroscience holds over the lay external information in line with existing vaccination and climate change (Ipsos public would perpetuate the very ‘neuro- socio-emotional commitments, MORI, 2014). However, this trust is hype’ that is under criticism (Pickersgill, neuroscientific explanations of social precarious: for many people, science also 2013). difference may engrain rather than invokes a sense of fear and intimidation. challenge existing group divisions. People without a scientific background tend to be acutely conscious of the Conclusion disparity in knowledge (and hence power) As neuroscience’s position in public A rhetorical tool between themselves and apparent spheres expands, it is important that its A final theme that runs throughout scientific experts (O’Connor & Joffe, wider social and psychological implications popular uptake of brain research relates 2014b). As a consequence of this continue to be scrutinised. Empirical to the use of neuroscience for rhetorical imbalance, they typically defer to research on the topic has highlighted purposes. Early experimental research those who speak about science in an a number of principles that should guide suggested that neuroscientific words and authoritative manner, even when the us. First, neuroscience’s effects on lay imagery have a persuasive effect termed scientific argument is equivocal or populations are not linear or predictable: a ‘seductive allure’: attaching irrelevant under-developed. Rhetorical uses of scientific information is mediated through neuro-stimuli to an article made readers neuroscience could therefore deter people complex social psychological systems that judge that article as more convincing from contributing to public debates or can reject, reconstruct or repurpose it. (McCabe & Castel, 2009; Weisberg et al., manipulate them into supporting agendas Careful research is required to uncover 2009). Neuroscience’s persuasive power that are against their interest. these patterns. Second, discussion of outstrips that of other scientific fields: It is, however, important not neuroscience’s societal effects tends to there is apparently something to overstate the risks inherent in focus on the ways it could transform distinctively compelling about brain- neuroscience’s rhetorical power. The society, yet the ways it can solidify based explanations (Fernandez-Duque et original experimental evidence of existing features of social reality are al., 2015). Our media analyses showed neuroscience’s ‘seductive allure’ has equally deserving of attention. Evidence that this rhetorical advantage is proved challenging to replicate (Farah & collected to date suggests that the most extensively exploited in media dialogue Hook, 2013). Emerging research suggests critical implications of neuroscience may (O’Connor et al., 2012). In our media that the seductive allure may indeed exist, lie in reinforcing, rather than data, the basic content of the brain but in an extremely context-dependent revolutionising, the status quo. Finally, information introduced was often way (Scurich & Shniderman, 2014). there is a clear role for social psychology superficial: it was put to explanatory Specifically, people who already agree in delineating the position neuroscience effect and boasted the ‘feel’ of an with a given proposition show the occupies in contemporary society. Most explanation, but its actual explanatory neuroimage-credibility effect when the existing discussion of the trend comes power was weak. For instance, observing neuroimage supports their own opinion, from neuroscientists themselves, who that children’s neural activity changes but those affiliated with opposing tend to focus on the factual (in)accuracy while playing video games is not positions do not. Thus, it should not be of popular neuroscience claims. Yet surprising, since any activity necessarily assumed that laypeople will automatically establishing truth/falsehood contributes has unique neurochemical correlates. Yet capitulate to arguments that appeal to little to uncovering the substantive effects this finding (and the fMRI images that ‘neurorealism’. When the argument is one that a piece of knowledge has as it moves illustrate it) can be effectively deployed to with which they are motivated to disagree, through society, since a scientifically argue that modern technology is defiling laypeople are capable of marshalling sound idea can easily be used in socially the minds of today’s youth. The term resistance and counterarguments, or destructive ways. To fully understand the ‘neurorealism’ has been coined to describe indeed re-appropriating the same promises and perils inherent in popular the process by which neuroscience scientific principle to suit their own reconstructions of neuroscience, the research is used to validate a certain view purposes. For instance, findings of sex theories and techniques of social of the world (Racine et al., 2005). For differences in brain structure can be psychology must be applied to unpick instance, neuroscientific evidence might recruited to support both religious and how the widespread circulation of be recruited to prove that prisoners feminist conceptions of gender, by neuroscientific concepts affects how we ‘really are’ intrinsically depraved, or construing the brain differences as ‘proof’ see ourselves, other people and the world that religious experiences ‘really do’ lead of the power of either divine design or around us.

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 361 counterfactual findings (many of which prove unreliable) on one hand, and wag a moralising finger over issues ranging

OPINION Our struggle between from parenting practices to media consumption with the other. Thus, at the moment, academic science and pseudoscience psychology appears to me to be poised somewhere at a crossroads between an Chris Ferguson takes a dim view of the state of academic psychology, but trusts actual science, and something closer to that the light shining on our discipline will show us the way pseudoscience. The online Merriam- Webster dictionary defines pseudoscience as ‘a system of theories, assumptions, and methods erroneously regarded as scientific’. Do psychology’s scandals of ast year was, in many respects, fatigue treatment to release data revealed 2015 suggest this is the path we are a bad year for academic psychology. continued problems with transparency in heading for? And, if so, what can we do LA replication effort of 100 published published science (see Coyne, 2015b). to change course? studies in psychology found that the These are, in fact, only some of the majority of such ‘classic’ most dramatic studies are hard to replicate pieces of ‘bad news’ Science as a flawed endeavour (Open Science for academic Perhaps the best defence we can raise for Collaboration, 2015). The psychology during academic psychology is that the problems American Psychological 2015. It is worth we’re seeing for psychological science are Association (APA) became taking a step back, not unique. Medical science, for example, embroiled in scandal, with all of us, and is known for its problems with a report they asking what has publication bias, conflict-of-interest commissioned concluding gotten our field funding, and poor replicability. Some that APA staffers and some into the credibility reproducibility efforts have suggested, for eminent psychologists had hole it currently instance, that a majority of pre-clinical colluded with the US finds itself. cancer research is difficult to replicate government to change the Last year, (Begley & Ellis, 2012). But pointing to APA ethics code to allow I wrote an essay problems with other fields hardly absolves psychologists’ participation for American our own. We need to look at our own in the torture of detainees Psychologist science and investigate how we can (see Grohol, 2015). The (Ferguson, 2015) improve what we are doing. APA further tarnished their detailing several In part, our problems may stem from image as a scientific areas of the folk tale we often tell ourselves that organisation by releasing The problem is that studies on dysfunction academic psychology is a ‘real science’, a policy statement on video catharsis typically randomise within academic and the ‘facts’ handed down through games that was soon people to specific tasks, like psychology that published studies into textbooks are criticised for stacking the punching a bag, they would likely are harming our ‘objective’. We think of ourselves as task force with conflict-of- never do in real life when angry reputation among disinterested, our findings immutable interest members, lack of the general public, because they’ve gone through peer-review, transparency, and excluding inconvenient policy makers and scholars in other fields. and consider our fields of research open data from its review (see Wofford, 2015). These included the replication crisis, as to correction, even as we personally resist The British Psychological Society (BPS) well as both the questionable researcher any correction to our own published was not immune from controversy, with practices that contribute to this research. I don’t mean to suggest a post- the election of Peter Kinderman as unreliability and the hostile response by modern alternative in which all knowing President eliciting some critique regarding some scholars toward efforts to shore up is equal, and a world devoid of facts. But his public comments on mental illness methods and improve transparency. I also I do suggest that, too often, academic (see Coyne, 2015a). And the refusal by identified psychology’s tendency to grab psychology has created a veneer rather scholars in the PACE trial of chronic for newspaper headlines with catchy than reality of science. Sometimes this is

Afifi, T.O., Mota, N., MacMillan, H.L. & preclinical cancer research. Nature, open statement to the APA Task Force Ferguson, C.J. (2009). Is psychological Sareen, J. (2013). Harsh physical 483, 531–533. on Violent Media. Retrieved from research really as good as medical punishment in childhood and adult Bresin, K. & Gordon, K.H. (2013). tinyurl.com/pqbb32r research? Effect size comparisons physical health. Pediatrics, 132(2), Aggression as affect regulation. Coyne, J. (2015a). The Holocaust intrudes between psychology and medicine.

references e333–e340. Journal of Social and Clinical into conversations about psychiatric Review of General Psychology, 13(2), American Psychological Association Psychology, 32(4), 400–423. diagnosis: Godwin’s rule confirmed. 130–136. (2015). APA review confirms link Bushman, B.J. (2002). Does venting PLoS Blogs. tinyurl.com/hnse3ae Ferguson, C.J. (2015). ‘Everybody knows between playing violent video games anger feed or extinguish the flame? Coyne, J. (2015b). Why the scientific psychology is not a real science’: and aggression. tinyurl.com/puvjw2u Personality and Social Psychology community needs the PACE trial data Public perceptions of psychology and Begley, C. & Ellis, L. (2012). Drug Bulletin, 28(6), 724–731. to be released. PLoS Blogs. how we can improve our relationship development: Raise standards for Consortium of Scholars (2013). Scholars’ Retrieved from tinyurl.com/htczqhm with policymakers, the scientific

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due to defensiveness, egos, politics or outright fraud. But I maintain that the majority of issues stem from good faith efforts: individuals who value science but Meet the author are all too human, and apply scientific values unreliably. I think this is a fault ‘Even as a graduate student I realised there were all scientists have, and I do not exclude often extreme gulfs between the public statements of myself. But, by failing to acknowledge the psychologists and the data available to support them. human limitations of science, we fail to I have become increasingly curious about academic consider the human limitations of our culture itself, how the field of academic psychology, endeavours and remain appropriately often acting in good faith, promotes certain myths and humble. misbeliefs about human behavior. Although these issues relate to statistical problems, the weaknesses of null- hypothesis testing and our aversion to replication, at Psychology’s mythmaking root, cultural issues within the field appear be critical Due to psychology’s problem with to understand if our field is to move forward. Too often replication, and its sometimes stubborn psychologists think what they’re doing is an objective resistance to correction, it has become science, but instead, it may be important to increasingly apparent we are increasingly as open up psychological science to its own sociological responsible for creating myths about the analyses to understand how knowledge is constructed, way humans work as we are for communicated and sometimes mis-communicated.’ correcting myths. At times it seems academic psychology is so fascinated with Chris Ferguson ‘myth-busting’ that it creates statements of is Professor of Psychology at Stetson absolute certitude based on flawed or University, Florida limited science, simply for the satisfaction [email protected] of being able to say to the public, ‘Hah, you thought people worked this way, but see… they don’t. We know better!’ a ‘myth’ (see Grant, 2015). When one to reduce anger is very much an I understand how this must be satisfying publically states the phenomenology individual choice between numerous to academics who have invested their experienced by so much of the general behavioural options (whether it works lives studying human behaviour. And of public to be a ‘myth’, the data better be or not). Few punch a bag or pillow. By course it can get newspaper headlines, if solid. Unfortunately, that’s where focusing on this, psychologists are not the potential for future grant funding. academic psychology often has the studying a cliché, not real life. But it’s an inherently dangerous strategy greatest problem. The myth/countermyth With a little thought, the flaws to for a field, which will of catharsis is illustrative. taking such a simplistic, extreme view look twice as bad for Rather than counter a are obvious. It should be no surprise that having stuck its neck simplistic popular view giving people a specific task to do under so far out, should those “we are increasingly with an informed and contrived circumstances that they may counterfactual findings responsible for creating nuanced discussion, feel is ridiculous, might increase rather prove to be erroneous. myths about the ways academic psychology than decrease frustration (and this ignores Consider the humans work” has countered with an the potential for demand characteristics). common belief that opposing extreme, We also forget, other studies suggest that venting anger is simplistic and ideologically catharsis may work under varying ‘cathartic’. Granted, the rigid view that it always has an circumstances for different individuals, relationship between anger and catharsis inverse effect, which ignores evidence having both benefits and pitfalls (Bresin is likely a complex one as is most human against this position and relies on weak & Gordon, 2013). We forget too, that behaviour. The ‘folk wisdom’ that data. The problem is that studies on psychological findings very often report punching a pillow is good for you is catharsis (e.g. Bushman, 2002) typically what the scientists wants to see, and most undoubtedly too simplistic. But so, randomise people to specific tasks, like recent studies of catharsis have been by too, has been the response of academic punching a bag, they would likely never scholars advancing social cognitive psychology which presents the idea as do in real life when angry. Using catharsis theory, in many ways catharsis theory’s

community, and the general public. published. BPS Research Digest. Redding, R. (2001). Sociopolitical diversity American Psychologist, 70, 527–542. Retrieved from tinyurl.com/ofrc3en in psychology: The case for pluralism. Grant, A. (2015). Why behavioral Larzelere, R.E. & Cox, R.J. (2013). Making American Psychologist, 56, 205–215. economics is cool, and I’m not. valid causal inferences about Task Force on Physical Punishment of Retrieved from tinyurl.com/jaxyr7d corrective actions by parents from Children (2015). Statement regarding Grohol, J. (2015). The Hoffman report: longitudinal data. Journal of Family hitting children. Retrieved from After years of lies, who holds the APA Theory & Review, 5(4), 282–299. tinyurl.com/gvssfl2 accountable? PsycCentral. Retrieved Open Science Collaboration (2015). Wofford, T. (2015, August). APA says video from tinyurl.com/qak98tr Estimating the reproducibility of games make you violent, but critics Jarrett, C. (2015). 10 of the most counter- psychological science. Science, cry bias. tinyurl.com/nfjcc2m intuitive psychology findings ever 349(6251), aac4716.

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competitor. Just because Ford says Ford remarkable replication failure rate for Another illustration of academic cars work better than Peugeot doesn’t psychological studies, and the potential psychology’s tendency to finger-wag, mean we should stop thinking critically particular susceptibility of ‘counter often based on biased and limited data, about the issue and challenging intuitive’ findings to exaggeration, the is the debate on spanking. Spanking assumptions. But this is exactly what risk of highlighting these in ways that (open handed, non-injurious swats to academic psychology has done on the may result in changes in behaviour or the behind as punishment) is largely catharsis myth/countermyth and so many policy are not trivial. unpopular with liberally minded other issues. psychologists (myself included). But My point is not that catharsis works public moral pronouncements with a or does not work. I merely highlight an Society’s nervous nanny? veneer of ‘science’ need to be careful. example of where academic psychology Most of us can remember people in However, in typical form, task forces on has labelled a popular perception a ‘myth’ our lives, perhaps our childhoods, who the issue (such as the recent interdivision, but has done so using shaky studies, mainly seemed to function to tell us APA Division 7 and 37 task force: Task ignoring the slanted ideologies of the field everything we were doing was wrong. Force on Physical Punishment of itself and data that might suggest the Keep scrunching up your face like that, Children, 2015) often include only ‘truth’ is nuanced. If academic psychology it’ll freeze that way. Crack your knuckles, scholars on one side of the debate, had its act together in terms of reliability, you’ll get arthritis. Stop touching that excluding sceptics (e.g. Larzelere & Cox, transparency, ideological and moral thing, it will fall off. My observation is 2013). neutrality, absence of politics, that psychological science spends too Spanking research is also a good methodological rigour, much time being this example of what I sometimes refer to absence of publication bias, nervous nanny for society, as ‘the scientific pile-on effect’. Once etc., such behaviour may dispensing moralising yet something is identified as ‘naughty’ be defensible. But, in light “we need to look for dubious bits of folk (video games, spanking, soda, etc.), it’s of only increasing problems ways to change our wisdom about why predictable to see an ever-increasing facing academic academic culture” whatever the public crescendo of studies linking the naughty psychology, I argue that is doing is wrong. thing to everything bad imaginable… bad humility, nuance, Eventually, most of us learned behaviours, low intelligence, adult health qualifications and asterisks to tune out these people in our problems, cancer, global warming… This are our safer path. lives. Psychological science risks the is really the inverse of snake oil To me, it seems too often that same. salesmanship. Just as hucksters sold junk psychological science is eager to rub in ‘Stop what you’ve been doing medicines with cure-all promises, the faces of the general public that their for years!’ statements from academic academic psychology spends too much thoughts about how humans work are psychology are typically phrased as time selling moral agendas with claims wrong and psychologists know better. absolutes with clear moral consequences. that the naughty thing, whatever it is, Whether from the perception of free will You are bad people if you do not follow causes all problems, just as snake oils to the phenomenology of the g-spot, our advice. The APA’s flawed 2015 cure all ills. This scientific pile-on effect psychologists tread a loose board when statement on video games and aggression should be a warning that something has telling people their personal experiences provides a template for how this happens. gone amiss in the scientific process. aren’t real. Again, if the science is solid, First, it must be observed that With spanking, my observation, this may be worth doing. I am not psychologists, as a group, are a self- once again, is a kind of dishonesty in advocating to allow people their myths. selecting sample, typically liberally biased representing weak and inconsistent But we do need to be careful not to create (Redding, 2001). But when constructing results as more conclusive than they our own myths in our zeal to show the policy statements, academic guilds like actually are. One example is from a study public how smart we are. This issue is the APA routinely construct task forces that received wide press attention fundamentally a cultural one. That is to from among scholars with clear a priori claiming to link spanking to adult health say, we need to look for ways to change hardline positions on an issue who can be problems (Afifi et al., 2013; I note in our academic culture, to focus it on the counted on to render a set conclusion. defence of the authors, they can’t control long slog of objective fact, rather than This was the problem with the video press coverage). The study, in fact, did the short fix of newspaper headlines, game statement. When the task force was not isolate spanking from potentially politically right thinking, moral announced it worried enough scholars abusive forms of physical punishment. superiority, and grant grabbing. that 238 of them wrote to the APA asking Moreover, an examination of their results A recent entry on the British them to simply retire all their policy reveals that of seven health outcomes Psychological Society’s own Research statements on video games (Consortium considered, results in models controlling Digest blog highlights this issue, with of Scholars, 2013). Nonetheless, the APA for other influences were significant for a list of the supposedly most counter- allowed the task force to continue to its only two, arthritis and obesity, and these intuitive psychology findings ever strange conclusion: a meta-analysis that at the fragile level of significance near p = published (Jarrett, 2015). This post included only 18 studies (including at .05. Public discussions of this study repeats the controversial venting anger least one with no relevant contrast) out ignored the mishmash of significant to issue, and also makes some conclusions of a field of over 100, with the task force non-significant results, the high potential that could clearly lead to problems should particularly neglecting available null for type I error in marginal findings, and they prove wrong, such as that teaching studies (in their report, the task force at overall weak effect sizes. It is the failure to learning styles may be without value, one point acknowledges voting on what of psychological science to put results that depression in pregnant mothers can studies to include or exclude). None of into proper context that so often causes be good for their infants, or that the task force’s data or notes on study us harm. including narcissists in teams can be good inclusion/exclusion have been released Instead, when presented with for their creative productivity. Given the publically. scepticism or doubt, we often see

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issues. This is why I state that empathic, more addicted to video games, academic psychology is at a less interested in homework. Most of this crossroads between science and is rubbish and makes us look bad. For pseudoscience. some reason, youth appear to be the last Many of the suggestions for how demographic that psychological science to improve matters have been stated feels free to disparage with complete publically so often, they need only disregard. Unfortunately, those youth a brief repetition here. We need to eventually grow up and remember… focus on replication rather than novel findings. We need more transparency, We need better leadership from our and pre-registration of research guilds. First, we need to remember that Once something is identified as ‘naughty’ protocols. We need to become less rigidly our professional organisations are not (video games, spanking, soda, etc.), it’s ideological about theory. We need to be neutral arbiters of facts, but professional predictable to see an ever-increasing careful about letting good-faith advocacy guilds driven to promote our professions crescendo of studies linking the naughty beliefs corrupt scientific integrity. Here, (often come what may). Our guilds have thing to everything bad imaginable… though, are a few thoughts on issues often been the shaft of the spear, pushing I feel are important, but often missing researchers to make bolder and more psychological science react defensively from these discussions. irresponsible statements. New myths with ludicrous claims. Far too often I see are created that appeared to benefit the psychological scientists defend their work We need to be more realistic about profession. What better than a set of by comparing it to climate science, effect size. Much of the discussion of counterintuitive findings that upend how medical effects or evolution. Or scholars replication has focused on whether results most people view the world? sometimes conflate within-individual do or do not exist across replication I believe our guilds hold a primary effect sizes to population-level impact. efforts. There’s been less discussion about responsibility for the damage done to the The logic goes something like, ‘Well, if results that may replicate but are so reputation of our fields. But they can be the correlation between eating blueberries small as to be trivial. Unfortunately, a source of guidance for responsible and suicide is r = .01, that means that one psychology has no real conception of conduct too. Most ‘policy statements’, out of ten thousand people could be the trivial, and that has invited all manner at least those that appear to speak to saved from suicide if we convince of pseudoscientific efforts to extend scientific ‘fact’ or make declarations on everyone to stop eating blueberries.’ Or tiny effects into important findings. moral issues, should be eliminated or defenders might cite the importance of Psychology needs to develop a healthy retired immediately. Our guilds need to blueberries/suicide by saying the effect sense of the trivial, which, frankly, become more proactive in encouraging size is similar to that of the Salk Vaccine probably encompasses a majority of careful, cautious, balanced Trial, with its infamously miscalculated findings, and stop highlighting these communication of research findings. effect size of r = .011 (the actual effect as crucial for people to know about. This would take a considerable change size of the Salk Vaccine Trial is closer to of culture within these organisations and r = .74. The Physicians’ Aspirin/Heart Death by press release. The urge to see among the staffers that run them, but it’s Attack Trial is another infamously one’s research get recognition from the a change members should insist upon. miscalculated and misused effect size, masses in print is entirely human and with reports often suggesting it is near understandable. But a certain recklessness My impression is that academic to r = .03. The actual effect size is closer often creeps into press releases, which are psychology has been here before. None of to r = .52; see Ferguson, 2009). These not bound by the peer-review of the the issues being raised under the umbrella spurious comparisons between original article. It’s curious that a science of ‘replication crisis’ are inherently new. psychological science and other, well- that seems so concerned about myths And, arguably, the history of how established fields (despite the statistics would be willing to blithely misinform psychology has responded to these behind them having been debunked) are the public based on novel findings, the crossroads is not encouraging. In the part of the evidence establishing so much replicability of which may be unknown. past, academic psychology seems to of academic psychology as pseudo- I am not suggesting the end of press have settled on pseudoscience more often scientific in its enterprise. releases. But given their lack of peer- than it has pushed itself to be better. But review oversight, I am suggesting that perhaps this time will be different. Our press releases are ultimately the problems are attracting considerable Where do we go from here? responsibility of the study authors. attention and, as the saying goes, there’s The good news for academic psychology Acknowledge tiny effect sizes, no better disinfectant than sunlight. And is that many scholars really are invested inconsistent findings from other studies, there seems to be real momentum behind in objective science. Unlike, say Flat methodological weaknesses. Adopt a change among many scholars. Earth beliefs, astrology, or phrenology, cautious, qualifying tone. I get it that this I do think things will improve. But many adherents to academic psychology is the sort of thing that results in less it will, fundamentally, take a change in understand there are problems and are news coverage. But as things currently culture. This will mean a difference in dedicated to fixing them. At the same stand, press releases from psychological the way we train students, the way we time, there is also certainly resistance to studies are probably creating more myths publish, the importance put on grants, change, transparency, improved rigour than they are challenging. and the centrality of professional guilds and conservatism in public to our profession. An effort to make pronouncements. Much of this resistance, Stop picking on the kids. Nothing seems psychology a true science will be long, unfortunately, appears to have originated to get attention more than the latest study painful and require determination. But, within professional guilds, with their suggesting how youth today are worse I believe, it is a goal worth striving for, unhelpful policy statements on multiple than ever before. More narcissistic, less and one we can achieve.

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I created this poem in response to a problem I faced whilst designing materials for Mental Health Awareness Week at Sunderland College: how can I describe ‘worry time’ to students in Poetry as a mental a way which is simple, memorable and fun? I placed copies of the poem in health resource small gift boxes, which the students could personalise and take away. The idea proved to be popular and was Words and poem by Helena Dunthorne easily understood. Whilst the poem was designed to facilitate promotional work, I believe that it may also have a place within reading and discussing poetry may promote therapy. greater learning than passive listening (Foster & Graves (1922) argued that ‘a well-chosen Freeman, 2008). anthology is a complete dispensary for the more common mental disorders and may be used as References much for prevention as for cure’ (p.85). Indeed, Foster, W. & Freeman, E. (2008). Poetry in general practice before therapists, poetry helped individuals cope education: Perceptions of learners. Family Practice, 25, with their difficulties by validating their problems, 294–303. thus reducing the sense of isolation experienced Graves, R. (1922). On English poetry. London: Heinemann. (Harrower, 1972). Whilst I am not suggesting that Harrower, M. (1972). The therapy of poetry. Springfield, IL: C.C. Thomas. my poem provides the solution to excessive Ley, P. (1989). Improving patients' understanding, recall, worry, evidence supports the utility of poetry in satisfaction and compliance. In A.K. Broome (Ed.) Health therapeutic work. Reading poetry helps patients psychology: Processes and applications (pp.74–102). express their feelings (Mazza & Prescott, 1981) London: Chapman & Hall. and promotes self-discovery (Mazza, 1981). This Mazza, N. (1981). The use of poetry in treating the troubled is supported by neuroscientific research: reading adolescent. Adolescence, 16, 403–408. experimenter-selected poetry activated the Mazza, N. & Prescott, B.U. (1981). Poetry: An ancillary technique in couples group therapy. American Journal of posterior cingulate cortex and the medial Family Therapy, 9, 53–57. temporal lobes, areas linked to introspection Walton, K. (2011). Thoughtwriting – in poetry and music. New (Zeman et al., 2013). Patients often struggle to Literary History, 42(3), 455–476. remember health-related information (Ley, 1989), Zeman, A., Milton, F., Smith, A. & Rylance, R. (2013). By heart: but rhyming verse is easier to recall than An fMRI study of brain activation by poetry and prose. standard text (Walton, 2011). Furthermore, Journal of Consciousness Studies, 20, 132–158. The ‘What If?’ Worry

I am a ‘what if?’ worry I lurk inside your head I go round and round in circles And fill you with pure dread.

Though I am very clever the truth I cannot see The future is unwritten And what will be will be.

So when I become active Reduce my tightening bind Write me on a piece of paper Poetry competition 2016 Release me from your mind.

For details of our second Store me in this worry safe annual poetry Come evening set me free competition, see I may not be as scary tinyurl.com/psychpoet As I once appeared to be.

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read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 367 (Ioannidis, 2005)? We now turn to several pieces of evidence to demonstrate compellingly that contemporary

OPINION psychology is liberally sprayed with bullshit (along with some suggestions of Buried in bullshit a clean-up). Lies, damned lies and statistics Tom Farsides and Paul Sparks smell trouble Almost all published studies report statistically significant effects even though very many of them have sample sizes that are too small to reliably detect the effects they report (Bakker et al., 2012; Cohen, The amount of energy needed to recent years had high-status peer-reviewed 1962). Similarly, multi-study papers often refute bullshit is an order of papers retracted because of confirmed or report literally unfeasible frequencies of magnitude bigger than to produce it. suspected fraud: Marc Hauser, Jens statistically significant effects (Alberto Brandolini) Förster, Dirk Smeesters, Karen Ruggiero, (Schimmack, 2012). Lawrence Sanna, Michael LaCour and, In addition, many of the analyses and ccording to Frankfurt (2005), a long way in front with 58 retractions, procedures psychologists use do not ‘liars’ and ‘bullshitters’ both falsely Diederik Stapel. It seems reasonable to justify the conclusions drawn from them. Arepresent themselves as prioritising expect that there will be further A striking and common example is failing truth. They differ because liars actively try revelations and retractions. to correct for multiple tests. If there is a to hide the truth whilst bullshitters care That’s a depressing list, but out-and- fixed chance of obtaining a statistically less about the truth than they do about out lies in psychology may be the least of significant result (e.g. p ≤ .05) when there other things that are potentially in conflict our worries. Could most of what we hold is no genuine phenomenon, the chance of with it. to be true in psychology be wrong obtaining misleading statistical Let’s use the term ‘scholars’ significance increases with the for people who sincerely number of tests performed. prioritise truth. Psychologists routinely fail to Note that this cast list is correct for multiple compiled by intentions and comparisons (see Cramer et endeavours, not by outcomes. al., 2014). Apparent results, All three characters may such as associations between communicate truth or astrological star signs and falsehood irrespective of particular medical conditions, whether they do so often disappear once unintentionally, incidentally appropriate corrections are or purposefully. Note also made (Austin et al., 2006). that there may not be strong relationships between character and competence. Dodgy dealings People can fall anywhere So-called ‘p hacking’ also between ineptitude and finesse remains rife in psychology. at lying, bullshitting and Researchers make numerous scholarship. decisions about methods and There is a worrying analysis, each of which may amount of outright fraud in affect the statistical significance psychology, even if it may be of the results they find (e.g., no more common than in concerning sample size, sample other disciplines. Consider the composition, studies included roll call of those who have in or omitted from programmes of

Austin, P.C., Mamdani, M.M., Juurlink, called ‘outcome switching’. Vox. tinyurl.com/zf8384l the false discovery rate and the D.N. & Hux, J.E. (2006). Testing multiple http://tinyurl.com/zpphyjs Bloom, P. (2015). Scientific faith is misinterpretation of p-values. Royal statistical hypotheses resulted in Bevan, W. (1991). Contemporary different from religious faith. The Society Open Science, 1(3), 140216. spurious associations. Journal of psychology: A tour inside the onion. Atlantic. tinyurl.com/j3qsmay Chambers, C.D., Feredoes, E.,

references Clinical Epidemiology, 59(9), 964–969. American Psychologist, 46(5), 475. Carter, G. (2015). Goals of science vs goals Muthukumaraswamy, S.D. & Etchells, Bakker, M., van Dijk, A. & Wicherts, J.M. Billig, M. (2013). Learn to write badly. of scientists. http://tinyurl.com/gv9orld P. (2014). Instead of ‘playing the (2012). The rules of the game called Cambridge: Cambridge University Cohen, J. (1962). The statistical power of game’ it is time to change the rules. psychological science. Perspectives on Press. abnormal-social psychological AIMS Neuroscience, 1(1), 4–17. Psychological Science, 7(6), 543–554. Blattman, C. (2015). Why I worry research. Journal of Abnormal and Cramer, A.O., van Ravenzwaaij, D., Belluz, J. (2015). How researchers dupe experimental social science is headed Social Psychology, 65(3), 145–153. Matzke, D. et al. (2014). Hidden the public with a sneaky practice in the wrong direction. Colquhoun, D. (2014). An investigation of multiplicity in multiway ANOVA. arXiv

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research, variables, potential outliers, statistical techniques). Simmons et al. (2011) vividly illustrate this by reporting a study that ‘revealed the Meet the authors predicted effect [that] people were nearly a year-and-a-half younger after ‘A few years back, we became increasingly uncomfortable claiming expertise in our respective listening to When I’m 64 than they research areas. Increasing numbers of papers were being published, each with a growing were after listening to ‘a control group number of studies and significant effects, and yet it was getting harder to identify precisely what tune that did not mention age’ was done and found in each. How could we be confident about which phenomena were (and (p.1360). were not) real if we couldn’t keep up with or even comprehend much of the literature we were For example, evidence is supposed to be expert in? increasingly revealing that alarming Although we occasionally stumbled across papers expressing dissatisfaction with this or numbers of psychologists are willing to that aspect of empirical practice (power, sample size, null hypothesis statistical testing, etc.), admit having engaged in questionable such matters seemed discussed only on the fringes of our discipline by methodologists and research practices (Fiedler & Schwarz, statisticians with interests other than understanding psychological processes, per se. Meanwhile, 2015; John et al., 2012). Many most people seemed to be getting on with business as usual. We did not realise how much our published studies have selectively private grumblings were increasingly chiming with a growing zeitgeist. included or omitted evidence to And then one of us joined Twitter and it became immediately apparent that we were not the support claims that authors must only ones struggling. Large parts of our discipline (among others) seem to be in a parlous state. know are far from accurately Here, we summarise the problems, as well as various proposed solutions. We hope it will be representing the truth, the whole truth useful to those who have still not quite grasped the severity of the situation we seem to be in. and nothing but the truth (Belluz, Our most fervent hope, though, is that our colleagues can help us. Even if things improve 2015; Franco et al., 2016; in the future, we want to know what knowledge can we justifiably claim now, e.g. when teaching, Neuroskeptic, tinyurl.com/j2patqu). making policy recommendations, or seeking grants? One prominent neuroscientist recently Unconvinced readers can discover suggested that all findings in his field from before 2011 should be more or less dismissed. for themselves how easy it is to ‘Hack Should we do similar with swathes of psychological research? Can we continue to make claims your way to scientific glory’ by visiting based on existing findings from “the science of psychology”? Or will we be rightly called out for an online tool (tinyurl.com/pjhh5m8) bullshit?’ and selecting different sets of variables Tom Farsides from a genuine database to find (or is a Lecturer in Social Psychology ‘fail’ to find) a significant relationship at the University of Sussex between the US economy and a [email protected] particular party being in office. Some are fighting back against these practices. Inzlicht (2015) blogged about a paper he acted as an Paul Sparks editor for: ‘emblematic of the old way is a Senior Lecturer in Social Psychology of doing business, with 7 studies that and Health at the University of Sussex were scrubbed clean to be near- [email protected] perfect’. The revision disclosed an additional 11 existing studies, included more appropriate analyses and reported Inzlicht’s lead? Many researchers and expertise (Siebert et al., 2015). only two significant effects. ‘I am a huge reviewers simply do not have the This has long been a problem: Peters fan of this second paper,’ Inzlicht wrote. methodological or statistical expertise and Ceci (1982) changed author names ‘I love all my children, but I would be necessary to effectively engage in science and affiliations and resubmitted 12 lying if I said that this wasn’t my favorite the way it is currently practised in manuscripts to 12 high-quality as editor. I love it because it is mainstream psychology (Colquhoun, psychology journals which had published transparent; and because it is transparent, 2014; Lindsay, 2015). Scientists and the original manuscripts 18 to 32 months it allows for a robust science. This push reviewers also increasingly admit that previously. The deceit was spotted in for transparency, of revealing our warts, they simply cannot keep up with the three cases. Eight of the remaining nine is exactly what the field needs.’ sheer volume and complexity of things in were rejected, in many cases because of Why are more editors not following which they are allegedly supposed to have what were identified as ‘serious

preprint, arXiv:1412.3416. public bad. Perspectives on tinyurl.com/jzj5gck Giner-Sorolla, R. (2012). Science or art? Cumming, G. (2014). The new statistics. Psychological Science, 10(3), 361–379. Frankfurt, H.G. (2005). On bullshit. Perspectives on Psychological Science, Psychological Science, 25(1), 7–29. Fiedler, K. & Schwarz, N. (2015). tinyurl.com/6plgw9k 7(6), 562–571. Dienes, Z. (in press). How Bayes factors Questionable research practices Funder, D.C., Levine, J.M., Mackie, D.M. et Ioannidis, J.P. (2005). Why most published change scientific practice. Journal of revisited. Social Psychological and al. (2014). Improving the dependability research findings are false. PLoS Mathematical Psychology. Personality Science. of research in personality and social Medicine, 2(8), e124. Earp, B.D. & Trafimow, D. (2015). Franco, A., Malhotra, N. & Simonovits, G. psychology. Personality and Social Inzlicht, M. (2015). A tale of two papers. Replication, falsification, and the crisis (2016). Underreporting in psychology Psychology Review, 18(1), 3–12. tinyurl.com/hcym3ew of confidence in social psychology. experiments. Social Psychological and Garfield, E. (1986). Refereeing and peer Jarrett, C. (2008). Foundations of sand? Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 621. Personality Science, 7(1), 8–12. review, Part 2. Current Contents, 32, The Psychologist, 21, 756–759. Engel, C. (2015). Scientific disintegrity as a Frank, M. (2015). The ManyBabies Project. 3–12. John, L.K., Loewenstein, G. & Prelec, D.

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 369 opinion

methodological flaws’. But as journals proliferate and incentives to publish increase, academic bloggers like Kevin Mitchell have noted that it becomes even more likely that quantity overwhelms quality (tinyurl.com/zg8sg3k).

Replication and revisionism Few successful attempts have been made to rigorously replicate findings in psychology. Recent attempts to do so have suggested that even studies almost identical to original ones rarely produce reassuring confirmation of their reported results (e.g. Open Science Collaboration: see www.https://osf.io/vmrgu). The task of replication is made Panning for gold? Most prestigious journals also have a strong preference for novel and tougher because researchers control dramatic findings over the replications and incremental discoveries that are typical in an what information reviewers get exposed established science. to, and journal editors then shape what information readers have access to. If to report as truths phenomena and grants, promotion, media exposure, readers want further information, they theories that they would almost certainly indicators of impact, and all the other usually have to request it from the not believe if they critiqued them more glittering prizes valued in contemporary researchers and they, their institution or thoroughly. scientific and academic communities the publishing journal may place limits (Engel, 2015). This is especially the case on what is shared. One consequence of when organisations and processes that this is that other researchers are The system is screwed might otherwise ameliorate such considerably hampered in their ability Traditionally, researchers are much less pressures instead exacerbate them to attempt replication or extension of the likely to submit manuscripts reporting because they too allow concerns for truth original findings. James Coyne blogged experiments that did not find an effect, to be downgraded or swamped by other last year (http://tinyurl.com/hjohyp6) and journals are far less likely to accept ambitions (e.g. journal sales, student about unsuccessful freedom of them if they do (Cohen, 1962; Peplow, recruitment, political influence, etc.) information requests to prompt the 2014). Most prestigious journals also (Garfield, 1986). release of data to allow independent have a strong preference for novel and re-analysis of a study that was published dramatic findings over the replications in an outlet that explicitly promises such and incremental discoveries that are Future perfect, bullshit present? a possibility. typical in an established science. If There are a lot of current initiatives that On the positive side, classic findings researchers want to be published in high- advocates claim will make psychology and interpretations of them that have ranking peer-reviewed journals, therefore, much more reliable and valid in the until now been more or less accepted as they are highly incentivised to present future. These include measures to ‘common knowledge’ in psychology are highly selective and therefore misleading improve researchers’ methodological increasingly being challenged and revised accounts of their research (Giner-Sorolla, and statistical competence (Funder et al., (Jarrett, 2008). Yet established and often 2012). 2014); change the sorts of statistical cherished beliefs are difficult to change. The current mechanisms of science analyses they use (Cumming, 2014; Even when incorrect claims are exposed production, then, place individual Dienes, in press); provide pre-registration in ways that should be fatal, they researchers in a social dilemma (Carter, possibilities (Chambers et al., 2014); continue to have an influence on 2015). Whatever others do and whatever promote high-quality replications (Frank, subsequent scholarship (Lewandowsky the collective consequences, it is in the 2015; Open Science Collaboration); et al., 2012; Tatsioni et al., 2007). Trust in individual researcher’s best economic facilitate open-access data and materials others’ testimony is essential in science: interest to downgrade the importance of (Morey et al., 2015); encourage post- this leads researchers and communicators truth in order to maximise publications, publication review (Nosek & Bar-Anan,

(2012). Measuring the prevalence of versus benefits of Open Science Science. Morey, R., Chambers, C.D., Etchells, P. et questionable research practices. practices. tinyurl.com/hkfu67e Marcus, A. & Oransky, I. (2011). Science al. (2016). The peer reviewers’ Psychological Science, 23(5), 524–532. Lewandowsky, S., Ecker, U.K., Seifert, publishing. Nature, 480, 449–450. openness initiative. Royal Society Open Koch, S. (1981). The nature and limits of C.M. et al. (2012). Misinformation and Matthews, D. (2015). Secret dossier on Science. tinyurl.com/gsaqha2 psychological knowledge. American its correction. Psychological Science in research fraud suggests government Nosek, B.A. & Bar-Anan, Y. (2012). Psychologist, 36(3), 257. the Public Interest, 13(3), 106–131. concern over science. Times Higher Scientific utopia. Psychological Inquiry, Lakens, D. (2014). Grounding social Lilienfeld, S.O. (2012). Public skepticism Education. tinyurl.com/glrj3up 23(3), 217–243. embodiment. Social Cognition, 32, of psychology. American Psychologist, Meehl, P.E. (1990). Why summaries of Nosek, B.A., Spies, J.R. & Motyl, M. 168–183. 67(2), 111–129. research on psychological theories (2012). Scientific utopia II. LeBel, E.P., Loving, T.J., Campbell, L. et Lindsay, D.S. (2015). Replication in are often uninterpretable. Perspectives on Psychological Science, al. (2015). Scrutinizing the costs psychological science. Psychological Psychological Reports, 66(1), 195–244. 7(6), 615–631.

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2012); improve dissemination of study things that were at least amenable well require skills different from those information about corrections and to rigorous experimentation, while others that have been dominant during much of retractions (Marcus & Oransky, 2011); used defence mechanisms so that they its production (Koch, 1981). In particular, and change incentive structures (Nosek could carry on as normal and continue we have found particularly effective et al., 2012). to reap rewards while avoiding a guilty accurately describing others’ procedures Some are sceptical that all such conscience. Both strategies seem to us and outcomes in ordinary language and initiatives will bring net gains (e.g. to be unattractive and unnecessary. We then examining how well these justify the Blattman, 2015; Earp & Trafimow, 2015; believe that psychology has the potential usually jargonistic ‘theoretical’ claims LeBel et al., 2015; Sbarra, 2014). to make unique and important supposedly supported by them (cf. Billig, Although we have views on such things, contributions to understanding important 2013). our concern here is less with the future phenomena. than with the present. 5. Nurture nuance. Experiments within If a plethora of sweeping changes is 2. Prioritise scholarship. Psychologists psychology are usually (at best) little required to achieve trustworthiness in and their institutions should do more than demonstrations that something psychological science in the future, what everything within their power to can occur. This is usually in service of can psychologists claim on the basis of champion truth and to confront all rejecting a null hypothesis but it is almost the research literature now? Are we lying barriers to it. If we have to choose as often misreported as suggesting (or or at best bullshitting when we tell between maintaining our professional showing or, worst of all, ‘proving’) students, grant-awarding bodies, policy integrity and obtaining further personal something much more substantial – that makers, the public and each other about or institutional benefits, may we have the something does or must occur. Perhaps things that psychology has discovered will (and support) to pursue the former. the single most important thing (Lilienfeld, 2012; Matthews, 2015)? Are psychology can do to quickly and we disingenuous when we trumpet the 3. Be honest. Championing truth requires substantially improve itself is to be much epistemological superiority honesty about ignorance, more careful about specifying and of so-called psychological inadequacies, and determining the boundary conditions for science and its products mistakes (Salmon, 2003). whatever phenomena it claims to identify (e.g. Bloom, 2015)? Given “can we claim hand- Denying flaws helps no (Ferguson, this issue; Lakens, 2014; the multiple serious, on-heart to confidently one, especially if our Schaller, 2015). widespread, and enduring know anything?” denials are accompanied problems we have, can we by poorly received 6. Triage. Given that at least some areas claim hand-on-heart to assertions of invincibility of psychology seem awash with bullshit, confidently know anything and, if so, and superiority. Acknowledgement of we would be wise to prioritise evaluating how can we identify it among all the weakness is a strength. Expertise should topics of centrality and importance rather bullshit and lies? be in service of scholarship, not than on the basis that some reported As it happens, we do think that prioritised above it. Expertise idolatry findings are, for example, recent or our discipline has a lot to offer. But risks encouraging defensive bullshit from amenable to testing using online we also think that norms of assessing the anxious and generating blinkered, experiments (Bevan, 1991). ‘Far better an and representing it need to change dogmatic bullshit from specialists approximate answer to the right question, considerably if we are to minimise our (Frankfurt, 2005; Ottati et al., 2015). which is often vague, than an exact at least complicit contribution to the answer to the wrong question, which can collective production and concealment 4. Use all available evidence as effectively always be made precise’ (Tukey, 1962, of yet more bullshit. Here are some as possible. Important as they are, pp.13–14). provisional and tentative experiments are neither necessary nor recommendations. sufficient for empiricism, scholarship or The question we chose to head up this ‘science’ (see Robinson, 2000). To study section is not rhetorical. We do not 1. Don’t give up. Meehl (1990) suggested important phenomena well, we need first consider the recommendations we list that problems similar to those identified to identify what they are and what central as final or complete. Science is a social above make the psychological research characteristics they have (Rozin, 2001). enterprise and we are interested to hear literature ‘well-nigh uninterpretable’. To study things thoroughly, we need to the views of others with perspectives When convincing others of this, he identify processes and outcomes other different from ours. We are certain that reported that some gave up studying than those derived from our pet ‘theories’. something needs to be done, though. questions of importance and interest to Evaluating the research literature may We’re fed up with all the bullshit.

Ottati, V., Price, E.D., Wilson, C. & Sciences, 5(2), 187–195. 9(4), 443–444. Simmons, J.P., Nelson, L.D. & Sumaktoyo, N. (2015). When self- Robinson, D.N. (2000). Paradigms and Schaller, M. (2015). The empirical benefits Simonsohn, U. (2011). False positive perceptions of expertise increase ‘the myth of framework’. Theory & of conceptual rigor. Journal of psychology. Psychological Science, 22, closed-minded cognition. Journal of Psychology, 10(1), 39–47. Experimental Social Psychology. 1359–1366. Exp. Social Psychology, 61, 131–138. Rozin, P. (2001). Social psychology and Schimmack, U. (2012). The ironic effect of Tatsioni, A., Bonitsis, N.G. & Ioannidis, Peplow, M. (2014). Social sciences suffer science. Personality and Social significant results on the credibility of J.P. (2007). Persistence of from severe publication bias. Nature. Psychology Review, 5, 2–14. multiple-study articles. Psychological contradicted claims in the literature. tinyurl.com/nw8bu8q Salmon, P. (2003). How do we recognise good Methods, 17(4), 551–566. JAMA, 298(21), 2517–2526. Peters, D.P. & Ceci, S.J. (1982). Peer- research? The Psychologist, 16, 24–27. Siebert, S., Machesky, L.M. & Insall, R.H. Tukey, J.W. (1962). The future of data review practices of psychological Sbarra, D.A. (2014). Forward thinking. (2015). Overflow in science and its analysis. The Annals of Mathematical journals. Behavioral and Brain Perspectives on Psychological Science, implications for trust. ELife, 4, e10825. Statistics, 1–67.

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 371 quickly that there is an enormous interest in imagination and that people differ greatly in imagination. For example, one ‘Curiosity is a pillar of father told us about his teenage daughter, who had never enjoyed story-time as a young child and also struggled with INTERVIEW academic performance’ reading and verbal communication later, because she said she could not create Sophie von Stumm runs the Hungry Mind Lab at Goldsmiths, University of mental images of what was said. This London. Jon Sutton poses the questions. condition is known as ‘aphantasia’, which has only recently been recognised, and marks one extreme end of the imagination dimension. But we also had letters from people on the other end: for example, from the man who explained ell me all about the Hungry setup. We are very excited about our tests that he was compelled to regularly use TMind Lab. and to find out if it works – we will start LSD to satisfy his imagination, and from I founded the Hungry Mind Lab in early piloting next week! the woman who started to have the most 2014 to bring together my students and colourful and vivid dreams day and night collaborators to jointly study individual So what have you found so far in your after her 50th birthday, although she’d differences in the interplay of intelligence studies of imagination?' never before had such experiences. and personality. Our research focuses in We first conducted a thorough literature We took careful note of all these particular on factors or variables that review on imagination, but we came back responses and experiences, because they influence learning, learning behaviours empty-handed – not much research has will help us develop a theoretical model and knowledge attainment. We currently been published on this topic. We then of imagination. Of course, they are mostly have nine members in our lab, inspirations – and no substitute for who work across a wide range of producing reliable and valid empirical projects – for example studying evidence. language development in toddlers, imagination in university students, Is technology pretty key to your or the relationship between mood approach? and IQ. We use a wide range of We do work a lot on innovating methods, including longitudinal assessment methods to advance the data analysis, experience-sampling behavioural sciences. One reason for methods and experimental designs, focusing on assessment is our belief that and we consider various scientific good measurement is the bone marrow of approaches, for example psychological science. The other reason is psychometrics, behavioural that extremely large samples are needed genetics, psychology and to produce reliable studies and reliable epidemiology. evidence about the causes and consequences of individual differences. OK, so take something like Luckily we live in a time of constant imagination. Surely that’s a technological innovation and tricky one to pin down? advancement, and we take advantage of Intuitively, yes, but we are hopeful that where we can. that we’ll get it nailed with the For example, we are currently right set of psychometric tests. recruiting families with two- to four- Specifically, we are combining year-old children to participate in a study implicit and explicit measurement that uses digital language recorders to approaches to assess imagination. document all sounds in the child’s Explicit tests ask people directly to environment for up to 16 hours. The rate or state who and what they are language recorders are very small and are like, for example ‘I am the life of a carried by the child in a special T-shirt party’ with the range from Totally Dr Sophie von Stumm, Department of Psychology, pocket. The recordings are then analysed Agree to Totally Disagree as answer Goldsmiths, University of London with automated algorithms that compute, options. By contrast, implicit tests [email protected] for example, the number of words that try to get at that part of personality the child has heard and the number of that we are not aware of, that is not words that the child has spoken. With available to introspection. Adapting this wrote a press release to reach the general these data, we can then study the rationale, we have developed a test that public. The response was amazing – we relationship between language measures automatic associations in received letters, e-mails and phone calls environment and language development memory between yourself and your from people who wanted to tell us about in early life. characteristics – in this case imagination. their imagination, from consultancy Another example for the use of These tests are known as ‘implicit businesses that specialise in improving technology in assessment at the Hungry associations tests’ and are administered imagination, and from other scientists Mind Lab is moo-Q, an iPhone on computers using an experimental trial studying imagination. It crystallised application that is freely available from

372 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 interview the App Store. It repeatedly assesses families at age two, and by age 16 this gap performance translates into errors when people’s mood and IQ across time. After had almost tripled. I think these results we evaluate our own intelligence: people doing moo-Q five times, you get access to indicate that there is a complex nexus of who score badly on IQ tests will tell you your personalised chart that plots your variables associated with socio-economic with greatest confidence that they came mood and brain function across hours, status that have cumulative effects over top, while the clever ones will be humble days and weeks. We developed the app to time on children’s cognitive development. about their scores! test if changes in mood were associated Some of these variables we know of – for with changes in cognitive function – example, the quality of education that You’ve also applied the ‘hungry mind’ without using lab-based mood children receive, the stability of the home idea to your own academic assessments that are biased. moo-Q was environment, and again nutrition that we development, and that of others. implemented by PSYT (psyt.co.uk), an mentioned before. What is less well I firmly believe that intellectual curiosity amazing start-up company that specialises understood is to what extent each of is a pillar of academic performance, in developing software solutions for these variables contributes to cognitive alongside intelligence and effort. Many psychological research. We are now trying growth, how many variables there are, of my students and colleagues view my to get as many people as possible to how these variable interact, and if it is work on curiosity and my studies on IQ download and use moo-Q – essentially, possible to improve children’s cognitive and socio-economic status as distinct or we are trying to crowd-sample for this outcomes by practical, cost-efficient separate investigations. But I think they research! interventions – by changing one or two are highly related – curiosity is the core of these variables. driver of individual differences in Your ‘hungry mind’ metaphor gets engaging with the environment, and pretty literal when you look at the How aware are people of their own engagement with the environment is impact of meal type on cognitive individual differences? what makes us learn and knowledgeable. performance in children. What did you That’s a difficult question to give a simple Children from deprived backgrounds find there? answer to. On the one hand, we know often have fewer opportunities to engage, It was a longitudinal study published in ourselves pretty well. For example, self- and even if they are curious their the journal Intelligence in 2012 of about report personality tests have been shown engagement possibilities are likely to 5000 Scottish children, who were to have very good predictive validity for remain limited. And with that they often assessed on IQ at age three and then achievement outcomes, for example job struggle to achieve their full intellectual again two years later at age five. Their performance and academic attainment. potential. mothers reported on dietary habits; in On the other hand, we are also fairly However, a lot of my work in this particular they listed how often their delusional about ourselves: we tend to area looks at university students and child ate a freshly prepared meal as the suffer from what is called ‘unrealistic why some do better than others in main meal of the day compared to a pre- optimism’, for example when we expect terms of academic achievement. In 2011 fabricated meal, like frozen or take-away. outcomes that are much better than I published a large-scale meta-analysis in This is of course a very crude way of probability would dictate for ourselves. Perspectives on Psychological Science that looking at dietary differences; but We all tend to engage in ‘unrealistic demonstrated for the first time that there nonetheless, we found that children who optimism’ on a daily basis, but the effect was more to being an exceptional student received more often freshly prepared becomes particularly evident when asking than IQ and working hard. We found that meals had a higher IQ at age three, and people about their levels of ability. For intellectual curiosity made a substantial also they showed greater IQ gains over any task, may it be driving a car, writing contribution to achievement, and we are time until age five. The effects were small an exam or recognising faces, people who currently running a series of experimental but the results suggest that eating fresh did the worst overestimate their studies to identify the behavioural foods is generally beneficial for cognitive performance to the greatest extent – in mechanisms that underlie the relationship development. fact, they claim they were top-level between curiosity and knowledge. performers! Conversely, people who How does this relate to socio-economic actually do well often underestimate their What next for your own hungry mind? status though? Isn’t it the case that own performance. We have two goals for the immediate children of a lower socio-economic future at our lab. For one, we want to status start off disadvantaged in terms Why do you think that might be? produce a reliable measure of individual of IQ, and the gap then grows? When I think there are two distinct reasons for differences in imagination, and for the you add this to your thoughts on meal these misestimations, although they may other we are waiting to complete the data type, does that increase your concern not be the ones we’d have thought of in collection on our language study, so we that particular ‘hungry minds’ are not the first instance. Bad performers overrate can start to identify specific getting the nourishing they need? their performance, not because they don’t environmental factors that influence Indeed this is what I think, although the want to admit they didn’t do well, but language development in early life. In socio-economic status-related differences because they don’t know, don’t realise the long run, I hope that our work will that we observe in children’s IQ are likely how badly they did – it’s called the inspire new cross-disciplinary research – to be due to many more variables than double-curse of incompetence. By in particular, I want to see our progress in plain diet. I recently published a study, contrast, those who did well know exactly ‘phenotyping’ behaviours, for example also in Intelligence, on a very large sample how well they did, for example because with the language recordings, be related of children from the UK, who had been they know what answers on an exam they to ‘genotype data’ that are currently much assessed on IQ from the age of two years got right, but they overestimate how well more developed. With this, I envisage that through to age 16. The data showed that other people do in the same task. Hence, we will be able to better understand children from less privileged family they end up believing their own gene–environment correlations and backgrounds scored six IQ points lower performance was only OK instead of interactions that give rise to individual at age two than children from wealthier great. This estimation error in task differences in behaviour.

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382 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 Research. Digested. Free.

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read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 383 Post-Qualification Doctoral Programmes

384 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 “The teaching really opened my mind and I appreciated the wealth of knowledge and experience shared by the facilitators and fellow participants” Graduate of our Psychodynamic Psychotherapy course Feel. Connect. Learn #mytavi

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read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 389 enough to decide that I wasn’t good enough to make it: excelling is important to me!’ Interviewing for The Psychologist, From vitamins to showing I’ve met a number of people who took a

CAREERS route from training in a performing art, to being – for want of a better term – a mind loving kindness worker. Why did Michèle think that was? ‘Somatic therapy is becoming a more How do those on the fringes of psychology view our profession? important element in what we all do, so Ian Florance meets Michèle Down that suggests a link. And much performance and sports training uses techniques which have been applied more widely in psychology and coaching.’ sychology sometimes seems counter-evidence: an event attended How did Michèle make the transition? hermetically sealed from non- not only by chartered and student ‘My drama teacher was a real role model Ppractitioners. The British psychologists, but also those who use for me – young, vibrant, creative and Psychological Society’s Fifth European psychological techniques in their work, inspirational. We stayed friends after I left Coaching Psychology Conference offered whatever their job titles or training. school and went on to sixth form. She I met Michèle attended a workshop called De Silva Mind Down at the Control in the USA, and when it came conference and we over to the UK (then called Mind arranged to talk a few Dynamics) I attended. It was life- weeks later in a coffee changing. I was introduced to the theories bar near Victoria of positive thinking (à la Dale Carnegie), Station. I wanted to psychosynthesis and meditation amongst get a feel for how other things.’ psychological Michèle had never wanted to go techniques inform to university for its own sake but was work beyond its own advised by the two people running professional Mind Dynamics that she should become boundaries. It was a teacher. ‘I did a BEd at Goldsmiths, clear Michèle didn’t planning to teach dance and English. fit into any neat I loved teaching but didn’t like the categories. predictability of the school timetable. ‘I have an I like variety and am strong-minded, unusually rich so was probably pretty unemployable heritage,’ Michèle told anyway – I still am! I intuitively felt that me. ‘My father grew up there was something different out there in Rangoon and in turn for me, though I didn’t know what it was.’ was descended from Michèle then met an American Iraqi and Indian Jewish businesswoman who was something of stock. My mum was a pioneer: selling specialised food brought up in Soho in supplements and skin care door-to-door the 1930s and was of for a company associated with Werner Polish Jewish descent. Erhart, the founder of the then trendy I am the oldest of three 1970s EST movement and an early girls.’ pioneer of extreme and much-criticised Michèle describes coaching methods. ‘I went to San her first love as being Francisco to train with the organisation, drama. ‘At school I which partly involved selling vitamins wanted to be an actress door-to-door in San Francisco and Marin but was realistic County – the best (and hardest) training

Have you taken a look at our website, For other Society careers resources, see www.thepsychologist.bps.org.uk? www.bps.org.uk/careers.

If you click on the ‘…meets’ tab across the For the latest jobs, visit top, you will find an archive of all our more www.psychapp.co.uk. Society members can

careers online careers personal pieces, including our ‘Careers’ sign up for suitable e-mail and RSS alerts. pages. Alternatively, just search ‘careers’ Recruiters can post online from just £750, with our new and improved site search. The and at no extra cost when placing an ad in archive is complete – back to 1988. print. For more information, see p.394.

390 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 careers

I’ve ever had. When I got back, I set worked with blind and visually impaired practitioner, as followers of a particular up Earthlore Ltd, selling, and finally people; it’s also true now I spend almost teacher. It was interesting to see so many manufacturing, a range of vitamins based all my time coaching business leaders.’ of them agreeing over issues that needed in Chalk Farm. My husband joined me Working with high achievers who to be addressed.’ in the venture and we moved to have hit a stumbling block or feel they Do you see yourself as a sort of Herefordshire, from where we ran the can achieve more, Michèle only works psychologist, I ask? ‘I am one of a business. We were young, in a niche with five to six organisations at any one growing group of therapists-who-coach. industry, eager to grow, with little capital, time. ‘I have time and space to I’d describe myself as an integrative so looking to expand in some way. My understand the ethos of each organisation coach – someone who takes ideas and eldest son’s dairy intolerance led me to making my work informed, relevant and techniques from different places rather make carob Easter eggs… we became meaningful. I help organisations to and than just one school or even one pioneers in the healthy confectionery through change. What I’m trying to do discipline and integrates them into my market. To expand even more, we entered is help people find real quality of life at own model of coaching. I feel as if all my the world of mainstream chocolate work, to discover meaning there, and in life experiences have merged to inform manufacture. Eventually, we sold both that way what I do has huge resonance my work – my business background, my businesses, and I remained as director with the positive psychology movement… insatiable curiosity about people, their of the confectionery business through I’m helping things get better and I stay thoughts feelings and motivations and my the transition. Concurrently, another major the course.’ years’ experience working deeply and life change convinced me to leave the Michèle is now a registered psychologically to help people to change business: what was I going to do next?’ British Association for Counselling and and grow.’ Michèle was a Samaritan at the time. Psychotherapy coach (in fact she is on Is there anything else you feel coaches ‘It was something I really enjoyed. But the executive committee of the BACP’s and psychologists share – or should our work didn’t go far enough for me, coaching division), with 17 years’ share? ‘Well, the creation of a trusting particularly with people who were not in experience of coaching and a successful relationship with your client or patient is crisis. I retrained as a counsellor, taking business career behind her. vital and underpins all the work we do. a diploma at Newport. I loved every It can be argued that the Special This can be challenging: although Rogers’ minute of it. At the end of the second Group in Coaching Psychology is the “unconditional positive regard” is not year I wrote to everyone I could think area of the Society most open to other always easy, unless you can accept your of to ask if they needed a counsellor and professions. What did she make of the client for who they are, and unless they in December I got a call from the Royal conference? ‘I was interested, somewhat palpably feel that acceptance of their real College for the Blind. Their student surprised and delighted, that people selves, warts and all, how can they allow counsellor had gone off sick and they’d seemed to be talking the same language you to help them to change? We need to found my letter. Within two weeks I had in their discussions after sessions. From show our clients, for want of a better 22 clients and ended up staying there for the outside, psychologists seem to define term, loving kindness as we help them to three years. It’s the only salaried job I’ve themselves by schools, as types of transform their lives for the better.’ ever had, and although I absolutely loved my client work, which I found deeply rewarding and enriching, Jobs of the month on www.psychapp.co.uk I didn’t like office politics or bureaucracy. I decided to work solely for myself once again.’ In parallel with this experience Clinical or Associate Professorship Michèle started teaching a basic Educational Psychologist of Education and the counselling skills course for adults in Developing Child Hereford, ran a BTEC in coaching and Livability set up her private practice. Round Location - South East University of Oxford about then she set up Michèle Down Dynamics Salary - £31,733 - £41,931 pro rata Location - South West (www.micheledowndynamics.co.uk), Salary - £45,066 per annum ‘where I got particularly interested and Deadline - 25/04/2016 involved in the trend of intensive Deadline - 11/05/2016 leadership and teambuilding training in the UK and South Africa. I also Clinical Affiliate Educational Psychologists - wrote and ran training in standard City Psychology Group areas such as assertiveness. But I began Surrey Wide - (Graduating and to miss the business world. It occurred Location - London Experienced) to me in the end that my combination of business and counselling/coaching Salary - Competitive Surrey County Council skills would be valuable.’ Deadline - 11/05/2016 Location - South East Michèle sees this issue as important for anyone from a Salary - £38,583 - £43,914 psychology, counselling or coaching Deadline - 30/04/2016 background working with any set of clients. ‘You have to understand their experience and talk in a language they To view these jobs and more please visit www.psychapp.co.uk understand. This was true when I

seek and advertise at www.psychapp.co.uk 391 careers A journalistic eye

Liz Hollis, freelance journalist and media consultant specialising in psychology

sychology is a particularly rich worked as a freelance journalist source of material for the media. and media consultant specialising in PSome of the most significant and psychology. I write features, with their high-profile news items are about roots mostly in psychological research, psychology. The discipline also underlies for national papers, magazines and digital a vast amount of media content in publications. newspaper, magazine and digital I also run my own media consultancy publications too – often more than you business, alongside the freelance would think. Indeed, a cursory look journalism, advising clients on editorial through today’s newspapers reveals that strategy, disseminating research findings most carry page-lead stories about to the public, PR and communications – research by Dr Lenny Vartanian from New again specialising in psychology. This can South Wales University into clutter, chaos involve turning research findings into and overconsumption. Whether you are press releases, looking for news angles in him respond to queries and handle a staff writer, in PR or a freelancer, the data, writing content for websites and interviews. The stories I had spotted media are always looking for an ‘angle’, social media and advising on PR. made national headlines and it was a ‘line’ for their story. One recent contract for a research satisfying to hear a live debate on Radio 5 My background as a qualified organisation, producing reports that Live and BBC Breakfast sparked by what newspaper journalist and former features include data on children’s mental health was originally data in a research report. editor has equipped me with a finely and wellbeing and their media use, My work as a freelance journalist honed journalistic eye for these hooks. involved trawling hundreds of pages of involves communicating the findings of Meanwhile, a mid-career break to findings to mine for the lines that will psychological research to the public in complete a postgraduate diploma in catch media attention. Once identified, easily understood language. These are psychology, combined with a huge these news angles were written up as sometimes couched in abstruse language interest in the subject, has found me press releases and disseminated to and hidden away in lengthy conclusions, increasingly turning that journalistic national and trade media. I also dealt with pages of data or buried in subscription- focus towards the discipline. media enquiries as they come in and only journals. Sometimes my work feels a For the past seven years I have liaised with the research director, helping little like being a translator, turning

individuals suffering from mental health difficulties. They are expressing a deep- A culture shock to the system found interest that goes beyond a societal Nadine Mirza, MPhil student, University of Manchester taboo of mental health and fanatical assumptions deep rooted in the culture, such as black magic – a prevailing belief in y first intensive clinical placement clear to me going into the job that rural communities. Family and friends find Mwas for three months in the psychological welfare and ethical practice, themselves gaining firsthand knowledge of psychiatric department of a government while regarded with high esteem, were mental health issues and how to prevent or hospital in Pakistan. I had just completed overruled ultimately by traditional manage them. However, a more profound my bachelor’s from Manchester, spending expectations. With emphasis on the analysis could bring into question whether three years learning about psychological importance of creating and maintaining a society’s preference for family involvement practice as it’s done in the UK, ignoring all family unit at the forefront, when assigned may in fact be causing more damage than the jokes from my home country about a patient it was generally a given that you not. how I was becoming a ‘whitewashed’ were also responsible for three or four When working with patients I was psychologist. In truth, having spent 10 accompanying family members. They expected to never second guess the years of my life living in Pakistan, I was deemed it their duty to be present at all personal involvement of parents, siblings very much in tune with how psychological sessions that more often than not and even aunts and uncles, who would sit practice occurred there. Regardless, I was extended beyond the recommended in on privileged sessions with or without the still thrust into what can only be described psychoeducation and family counselling. patient’s consent. Whether the patient was as a form of culture shock when I began While being aware of this natural comfortable with their grandfather sitting my placement. behaviour in mental health practice back in on their private consultations was of little Years of practised traditions and home, I was yet to be exposed to its more regard. All that mattered was keeping the customs have led to all major aspects of sinister side. family unit solid, even if at the cost of the country, including health care, being Of course, this highly accepted family privacy. In the UK this would be a serious heavily structured around cultural involvement could suggest a positive step breach of ethics, but in Pakistan, where practices and norms. Therefore, it was towards families rallying around tradition means to be family oriented as

392 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 careers academic-speak into specific, user- filing stories daily to national newspapers psychologists and journalists writing friendly language for the media without and magazines. I eventually decided to go stories about the discipline. Psychologists losing the meaning. freelance to take full advantage of the are circumspect, guarded and slowly Commissions are many and varied freedom and opportunities it could offer. accumulate complex research data. and have included covering the British To earn a living as a freelance you have Journalists want it simple, bite-sized and Psychological Society’s Annual come up with literally hundreds of ideas accessible with quick headlines that Conference for the national press, writing for possible features every month and I convey the latest and the new. They make about the psychology of whistleblowing have always found psychology to be the the simple assumption that correlation is for The Guardian, interviewing Daniel richest and most interesting vein. causation, since cause and effect is easy to Kahneman for Psychologies magazine; I have always enjoyed reading deeper communicate and leads to advice readers writing about the paradox of choice for and wider than writing a newspaper can transfer to everyday life. Hence the The Times and the psychology of saying feature required, and it was this curiosity almost impossible task of turning years sorry for a feature in Management Today. that convinced me to convert my of careful psychological study with a I cover all branches of the discipline, but philosophy and French degree with a guarded conclusion into a user-friendly I am particularly interested in consumer, postgraduate diploma in psychology. After title: a decade of psychology lab research health and sports psychology. three years of part-time study I was on attention, self-control and eating Ultimately, my job is all about finding pleased with a first-class distinction, and behaviour is reduced to the likes of ‘the story’ in psychology research, reading membership of the British Psychological ‘Calling a food healthy can actually put journals and conference papers, talking to Society has been an added bonus, which people off eating it, researchers have psychologists, maybe bringing two or has motivated me to specialise in warned.’ more pieces of research together, and then psychology in my media consultancy The tension between psychology and spotting what journalists call ‘the line’. business (see www.lizhollis.co.uk). research will always exist, but I hope my My career as a journalist began as a A deeper understanding of research background helps bridge the gap when cub reporter on a regional daily paper, the methodology gained from studying I write about the discipline. I try to bring Eastern Daily Press. This is the coalface of psychology has also been beneficial and, in as much of the nuance and bigger journalism, where you hone your I like to think, helps with accuracy and picture as possible, but I’m still mindful journalistic eye reporting on council better questions when interviewing of the consumer-focused need for ‘a meetings and debates over wheelie bin psychologists. However, one of the story’, which ultimately helps collections and bypass campaigns, while challenges always remains the communicate psychology and its research working towards the National Council for fundamental tension between the media’s and understanding to a wider public. the Training of Journalists certificate. desire for novelty and simple correlation So while psychology and journalism After several years on the local beat on the one hand, and the very nature of are not obvious stablemates in a career, I worked as a feature writer at Health & the scientific method with its convolution for me they have come together and Fitness magazine, in London, and then as and lengthy time frame on the other. allowed me to specialise in a discipline features editor for a leading press agency There is an inevitable conflict between I find endlessly interesting and absorbing.

opposed to self-oriented, this conduct is over 20 years old. It is an unspoken rule in meant letting the parents force their son par for the course. the culture that being a legal adult hardly into forgiving and further interacting with One woman would have her husband means anything when it comes to parental his rapist. accompany her to every session, and it did emancipation. Family values, whatever those values not seem conceivable to him when it was One’s own professional conduct is often may be, seemed to trump mental health suggested that his wife may want to discuss called into question when dragged into each and every time. Never was this more her issues in private. She eventually these political games. One patient, upon heavily ingrained into my brain than when stopped coming in for her therapy because confessing he had been raped by his cousin I saw my severely depressed catatonic her husband didn’t have time during a session, patient being yelled at by his mother for for it and I was bound, both received conflicting bringing shame to the family and ruining professionally and culturally, reactions of comfort his chances at becoming a doctor. She then to accept this. Such instances from his psychologist had her son removed from the ward without are common and generally and judgement and his consent, despite the fact that he was acceptable. Another young anger from his parents. legally an adult and a high risk for suicide. woman, dressed In that situation, from a To this day I do not know what became of conservatively and displaying professional standpoint, him… should I have called his mother out an unassuming demeanour, you are not at a liberty to on being the stressor in her son’s life? was only able to discuss her begin challenging the I played the passive professional, active and secret sex life and parents of your charge. submitting to the family member’s wishes, how it was affecting her after From an ethical which did that young man no favours. her parents were persuaded, standpoint however, Ultimately I questioned not just the with much difficulty, to leave would it not have been ethics of practising in Pakistan, but my own the room. When they later beneficial for your patient to ethics and potentially compromised demanded to know what their daughter had separate him from his parents? Or simply morality. How far should cultural practices said in their absence I was encouraged by not have them present in the first place? In and traditions be allowed to venture into superiors to break privilege as it was their the end policy dictated the psychologist psychological practice before a line must be parental right, despite their daughter being remain neutral and impartial, even if that drawn?

seek and advertise at www.psychapp.co.uk 393 Advertising opportunities in 2016

CPL has been appointed by the British To discuss the opportunities for advertising Psychological Society and we are very and promotion in The Psychologist, excited to be your point of contact for all www.psychapp.co.uk and Research Digest, advertising. CPL is an award-winning please contact Matt Styrka on 01223 273 555 or full service agency that was established email [email protected]. in 1996. Upcoming Display Appointment Publication In early 2016 we will be launching a new issues advert section date deadline deadline appointments website. It will be accessible on June 27 April 4 May 19 May mobiles and desktops, with increased search functionality, greater ease of use and navigation. July 25 May 1 June 16 June It will also have many more targeted options to allow you to promote your roles to members and other visitors to www.psychapp.co.uk. You will be happy to hear that all recruitment advertisers in the print edition of The Psychologist will continue to have their adverts included on the new appointments site.

IAPT Postgraduate Diploma in CBT

Are you a qualified Clinical or Counselling Psychologist? Have you considered training in Head of Psychology cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and getting paid The Irish Prison Service is responsible for the safe and secure detention of to do it? With the IAPT postgraduate diploma you persons in custody. The Psychology Service forms part of the Care and Rehabilitation Directorate and applies psychological research, principles and could be taught by some of the leading CBT experts in skills to the needs of the Service. The Head of Psychology will provide overall the field and become an accredited CBT therapist. strategic direction and leadership. The ideal candidate will: The London PG Diploma in CBT is a one year full- • Be eligible for graduate membership of the Psychological Society of time course based at either King’s College London Ireland and hold a relevant postgraduate professional qualification or Royal Holloway. This course is currently part of in psychology: the Department of Health’s Improving Access to • Have a proven record in leadership, decision making and people Psychological Therapies (IAPT) initiative. Trainees management skills; on the course will work in IAPT services whilst • Have excellent professional knowledge and skills; being trained in evidence-based CBT for adults with • Have a clear understanding of evidence based best practice in relation depression and anxiety disorders. to psychological services for prisoners.

Please visit the King’s College London (www.tinyurl.com/cbtcourse) or Royal Holloway

(www.nwlcbttraining.net) website for more The closing date for receipt of applications for this post is Thursday 5th May 2016 information and to apply. For more information and how to apply, visit www.publicjobs.ie

We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and encourage applications under all The application process is open from 25 April - 9 May nine grounds of the Employment Equality Act. 2016 with interviews taking place in June/July 2016. Cuirfear fáilte roimh chomhfhreagras i nGaeilge

394 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 Job Title: Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology Employer: Department of Applied Psychology, Cardiff Metropolitan University JOB TITLE: SENIOR LECTURER IN FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY ‘We are definitely looking for a team player,’ says Lalage POST NUMBER: NH100XX Sanders, Head of Applied Psychology. ‘We hold regular LOCATION: CARDIFF SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES planning days where we meet up to review our progress and GRADE: 8AB SALARY: £43,758  £50,702 PER ANNUM to agree our departmental objectives.’ TENURE: PERMANENT Sanders says that to call this purely a teaching or lecturing HOURS: 37 PER WEEK job is to undersell it. ‘This is a new role and we’re looking for an HCPC registered practitioner who wants to get involved in Cardiff School of Health Sciences seeks to appoint a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology to join the existing team. teaching in our expanding forensic psychology portfolio. We encourage and support our practitioners to maintain their The successful candidate will be able to deliver teaching and supervision for the MSc in Forensic Psychology, the Post- professional skills and registration.’ Graduate Diploma in Forensic Practitioner Psychology and the Work on the postgraduate diploma will involve travelling Doctorate in Forensic Psychology; to deliver those aspects of around the UK to supervise students where they work. The the BSc Psychology curriculum commensurate with skills and MSc, like the Department, is based at the Llandaff campus in abilities as required; to develop, supervise and support the one of the most attractive parts of the bustling city of Cardiff. work-placement elements of the forensic programmes in the ‘The MSc Forensic Psychology is focused on critical debate; Department of Applied Psychology. the department and our students welcome someone with The successful candidate will be HCPC Registered Forensic their own views who is prepared to advance new ideas.’ This is Psychologist and have the ability to achieve Fellow Status as part of the Higher Education Academy’s Professional a taught programme, though dissertations are often based in Recognition scheme, within agreed timescales. applied settings. ‘We’re a very enthusiastic, rapidly developing and research For informal enquiries, please contact Nic Bowes, Senior nbowes@cardiffmet.ac.uk active department,’ Sanders continues. ‘Our postgraduate Lecturer in Forensic Psychology or Lalage Sanders, Head of Applied Psychology lsanders@ provision focuses on Forensic, Health and Research. Once cardiffmet.ac.uk someone has met the basic requirements there are no real . restrictions on who applies. We’d love to talk to people who CLOSING DATE FOR RECEIPT OF Interview Date: want to contribute actively to our future.’ APPLICATIONS IS WED 11TH MAY 2016 24th May 2016

Psychological MedicMedicine, John Radcliffe Hoospital, Oxford ConsultantConsulta Clinicalal NeuropsychologistNeur opsychologist Job Ref: 321-VP-392-A Salary: Band 8c £56,104 - £68,484 pa (spot point to be agreed) HoursHours: f/t 37.5 pw

A whole time Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist is sought at the recreational activities and nd easye access to beautiful countryside. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.Yo You will undeundertake Oxford also has excellent exce ent rail r and road links to Heathrow and all of general and specialist clinical neuropsychological assessment, London’s amenities. rehabilitation and mental health interventions within the Neurosciences Directorate, which supports a population of 3.5m and Candidates areare highlyhigh rrecommendedecommended to visit the comprises 42 neurologists and 8 neurosurgeons. department and hospitalhos ital and areare invited to contact You’ll be interested in developing and/or consolidating sub-speciality IanIan BBaker,akerr,, Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist,Neuropsychologist, email: expertise in epilepsy surgery and glioma resection. There will be the [email protected]@ouh.nhs.u and/or PrProfessorofessor Michael Sharpe, option to apply for additional clinical management and leadership Consultant PsychiatristPsychiatri t and TTrTrustrustrust Lead for PsychologicalPsychologi responsibilityy,, as lead consultaconsultant for Neuropsychology. Medicine, email: [email protected] [email protected] This post represents an exciting opportunity to lead on consolidation Closing Date: 8 May 201620 6 Interview Date: 19 MaMayy 2016 and further integration within Neurosciences within the relatively ToTo apply and gain furtherfur her details of this post, go to newly established Department of Psychological Medicine, providing http://jobs.ouh.nhs.ukhttp://jobs.ouh.nhs.uk and click on the ‘Allied Health an innovative service that is both truly integrated with psychiatry but PrProfessionals’.ofessionals’. also with acute surgical and medical services. Oxford is home to one of the oldest and most prestigious Universities in the world and the location of many historical landmarks. It is a vibrant and multicultural city with a wide variety of educational and www.ouh.nhs.ukwww.ouh.nhs.nhs.uk

seek and advertise at www.psychapp.co.uk 395 Orchard House Family Assessment and Intervention Centre and Healthcare South West Ltd Clinical Psychologists – posts between Band 7 and 8c

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Our services We are hoping to recruit committed and enthusiastic Orchard House Family Assessment and Intervention Centre psychologists committed to evidence-based practice and provides residential and community based parenting, psychological codes of conduct. You may be a clinical psychological and other related assessments. psychologist looking for a different challenge or about to Healthcare South West Ltd provides responsive psychological complete your training. services for adults and children who have psychological, mental health and complex medical problems. What you can expect CPD, supervision and career development are fully supported by Opportunities the company. Due to a significant expansion in services, there are exciting new Posts between pay band 7 and 8c; we offer competitive opportunities for both experienced and newly qualified clinical remuneration packages, commensurate with experience and psychologists to join our dynamic and multi-disciplinary service expertise. We will also contribute to relocation fees. in Somerset. We will consider candidates who are seeking promotion. The post holders will work across both companies, providing: For an application pack please email [email protected] r

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www.healthcaresw.com | www.orchardhousefac.co.uk

Senior Educational Psychologist / Educational Psychologist Leicestershire County Council Permanent appointments, full-time and part-time applications considered Leicestershire’s Educational Psychology Service has a long-standing and strong commitment to applying psychological research to improve the educational outcomes of vulnerable young people throughout childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Applications are invited for the post of Senior Educational Psychologist/ Locality Manager. This is a key leadership appointment which requires the post holder to manage a team of educational psychologists, contribute to the leadership of the Service at strategic and operational levels and work collaboratively with other partner agencies. The Senior EP post is paid at Soulbury Scale B, 3 to 6 with 3 SPA points for eligible candidates. Applications are also invited for the post of Educational Psychologist (Soulbury Scale A, points 6 to 8 with 3 SPA points additionally available). The successful candidate will promote the use of evidence-based psychological research to address concerns about children’s development, well-being and academic progress 0 to 25 years. Essential Requirements for both posts: t

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and will make any adjustments considered reasonable to accommodate a suitable disabled candidate. Please contact Anne Matthews, Service Manager, for more information. Tel. 0116 305 5100 Email: [email protected] Closing date for applications: Tuesday, 31st May www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council/our-jobs-and-careers

396 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 Changeange your career. Changehange someone’s life.

Assistant Psychologist (Support) Clinical Services, Adult and Children Services SALARY: £19,793 PA • 37.5 HOURS/WK 6 WEEKS’ PAID HOLIDAY Established in 1975, the Hesley Group provides fl exible, specialist residential services and schools. We aim to offer the best possible care, education and vocational opportunities for young people and adults, often with autism, who have a learning disability and complex needs including behaviour which may challenge. We are now seeking to appoint a number of Assistant Psychologists (Support) to work within our children services at Wilsic Hall School. There are also opportunities to work in our other children and adults services. You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide a link between care, education and our clinical teams. We’ll expect you to live and breathe our values by ensuring we take a person-centred approach that’s driven by quality and focused on positive outcomes. You will be a skilled practitioner who is able to build effective professional relationships with our key internal and external stakeholders. Partnership with families and facilitating the voice of the people we support are priorities of our service. You will be providing direct care to an identifi ed individual with complex needs which will include shift work, this will be for around 75% of your time. The rest of your time will be spent on work directed by a Clinical team, for example, developing support plans, collecting and analysing data, writing reports, developing staff training and developing resources. You will work as part of a team of Assistant Psychologists (Support) across the group. You should have a Bachelors degree in Psychology or other relevant degree at 2:1 or above. You should also have a Diploma in Health and Social Care Level 3 (or this must be achieved within one year of appointment to post). You should have relevant experience of working with people with complex needs or people whose behaviour can challenge services. In return, we offer a commitment to regular supervision from a Clinical Psychologist or a Board Certifi ed Behaviour Analyst. We offer outstanding continuing professional development opportunities via our tailored Assistant Psychologist (Support) CPD programme in addition to in-house induction and training. For an informal conversation, please contact the Recruitment team on 01302 866906. For more information on any of our vacancies or to apply online, visit our website at www.hesleygroup.co.uk/content/current-vacancies Alternatively, for an application pack please email: [email protected] stating your full name and address or telephone 01302 861666 quoting the reference HO/04/AP(S)/16. Closing date for receipt of postal and online applications: noon, 3rd May 2016. Online applications submitted after 12pm (noon) on the closing date will be rejected by the system. Hesley Group is an Equal Opportunities employer. This post is subject to an enhanced level disclosure and barring check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

seek and advertise at www.psychapp.co.uk 397 Developing network Craig against the machine theories Macroneural Theories REVIEWS in Cognitive This is a book that will be a shock to many students and trainees in psychology and psychiatry, Neuroscience for it shows how dangerous the machinery they are being inducted into actually is. And not only William R. Uttal to beginners; it will confirm what many of us long suspected, that a psychological explanation for our distress is not much more progressive than the biological reductionist agendas of William R. Uttal provides a traditional psychiatry. Furthermore, the book deals with many of the attempts by compelling read and captures the psychotherapists and counsellors to play the game of their reader’s attention as he discusses elders and betters in the psy complex. Here the argument controversial and complex issues of the book is more nuanced, and we are alerted both to the within the field of neural network brutal physical abuse that psychiatry has historically visited theories. Despite the title, there are upon those it claims to cure and to the need for a actually three chapters before any compassionate and therefore limited attempt to support detailed discussion of macroneural those who are labelled as ‘mentally ill’. The limits are set by theories themselves. The first what is actually possible, and the work that a counsellor or section of the book provides the psychotherapist is enjoined to carry out is one of empathic reader with a useful background engagement. Numerous examples of this kind of work are on the development of theories in offered in passing as we are led on a tour of the worst of psy cognitive neuroscience. This would practice. be useful to a novice, helping in The book is an impassioned critique of that machinery understanding the complex grounded in clinical practice and in an impressive range of discussions in later chapters. research resources. Newnes aims to demystify the ‘psy’ Uttal offers an insightful industry, and he does this by describing in a clear way the overview of functional neural ways in which it has developed and the way it functions networks and succeeds at today. This is an academic and professional industry that is highlighting the pitfalls of creating interlinked with the imperatives of capitalist society, and so network theories from fMRI data. the book attends not only to the powerful economic drivers The book could be taken as giving for an increasingly pernicious individualisation of social a somewhat negative view of the problems but also to the economic forces that produce so field. It would have been beneficial much psychological misery in the first place. to make more of an This is an unusual text in a number of respects, for it acknowledgement throughout of contextualises the debates in personal experience, many the valuable information that can Inscription, of which will resonate with the reader, whether they are be gained from neural network Diagnosis, practitioners, researchers or relatively new to what they might research and data from other Deception and the genuinely believe to be a ‘helping profession’. Theoretical sources (e.g. electrophysiology in Mental Health frameworks are described to enable us to make sense of the animals). Industry: How Psy wounds inflicted on patients, as is the way treatment mutates into Uttal puts forward an Governs Us All assault. Here the book pursues a tightly argued agenda for critical interesting concept, that nodes Craig Newnes participation and empowerment. The book contextualises the within a functional network do not debates reflexively, that is to say, by allowing the reader into the need to be localised anatomically. process of knowledge-construction, to the writing of the book. This This idea could provide a new is by way of events that have a bearing on the arguments in the book and by way of curious insight into brain networks from the tasting notes which tell us something about what substances were ingested or what music was perspective of distributed processes playing as the text was keyed in. Something of the machinery of critique, financial and sensual, as nodes, rather than the heavily is thus laid bare as well as the apparatus of the psy complex that is the focus of the book. studied localisation of function. On the one hand, we are told how someone who is working in one of the ever-expanding Each chapter provides well-written psy professions might take seriously Newnes’s critique without losing heart; and it should be and well-supported arguments for emphasised that this is an angry rather than a pessimistic book. It is cynical about the claims the current problems in the of psychiatry and psychology to make things better, but not about the attempts of critical development of network theories, psychiatrists and psychologists to challenge mainstream thinking and practice. On the other specifically relevant to cognitive hand, we are able to see why attempts to ameliorate abuse can only be successful if they make neuroscientists. alliances with those who use psychological services. Here Newnes also provides links to a range Macroneural Theories in of organisations that bring together service users and critical professional allies. What will Cognitive Neuroscience is an strike some readers is the multiplicity of critical alternatives, and it is clear that not all can be interesting read and enables mentioned. network scientists to consider This is a scholarly contribution that exposes, not for the first time but in a way that is controversial topics in great detail. accessible and enjoyable and up to date, how psychiatry and psychology works, the material conditions under which it has been formed and the forms of resistance that might be elaborated I Psychology Press; 2016; to combat it. Pb £31.99 Reviewed by Stacey A. Bedwell I Palgrave Macmillan; 2016; Hb £63.00 who is at the Division of Reviewed by Professor Ian Parker who is Professor of Management at the University of Leicester Psychology, Nottingham Trent University

398 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 reviews

Glorious… worth absorbing My Beautiful Broken Brain Lotje Sodderland, Sophie Robinson (Directors)

When I teach undergraduates what head is not that of a clinician injuries have taught us about the functioning or experimenter of the brain, there is a clean, unrealistic drawing inferences. quality to the descriptions available in Instead it is a highly textbooks. Clinical neuropsychology personal recounting operates through the reassuring logics of a whole of double dissociation and localisation of phenomenological function. There is a familiar canon of cases, experience, from many of whom are long dead and easy to horror to wonderment. underestimate: Phineas Gage, ‘Tan’, H.M. Through it all The most common response from students Sodderland’s is that such cases are ‘cool’, and I tend to determination, humour notice a gruesome fascination at play. They and profound curiosity are right in some sense: it is staggeringly illuminates everything. interesting to see how damage to the brain The film opens with the terror of the and lends her talent to fleshing out the undoes us, and it is wonderful to learn early stages of a stroke. We hear from her phenomenology of visuospatial neglect (‘If thereby how it usually holds us together. bewildered relatives, who entered her I go on the right side it’s like a whole other But there is also a sense in which my deserted flat (Sodderland had taken herself dimension’), likening her experience to the students are wrong. There is nothing ‘cool’ to hospital, disoriented and alone) to find bizarre universe of David Lynch (who acted about brain injury, least of all a stroke at age ‘faeces and vomit everywhere’. Here is Lotje as executive producer). She jokes too. Being 34, which is what Lotje Sodderland set out staring into her smartphone camera, one taken to an inpatient neurological ward for to record in this utterly beguiling film. It is eye closed, and here she is losing her rehabilitation, she downplays the evident a banality to say that, in the clinical capacity to retrieve the word ‘record’, and dread at her imminent solitude, ‘I’ve got no psychological sciences, the person can get confusing ‘nephew’ for ‘niece’; pulling them sense of space and time, so it’s alright for left out. Saying so is easy, but how do you out of mind after an almost physical me.’ put them back in again? How do you capture struggle. A sociable and passionate young My Beautiful Broken Brain is a glorious the pathos and disorientation, and the deep woman, it seems like Sodderland has lost addition to the genre of ‘first person sense of the uncanny that accompanies everything (‘It’s beyond terrifying,’ she accounts’, but it also feels much more than brain injury in a real human being? Despite heartbreakingly says) and it is frequently that. Much like The Man With a Shattered the profundity of the experience, cheapness painful to behold. World, this is self-authored case study; and exploitation is a dangerous potential But while something is lost, something documentary as ‘romantic science’. It should side-effect of trying to wring a story out of else has survived. Sodderland retained her be filed alongside Luria and his literary tragedy. film-maker’s desire to record life. ‘I’m inheritor Oliver Sacks, and all psychologists My Beautiful Broken Brain makes obsessed with recording everything, and I’m should absorb it. something remarkable out of something unable to remember everything…you’re just awful; like the best understanding gleaned terrified that it’s going to get lost”, she tells I Reviewed by Huw Green who is a PhD from clinical neuropsychology, this is Sophie Robinson, the director she invited to student and trainee clinical psychologist catastrophe turned opportunity, but the voice collaborate on this piece. She thinks in film, based in New York

Balm for your splintered soul? 8 Keys to Forgiveness Robert Enright

While what is considered fair or just varies across culture and a stronger impact if they had been etched in more detail. history, humans, across the world, feel peeved, angry or vengeful The author delineates eight keys or steps as one progresses on when injustice is meted out to them. Whether or not we take the forgiveness journey. As the book is part of a larger 8 Keys series, revenge, in word or deed, most of us are aggrieved when we are the reader should not take the number eight literally as the chapters wronged. And, very often, angry thoughts simmer in our minds long have been chalked out to fit into the series format. The author also after the misdeed or offence was committed. In a sense, we then anticipates how hard it can be to forgive but coaxes the reader to become victims of our own negativity, as bitterness or resentment press on and provides exercises that can help a person become gnaw at our emotional cores. ‘forgivingly-fit’. As this book is written as self-help, its touchy-feely In order to break free from our inner turmoil, Robert Enright tone is unlikely to win over sceptics of the self-improvement suggests that we practise forgiveness. In 8 Keys to Forgiveness, industry. But if you are open to the idea that forgiveness can heal, Enright explains why and how pardoning our offender can be then this book may be the right balm for your splintered soul. The cathartic. From helping incest survivors cope with depression, to author also explains how forgiveness not only helps the individual, cardiac patients exhibiting indices of healthier hearts, to victims of but can affect generations to come. PTSD showing fewer anxious symptoms, forgiveness therapy has far-reaching consequences. While the author also provides a few I W.W. Norton & Co.; 2015; Pb £9.99 case studies to illustrate the transformative power of forgiveness, Reviewed by Aruna Sankaranarayanan who is Director, PRAYATNA, they are rather short and sketchy. The case studies would have had a centre for children with learning difficulties in India

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 399 reviews

Sting like a bee I Am the Greatest: Muhammad Ali at the O2 O2 Arena

I have wrestled with an alligator, I done development of the tussled with a whale. character we think we I done handcuffed lightning, throw’d know: the unshakable thunder in jail. confidence, the self- That’s bad. presentation as ‘the Only last week I murdered a rock, greatest’ developing long injured a stone, hospitalized a brick. before any real boxing I’m so mean, I make medicine sick. success. We’re then taken Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, Muhammad through Ali’s incredible Ali went on to become one of the most rise through the recognisable figures in the history of sport. amateur ranks, leading Named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the up his gold medal Century in 1999, there is no doubt that Ali is winning performance in a sporting icon for the ages. In 1964, at just the 1960 Olympics, his 22 years old, Ali (still known as Cassius Clay inevitable decision to at the time) became Heavyweight Champion turn professional, and of the World. Three years later, having joined the beginnings of his the Nation of Islam and changed his name, relationship with trainer Ali refused to be drafted into the US military Angelo Dundee. The to fight in Vietnam. He was charged with relationship between draft evasion, stripped of his boxing title and athlete and coach is of passport, and was denied a boxing licence in vital importance in elite every US state. For almost four years, during sport, and while the what would have been the peak of his impact of Dundee on Ali athletic career, he was denied the is alluded to more than opportunity to compete, yet Ali went on to once in the commentary, become the only man in history to win the I was left wanting to know a little replica belts, medals and robes, and it’s well heavyweight title three times. more about this aspect of Ali’s career. put together; but for me, the tale being told Muhammad Ali is much more than just a Visitors then enter an impressive is more important, more captivating, than sporting icon; he is a cultural icon. ‘I Am the rotunda, filled with rolling video clips of Ali’s the artefacts on display. Greatest: Muhammad Ali at the O2’ captures most memorable fights, and it’s interesting The triumph of this exhibition is in the Ali’s journey of triumph, loss, notoriety, and for the non-boxing experts to hear about story. The collection of Ali’s greatest fights, redemption, through a collection of videos, Ali’s inimitable style while watching his most the audio commentary that adds some photographs and memorabilia, all tied iconic performances. It’s here though that personal insight, the photographs adorning together by an audio tour, with commentary the chronological presentation falls down the walls, all in one place, are what makes provided largely by Davis Miller, Ali’s close somewhat. The audio tour, directs us this exhibition worthwhile. We’re only given friend and biographer. immediately away from this section, into a brief look at Ali’s later life and his battle Before visitors even see the entrance to an area where we learn more about Ali’s with Parkinson’s disease, but photographs the exhibition area, they can expect to hear conversion to Islam, his draft evasion of him with the Dali Lama, Malcom X, and commentary from Ali’s most famous bouts charge, and the loss of his title (which we Bill Clinton, amongst others, as well as as they walk around the 02. Once inside, the don’t know that he’s won yet, because that’s more personal stories from Davis Miller, first room of the exhibition shows us the on the other side of the exhibition). Again, I show clearly how Ali has cemented his place familiar Ali, training, sparring and enjoying would actually have liked to see more about in history. his playful, poetic relationship with the this period in Ali’s career, his transition from Finally, sitting in a mock-up boxing ring, press. A corridor of beautiful, wall-sized, sporting personality to civil rights activist, to we’re treated to a video montage of Ali’s black-and-white photographs of Ali follows, cultural icon during a turbulent time in career, which beautifully brings into giving an insight into the hard work, the American history. While ‘I Am the Greatest’ perspective everything we’ve seen motivation, and the commitment required to certainly captures the significant moments throughout the exhibition. It’s a strangely be as successful an athlete as he was. It’s of this period, the impact of the section is emotional experience as we end, in stark genuinely inspiring. somewhat diminished by that fact that we contrast to the opening segment, with We're then taken back to Ali’s childhood haven’t yet learned just how much Ali had a man subdued by Parkinson’s disease, in what I assume is going to be the start of to lose by the decisions he made. quiet, reflective, but still Muhammad Ali… a chronologically presented showcase of Back to the central area of the still ‘The Greatest’. Ali’s career. We get to read and hear about exhibition, though, we’re guided through a Ali’s neighbourhood, family and upbringing history of Ali’s fights, with a useful timeline I I Am the Greatest runs until 31 August at in Louisville, Kentucky, all in the context of for those confused by the somewhat the O2 Arena, London. the almost inconceivable politics of the time. distracting layout. The collection of www.aliattheo2.com/theexhibition.php We also learn how Ali became involved with memorabilia here, and indeed throughout Reviewed by Dr Peter Olusoga who is boxing, and I would urge visitors to spend the exhibition, isn’t what I would describe as Senior Lecturer in Sport Psychology at some time here, getting to see a little of the ‘the greatest’. There are signed gloves, and Sheffield Hallam University

400 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 reviews

A moving journey Exudes authenticity Inside the Mind of a Gambler: The Hidden Addiction and Sugar and Snails How to Stop Anne Goodwin Stephen Renwick Fiction can be what it wishes – reliable, unreliable, truthful This book offers an insightful vision refreshing to read. Having myself or deceitful – and in the hands of someone with grounding into the nature of a pathological only dealt with a theoretical side of and knowledge, it can do those things with integrity. This is gambling addiction, successfully gambling addiction, it allowed me what Goodwin achieves in her penetrative story of Diana’s exploring the many challenges to explore gambling truly through self-discovery, and it’s a riveting read. experienced by affected cases and the mind of a gambler. It begins in the middle, proceeding then in intermittent helpful ways in which to recover. Guy’s moving journey, flashbacks reminiscent of PTSD, skimming the peaks of past The book is split into two well- from devastating situations to events, then plummeting into their valleys. You discover written sections. It begins with a a gambling-free life, through self- Diana alongside Diana herself, although there are hints on fascinating case of a gambler called help and strength, provides a the way for the sharp-minded. ‘Dropping the knife, I bring my Guy, highlighting his subjective wonderful sense of hopefulness! arm to my mouth: the vibrant colour, the taste of hot coins, experiences, challenges and His advice, along with the author’s the pain as sharp as vinegar spearing the fug of nothingness inspirational recovery. The author depth of explanation, I believe has with the promise of peace.’ The language is raw at times, then considers psychological great potential to provide support academically precise at others. Goodwin’s character, a theories of gambling, identifying to practising professionals, as well psychologist, questions, denies, and stumbles towards her potential predisposing and as to affected cases on a path to own truth in a way that exudes authenticity. Where precipitating factors, an recovery. Overall, an insightful, professionals can describe and categorise trauma and amalgamation of relevant engaging and well-written book. evaluate the extent to which individuals deal with it, fiction aetiological theories, and an delivered by a writer who knows not only how to craft her excellent section regarding I Trafford Publishing; 2015; Pb £5.54 words but also what those words should be communicating treatment approaches. Reviewed by Despina Lazarou can bang it home with vivid, unrelenting imagery. I particularly enjoyed the who holds a master’s degree in chapter partly written in the form abnormal and clinical psychology I Inspired Quill; 2015; Pb £8.99. Reviewed by Dr Suzanne of an interview between Stephen and is an honorary assistant Conboy-Hill, a former consultant psychologist with Sussex Renwick and Guy: it was honest and psychologist Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and writer of short fiction.

A case for more support clear to me as a psychologist that there is a massive amount of Employable Me work we could usefully be doing, BBC Two contributing not only to the better working of society (by better use It's 9.41pm and I'm sitting here of our people’s skills) but helping weeping over a telly programme, my individuals to feel more accepted. heart full of compassion for Brett, (Brett’s employer, after the two- who has just been offered a work trial. week work trial, described him Finally, an employer has seen past as a ‘considered, delicate, Brett’s communication difficulties and bucketful of intelligence,’ and is prepared to give him a chance to while I'm sure that Brett is much use his skills. My joy knows no limits, more than that, isn't that a lovely and that's what the programme phrase?) makers were no doubt after: to raise And yet, the need is still there. awareness and engage our emotions. We could be helping both individuals By following two individuals, we come to understand more about and society. But we are not being asked to. Why is that? And what can their struggles with autistic thinking, and Tourette’s syndrome, and be done about it? there are examples of strengths given too. Personally, I would have P.S. The two specialists featured, Simon Baron-Cohen and Nancy liked more explanation about the conditions, and both the struggles Doyle, both did a great job as ambassadors for psychology. But am I and the talents; perhaps these will be covered in later episodes. As the only one who noticed that Simon Baron-Cohen is always referred a nation, it seems we don't understand neurodiversity very well. to in the voiceover using his full name, whereas there was a Wouldn't it be great if this stuff could be taught in schools? (I know, reference to ‘Occupational psychologist Nancy’? Please, BBC, tell me that applies to psychology generally, doesn't it? C’mon, let's start you are not being sexist! a revolution…) Also, job interviews: poor validity, and so often an unnecessary barrier. Discuss. I Reviewed by Sarah Cleaver who is a Chartered Psychologist; along On hand as ‘informed advocates’ were psychologists Professor with Nancy Doyle, who featured in the programme, she co-convenes Simon Baron-Cohen and Nancy Doyle, to explain to employers what the Division of Occupational Psychology’s Working Group on the individual is capable of and what their challenges are. The Neurodiversity and Employment. Contact Sarah on programme gave the impression that neither protagonist had [email protected]. The working group is hosting a two-day received much help with their employment struggles; they had each Learning a Living workshop in September on assessments for had a diagnosis, and there the support appeared to have ended. It's neurodiverse adults; please contact [email protected] for details.

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 401 reviews

A particularly elegant mathematical formula Calculating Kindness Camden People’s Theatre

A quote on the cover of Oren receptionist that she is mistaken Harman’s biography of in her thoughts about humanity. American population geneticist Whatever people may feel about George Price says that it ‘would free will, morality, and love, he make a great film (probably says, everything about us is the starring Matt Damon).’ His life result of deterministic genetic certainly provides the template evolution. With hints of mania, for a very impressive play. Price proclaims that he has lead to evolutionary altruism but tenuous, people who care about Bursting onto the stage, recently fashioned a particularly so too might being unerringly him find it increasingly difficult Price (played by Adam Burton) elegant mathematical formula socially oblivious and utterly to maintain or re-establish a announces that most people that expresses the crux of self-serving. Depending on the connection with him. At the probably won’t understand evolutionary theory perfectly. environment, almost any play’s bleakest moment, Price much of what he says, given In almost the same breath, he behavioural trait can result in completely disappears from that he has inherited traits of mentions that he has also evolutionary altruism – or view and is replaced by a slowly extraordinarily high intellect recently abandoned his wife and indeed in evolutionary spreading dark stain. Despite and a genius for all things two small children. 'selfishness'. Besides, most many excellent comic moments reasonable and scientific. He In this scene, Price clearly everyday behaviours are neither throughout the play, the mood makes these claims at articulates the difference determined solely by specific moves inexorably from breakneck speed and with such between 'evolutionary altruism' inherited traits nor have any ebullience to a sombre and a charming, disarming, finely and near-synonyms for significant evolutionary effect. troubling sense of loss. honed wit that the audience 'altruism' in everyday life, such Price gradually loses both This is a clever play and immediately warms to him. as benevolence, charity and the clarity of this distinction with great creativity it explores Almost the first thing he does kindness. The former is a and his grasp of reality more multiple issues, including after coming on stage is shake theoretically described generally. He begins to see ambition, identity, meaning, hands with everyone in the front phenomenon in which genes everything as resulting solely responsibility, sanity, truth and row. But very little in this play for inherited traits become less from evolutionary processes, value. Ultimately, it concerns has a single unambiguous numerous in successive and he increasingly desperately relationships of all sorts, e.g. meaning and even this gesture generations, a process that struggles to find room in the between science and theatre, of seemingly straightforward should usually result in world for anything else of value intellect and feeling, theory and intimacy and connection extinction of those traits as or meaning. At one stage he practice, reality and illusion, deserves reflection and inherited characteristics. appears to claim that the colour continuity and change, interpretation. And as the play Despite common use of the of the shirts in his wardrobe is intentions and consequences, and Price’s life story unfolds, word 'altruism', evolutionary the result of Darwinian and, of course, between people. keeping a firm grip on what altruism and behaviours selection. Price’s descent things truly mean becomes ever motivated by desires to help into madness is echoed by I Reviewed by Tom Farsides more challenging. others have no necessary increasingly chaotic scenes on who is a Lecturer in Social In a key scene early in the connection. Being considerate stage. As his connection with Psychology at the University of play, Price ‘mansplains’ to a and helpful might sometimes the world becomes ever more Sussex ‘You say coaching, I say…’ The Art of Coaching: A Handbook of Tips and Tools Jenny Bird & Sarah Gornall

As an NHS clinical psychologist, I’d often far so good with pinching their ideas! The in touch and generous to readers to choose wondered how coaching might fit in with ‘coachee’ (trainee, client, employee?) is how to use the book and to let the authors therapy and other responsibilities (e.g. encouraged to express their thoughts and know ‘where it has taken you’. supervision, mentoring and managing staff). feelings in a diagram or drawing to see I’d anticipate this book as probably I should say that the book is for coaches and things afresh and to develop a plan of action particularly valuable to coaches but would those already familiar with coaching but the that is relevant and unique to them – the suggest that therapists, mentors and authors say that it can be used in practical visualisation of ‘issues’ intended to managers see it as a kind of play-box of leadership, decision making, managing clarify where someone is at and where they interesting ideas (some no doubt already change and supervision contexts. So that’s might go. familiar), to help share, clarify and maybe a shoe-in for adopting it in situations and The authors encourage boldness and solve what’s going wrong and what might go with people where it might help. creativity in using the tips and tools, right. Communication, learning, influencing, They introduce the book gamely as described clearly and succinctly in eight facilitation – what’s not to try? ‘a book of drawings’ to stimulate visual chapters with the same format: what this is, thinking, help people see the world in how we use it and putting it into action. They I Routledge; 2016; Pb £24.99 different ways and to emphasise relationship suggest dipping into the book for fun and Reviewed by Marie Stewart who is a at the heart of the enterprise of coaching. So inspiration, with their overall approach light Principal Clinical Psychologist

402 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 reviews

A questioning film Anomalisa Charlie Kaufman (Director)

The writer and director of the film Anomalisa, Charlie Kaufman, is that they are being persecuted by the person in disguise. Michael not a psychologist. But he is obviously fascinated by the human does not appear paranoid, although he is depressed. But then he psyche, and has used psychology in playful and imaginative ways in hears a different voice in the corridor, a woman’s voice (Jennifer previous films (such as autobiographical memory in Eternal Sunshine Jason Leigh), and everything changes. of the Spotless Mind). His films also always have a surreal bent, and Kaufman has been here before. In Being John Malkovitch, which Anomalisa is no different. Kaufman wrote, John Malkovitch finds himself in a restaurant where It was made using a painstakingly stop-motion animation every single man, woman and child is played by John Malkovitch. It method, with foot-high puppets. The medium means that there’s no is both extremely funny and sinister. Anomalisa is never quite that pretence of ‘reality’, but the storyline is all too boringly real. Michael funny or menacing, although it does have one scene of unsurpassed Stone (voiced by David Thewlis) is a well-known author and speaker, awkwardness and embarrassment, which human actors could not flying into Cincinnati for one night to promote his book. We see Michael arrive on the plane; take a taxi to his hotel (driven by an aggressively chatty driver); check into the hotel; follow the porter carrying his small bag, and listen to a description of the room and its facilities. Each step has a ritual that cannot be short-circuited. There’s not just the politeness that two strangers must show each other, there’s the fact that one is the customer, and the other is providing a service. Naturally, the book that Michael is promoting is about giving good customer service. But what about the customer himself? What if he doesn’t care about ‘customer service’? What if he just wants to get to the hotel and lie down in his room with minimal human interaction? Anyone who has ever felt dehumanised by a stay in a chain hotel for one night (which must be everyone) will sympathise. But it’s during Michael’s journey to his hotel room that the central conceit of the film becomes apparent (this has been widely reported, but don’t read on if you want it to remain a surprise). Everyone except Michael looks the same. Everyone except Michael has the same voice better. It is, however, a questioning film. Kaufman is interested in (provided by Tom Noonan). It takes a little while to realise this, physical appearance, and especially faces: What does it mean to be maybe because puppet faces are not human faces, and have an in a world where faces are not unique? But he is saying much more intrinsic ‘sameness’. The effect is deadening, confusing, about identity, and the essence of being human. Identical faces disconcerting. might be a metaphor for our identical (deluded?) selves – is the only The hotel Michael has checked into is called The Fragoli, which real difference between us is that you order a Cobb salad and I order is a reference to Fragoli delusion, a rare delusional misidentification steak from room service? It’s likely you’ll leave Anomalisa deep in syndrome. This is the delusion that different people are the same thought, which is rare for Hollywood, and praise indeed. person, but in disguise or with otherwise changed appearance. It is normally a paranoid delusion, with the delusional person believing I Reviewed by Kate Johnstone who is Associate Editor for 'Reviews’

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read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 405 Langhamer at the University of Sussex investigated the Happiness data held in the Mass Observation Archive housed at Sussex (Gazeley & Langhamer, 2013). Then we re-ran the competition in collaboration with the The Bolton News Happiness then and now in 2014, providing a unique comparative dataset of the perceptions of residents in Sandie McHugh and Jerome Carson describe two happiness surveys from Bolton, Bolton on happiness collected 76 years LOOKING BACK LOOKING 76 years apart apart. In 1938 75 per cent of Bolton residents found it easier to be happier in Bolton than in Blackpool. As one housewife put it, ‘Bolton is where home here has been an explosion of appeared in The Bolton Evening News on is’, whereas a 19-year-old junior clerk popular interest in the topic of 28 April 1938: ‘You are asked to write preferred Blackpool because of its healthy Thappiness in the last decade simply what you personally think is air and holiday atmosphere. Indeed involving psychologists (Ben-Shahar, HAPPINESS for you and yours. Don’t ‘bracing’ sea air must have been a 2008; Lyubomirsky, 2014) and economists bother about style or grammar just write welcome change to the smog-infused air (Layard, 2011; Dolan, 2015). Journalists it down.’ (This was not the first that can be seen clinging to the town in and headteachers have been getting in on newspaper to request its readers to write contemporary photographs. Although the act (Bormans, 2012; Seldon, 2015). happiness letters. A few months earlier, many respondents worked long hours, But this exploration of happiness is not the Daily Mirror had asked if its readers often a six day week and sometimes in a new phenomenon. Here, we report on were happy, and if so to write 200 words the dirty and dangerous conditions of pioneering research that was conducted in about their secret of happiness.) heavy engineering and mining, the the UK town of Bolton in 1938, which we Bolton residents posted their letters majority of respondents (72 per cent) replicated in 2014 (McHugh & Carson, to 85 Davenport Street in Bolton, and in reported they were equally happy during 2014). We summarise some of the key return the 226 writers were each sent a weekdays and at weekends. findings of this research and provide some questionnaire. It requested information on Around 40 per cent of respondents insights into what made townsfolk happy the respondent’s age and job, and asked considered that luck was connected to then and now. them how often were they really happy, happiness. This could relate to the weekly whether it is easier to be happier at the draw on the football pools, as a 25-year- weekend, in midweek or if it was all the old hoped to be lucky enough to ‘win a ‘Worktown’ in the 1930s same. What did they think about ‘luck’: little’, or to circumstances as a 36-year-old As far as we can ascertain, one of the did that have anything to do with spinner reported that continuous bad first public surveys into happiness was happiness? As Blackpool was the main luck can bring on depression. A clerical conducted in 1938 as part of the Mass day trip and holiday resort for Boltonians, worker was emphatic: ‘No! Luck has Observation Study and sought to courtesy of frequent special trains, nothing to do with happiness.’ investigate a ‘typical Northern industrial respondents were to say whether it was In the ranking of 10 aspects of town’. Bolton was chosen, though the easier to be happy in Blackpool or Bolton. happiness, ‘more security’ and ‘religion’ researchers referred to it as ‘Worktown’. Finally they were asked to number 10 were high up the list for many The Mass Observation Study was aspects of happiness in order of individuals. A 36-year-old milkman originally set up in 1937 by the importance: more equality; beauty; ranked ‘security’ first and ‘leadership and anthropologist Tom Harrisson, poet leadership and authority; pleasure; authority’ as 10, commenting that he was Charles Madge and filmmaker Humphrey security; politics; religion; humour; always happy as he ‘restricted his desires Jennings. Their aim was to research the knowledge; action. to his pocket’. A 59-year-old weaver who everyday life of ordinary people via The Mass Observation Study was considered happiness came from a participant observation, photography and revived in 1981 after a dormant period healthy state of mind ranked ‘religion’, self-reflective expressions in essays and from the 1960s. But the data from the ‘knowledge’ and ‘security’ 1–3, with interviews, along with participation in letters and the questionnaires were not ‘pleasure’ and ‘politics’ at 9 and 10. A competitions advertised in the local press. analysed until the next century, when in 44-year-old collier put ‘more equality’ at As part of the study, an advertisement 2012 the historians Ian Gazeley and Claire number 1 with ‘beauty’ at 2 and ‘leadership’ at 10. The top three aspects of happiness for all the respondents were ‘security’ (a third had placed this at the top of their list); ‘knowledge’; and then Ben-Shahar, T. (2008). Happier: Can you Observation’s Bolton. History learn to be happy? London: The Workshop Journal, 75(1), 151–189. ‘religion’. ‘Politics’ was ranked at 10, with Observer Press. Layard, R. (2011). Happiness: Lessons from ‘leadership’ at 9 and ‘leisure’ 8. Bormans, L. (Ed.) (2012). The world book a new science. London: Penguin. The top place for security is not

references of happiness. London: Marshall Lyubomirsky, S. (2014). The how of surprising when we consider that there Cavendish. happiness. London: Piatkus. was no welfare state in 1938. Dolan, P. (2015). Happiness by design: McHugh, S. & Carson, J. (2014). The Contributory benefits were available for Finding pleasure and purpose in changing nature of happiness. History workers only when unemployed or sick: everyday life. London: Penguin. Today, 64(12), 4–5. for everyone else, there was a form of Gazeley, I. & Langhamer, C. (2013). The Seldon, A. (2015). Beyond happiness. meagre means-tested allowance. Health meanings of happiness in Mass London: Yellow Kite. care was provided at a voluntary hospital.

406 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 looking back

It would be another decade before the concerned about having enough: Mrs However, the comments from the NHS was formed and the welfare state set Pasquill wrote: ‘Money by itself can’t buy questionnaires in 2014 indicate that up. The high placement of ‘knowledge’ you happiness, but it makes you happy having ‘enough’ may often be more about may be due to the desire for learning and and contented to know you have enough being able to afford experiences, such as understanding. The vast majority left for all your requirements and a little put holidays and leisure pursuits, rather than school at 14, and with no internet or TV, by for a rainy day.’ She also referred, as just enough to eat. ‘Good humour’ was knowledge was not as readily available as did many of her fellow writers, to the the top aspect of happiness in 2014, up today. The importance of religion reflects central role of religion in her life ‘having from fourth, with the importance of the 200 churches and chapels in the town faith and trust in God’. Mrs Maxwell ‘leisure’ also rising, to third up from for a population of around 177,000. describes her spiritual quest as ‘putting eighth position in 1938. Thirty-nine per What do the letters from mass yourself last and being ready to serve cent of 2014 respondents found it easier observation in 1938 tell us about the others’. On wishing for a world at peace, to be happy at weekends, compared with perceptions of happiness at that time Mrs Ruston also treasures the love of her only 26 per cent in 1938. Religion prior to the Second World War? There family and a few close friends. dropped from third place to tenth in were momentous developments on the 2014: although Bolton has 81 places of European stage, with a victory for worship, the town has seen a continual General Franco in the Spanish Civil War, ‘Leisure’ town in 2014? decline in church attendances as has the and the occupation of Austria and parts of In the 2014 questionnaire ‘leisure’ rest of the UK. Czechoslovakia by Hitler’s armies. In their replaced ‘pleasure’ and ‘security’ became The role of luck remained unchanged, 2013 analysis, Gazeley and Langhamer ‘economic security’ to reflect 21st century with around 40 per cent of respondents estimate that less than 1 in 25 of the change of discourse. (Happiness letters connecting it with happiness. Whereas letters refer to world events. Happiness indicated that pleasure meant free time 75 per cent of 1938 residents were happier was mainly to be found in the home and and security did not refer to prevention of in Bolton than in Blackpool, this had personal relationships. A miner, Joseph crime but to making ends meet.) As letter declined to 39 per cent preferring to be in Roberts, summed up the main elements writing had declined in the 21st century, Bolton than elsewhere in 2014, perhaps of happiness for many Bolton residents we left space on the 2014 questionnaire reflecting the importance of holidays. Yet for Boltonians to the majority (60 per cent) of those who express their personal reported a high enjoyment in daily life view of happiness. were happiest in Bolton and found The web or paper happiness every day. On the question of questionnaire was very the link between wealth and happiness, similar to that of 1938, 77 per cent of respondents declared there with the 10 aspects of was none. The essence of happiness as happiness, frequency, reflected in the comments was rooted in time of week, venue family, friends, pets, and leisure activities. and luck questions. As ‘Happiness is simple things like going out an additional measure for a walk with the dog. You don’t need to frequency of tons of materials things to be happy’ (47- happiness we included year-old employed woman). To a young an enjoyment question woman in her twenties, ‘spending time and requested with family and friends’ brought respondents to indicate happiness. ‘Having free time and enough on a Likert scale 1–10 money to do what I want’ was the choice from ‘not at all’ to of a 50-year-old employed male. Other Bolton was chosen for the 1938 survey as a ‘typical Northern ‘completely’ how much comments illustrate the concern for industrial town’, and the survey was repeated in 2014 they enjoyed their meeting living expenses with a 39-year- daily life. To ascertain old male citing ‘the ability to provide a when he described his homecoming from the importance of the consumer society, good standard of living for my family’ the pit. ‘I see my kiddies and wife I am we asked whether happiness was directly whilst a 36-year-old woman found happy. When I am washed and romp with linked to material possessions and wealth. happiness in ‘having a good secure job’. my kiddies, and when it is weekend and The Bolton News was pleased to run a Conducting this research has provided I tip up my humble wage and share with ‘Happy Week’ in February 2014, us with a sense of how happiness has my wife in doling it out and we find we providing information on the 1938 mass changed for Boltonians of the 1930s and can manage another week we are happy. observation along with articles on how to in 2014. The original 1938 letters have I am in regular work although it is hard be happy and stories from local residents proved to be an invaluable teaching tool, and dangerous but I am happy because of their own experiences. This resulted in with today’s psychology students. They I have a contented mind, I can supply the 489 completed questionnaires from the have helped them see how concepts of sheckles to keep me and mine.’ weblink at the newspaper and paper happiness have changed across the last Indeed, being free of worry and questionnaires available in Bolton town century, and no doubt will continue to having enough to live on was not taken centre. do so. for granted in 1938, but acclaimed as a Only ‘economic security’ maintained a cause for happiness. Mrs Taylor wrote ‘to place in the top three aspects of happiness I Sandie McHugh is an Honorary Research be free from worry as you have enough in both 1938 and 2014, moving from first Fellow and Jerome Carson is Professor of money for a little pleasure and to keep to second place. Having enough to meet Psychology in the School of Education and you straight’. Most of the writers did not living expenses is a major concern, Psychology at the University of Bolton desire riches and wealth, but they were regardless of the provision of welfare. [email protected]

read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 407 apply one special branch of sexy haircut, my entire career physics to car crashes and would have turned out … with Peter Kinderman differentiate this from the differently! laws of physics that apply to ‘normal life’. We all use the One thing that organised ‘How to fight against same basic processes to psychology could do better

ONE ON understand the world, even Pretty much everything. if we come to very different The APA is strong, effective, creation’ conclusions. There simply isn’t visible, powerful. But there an ‘abnormal psychology’ that are many things that the APA applies to distress or explains could have done with that ‘illnesses’ and a different strength – support reforms of ‘normal psychology’ that the American healthcare applies to everything else. system, oppose the appalling One book One inspiration There is just psychology. gun culture in the US, speak The Plague, by Nobel prize- Just after I qualified as a out more about racial and winner and existential clinical psychologist, I had the One choice social inequity. And, of course, philosopher Albert Camus. chance to pursue a combined Psychologists should the Guantanamo Bay This book transformed my academic and clinical career remember that we are all warterboarding scandal still personal philosophy of life. by working with Richard either fighting for social justice casts a shadow. Camus discusses the choices Bentall, who became my PhD or morally bankrupt we make in an unfair, absurd supervisor and general if we aren’t. Read and (at least in my mind) inspiration, mentor, colleague The Spirit Level by deterministic universe. The and occasional sparring Kate Pickett and hero of the novel, Dr Rieux, partner. I went to meet Richard Wilkinson. is challenged as to why he Richard to discuss the It isn’t a continues to provide medical possibility of collaborating ‘psychology’ book, care without any hope of on some research – he was it’s more economic success: ‘… in this respect already well known in sociology, but it Rieux believed himself to be psychology circles. It was the highlights not only on the right road – in fighting day of Margaret Thatcher’s how unequal we are against creation as he found it.’ resignation as leader of the as a society, but also The world constrains our Tory Party and therefore Prime the level of harm freedom of action: the purpose Minister. I was waiting outside that this inequality of life is still to make moral his office, a little nervous, causes. I think choices even in the face of when he sprung into the psychologists that unfairness and absurdity. corridor, looked up and down, should read it for We can’t choose our genes, we saw me and said (the first the ‘Camus’ point – can’t choose our childhoods, words he said to me): ‘The that so much of our we can’t influence much of bitch has resigned!’ Sometimes experience as what happens to us in our you can form an impression of human beings, even lives, and we can’t choose to someone quite swiftly. our thinking, is constrained by The BPS has many of those change our personal history. our social circumstances, our faults too – it seems to be And yet, like Rieux, we can One nugget of advice for culture, our upbringing and weirdly reluctant to campaign still choose how to respond; aspiring psychologists learning. And psychologists on issues of importance to how to fight against creation. Say yes… to everything within should also read it to ask members, let alone members reason. ‘psychological’ questions: In of the public. It’s a charity, what sense is our thinking with a statutory requirement Peter Kinderman One thing that you would shaped by our environment, to promote psychological is Professor of Clinical change about psychology and how does that happen? science for the good of Psychology at the I’d remove the concept of What gives some people the citizens. In my mind the BPS University of Liverpool, ‘abnormal psychology’ from resilience, creativity or is wonderful, but it really does and Society President our thinking, from our motivation to become need to do better in almost p.kinderman@ textbooks, from our curricula. statistical outliers and achieve every area of its operations. liverpool.ac.uk We don’t expect scientists to more than their social cohort? That’s not just ‘the BPS’, it’s What role does professional members, too – members of psychology have in the battle the BPS should be out there, for universal human rights on the radio, on TV, writing to Growing up with psychologists, second wave positive psychology, and social justice? Ministers and their MPs, and much more... asking questions on Question I Contribute: See www.thepsychologist.org.uk/contribute or talk to the One regret Time… and helping ‘the editor, Dr Jon Sutton, on [email protected], +44 116 252 9573 A very radical haircut I had Society’ by writing reports, 24 hours before beginning articles for the newspapers, coming soon coming I Comment: email the editor, the Leicester office, or tweet @psychmag. I To advertise: Reach a large and professional audience at bargain filming for a BBC Horizon leaflets for the public and rates: see details on inside front cover. programme. If only I’d been even, sorry, by joining able to appear on TV with a committees.

408 vol 29 no 5 may 2016 President Professor Jamie Hacker Find out more online Hughes President Elect at… www.bps.org.uk Professor Peter Kinderman

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The Society has offices in Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow and Society vacancies London, as well as the main office in Leicester. All The Psychologist enquiries should be addressed Associate Editor for Book Reviews to the Leicester office (see See advert p.405 inside front cover for address). Contact Dr Jon Sutton [email protected] Closing date 9 May 2016 The British Psychological Society was founded in 1901, and incorporated by Royal Charter SOCIETY NOTICES in 1965. Its object is ‘to promote the advancement and Postgraduate and Postdoctoral Study Visit Schemes – call for applications See p.i diffusion of a knowledge of CPD Workshops 2016 See p.iv BPS conferences and events See p.374 psychology pure and applied Psychology of Education Section Annual Conference, Birmingham, 28–29 October 2016 and especially to promote the See p.375 efficiency and usefulness of Research Seminars Competition 2016 – submissions invited See p.376 Members of the Society by DCP Faculty for Children, Young People & Their Families Conference, Sheffield, 4–5 setting up a high standard of October 2016 See p.379 Psychology in the Pub (South West of England Branch) See p.380 professional education and Division of Counselling Psychology Annual Conference, Brighton, 8–9 July 2016 See p.389 knowledge’. Extract from The Charter APT: taking care of your professional development.

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