Psychologist Vol 28 No 3 March 2015
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the psychologist vol 28 no 3 march 2015 www.thepsychologist.org.uk Words and sorcery Simon Oxenham and Jon Sutton consider the causes of bad writing in psychology, and its impact letters 172 eldercare: the new frontier 202 news 184 sweet memories 206 careers 236 sexual identity at work 212 reviews 244 masculinity, trauma and ‘shell shock’ 250 Contact The British Psychological Society the psychologist... St Andrews House 48 Princess Road East ...features Leicester LE1 7DR 0116 254 9568 [email protected] www.bps.org.uk The Psychologist www.thepsychologist.org.uk Words and sorcery www.psychapp.co.uk 198 [email protected] Simon Oxenham and Jon Sutton consider the causes and consequences of bad writing tinyurl.com/thepsychomag in psychology @psychmag Eldercare: The new frontier of work–family balance 202 Advertising Lisa Calvano on the psychological impact of Reach 50,000 psychologists caring for spouses and parents at very reasonable rates. Display Aaron Hinchcliffe 020 7880 7661 198 Sweet memories 206 [email protected] Michael A. Smith looks at glucose effects on Recruitment (in print and online human memory performance at www.psychapp.co.uk) Giorgio Romano 020 7880 7556 Managing and coping with sexual identity [email protected] at work 212 Y. Barry Chung, Tiffany K. Chang and February 2015 issue Ciemone S. Rose consider LGBT issues 53,383 dispatched New voices: Are we mindful of how we talk Printed by about mindfulness? Warners Midlands plc 216 on 100 per cent recycled Kate Williams with the latest in our series for paper. Please re-use or recycle. budding writers ISSN 0952-8229 ...reports 202 news 184 thinking machines; scars; cigarette packaging; 23 questions about scientists; and more society 226 © Copyright for all published material is held by the British Psychological Society President’s column; conversion therapy 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, Charlie Lewis, trace the copyright holders of all Wendy Morgan, Paul Redford, Mark Wetherell, Jill Wilkinson illustrations. If we have unwittingly Conferences Alana James History of Psychology Nathalie Chernoff infringed copyright, we will be pleased, on being satisfied as to the owner’s Interviews Gail Kinman, Mark Sergeant Reviews Emma Norris Viewpoints Catherine Loveday title, to pay an appropriate fee. International panel Vaughan Bell, Uta Frith, Alex Haslam, Elizabeth Loftus the psychologist vol 28 no 3 march 2015 the issue ...debates Academic writing can be beautiful. It can be elegant, whimsical, moving, letters 172 funny, passionate, persuasive. But psychologists against austerity; public engagement; the right to be forgotten; mostly it’s not. What we read in anonymous contributors; the fitness to practise process; and more books, journals, yes, even in these pages, often leaves us cold. Why do ...digests many psychologists write so badly? Other scientists have pondered dismissing evidence from psychology; bad managers; the Cyranoid illusion; this question: for example, see how brains respond to corporations; and more from our free Research Digest. Stephen Heard’s call ‘to deliver (and See www.bps.org.uk/digest for more, including episode one of PsychCrunch 192 to value) pleasure along with function in our scientific writing’ (tinyurl.com/pdlfmnf). Amongst ...meets much support for this notion on social media were complaints that interview 220 such attempts had been quashed by an interactive mind: Jon Sutton talks to Andreas Roepstorff (Aarhus University) editors – is the academic system careers 236 simply not set up for beauty? we talk to social psychologist Robin Goodwin; hear about the role of Or is there more to it than that? psychological well-being practitioner from Katie Bogart; and Harriet Mills tells On p.198 Simon Oxenham and I us about her work with Triumph Over Phobia discuss the uncomfortable idea that there is some sorcery at play… that one on one 252 obscure writing not only survives but with Peter Venables, Emeritus Professor at the University of York and winner thrives, because it works. We then of the Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award get tips from psychologists who do write well, and seek your views. ...reviews Talking of beauty in prose, see Eye on fiction: A disquieting look at dementia 222 our website for our first poetry Mike Bender provides a critique of Lisa Genova’s novel competition (and so much more). Still Alice, the film adaptation of which is out this month And over on www.bps.org.uk/digest, listen to the new Digest podcast! also 244 Dr Jon Sutton the usual mix of books and other media reviews, Managing Editor @psychmag including The Eichmann Show, The Hard Problem at the National Theatre, a synaesthetic dining experience, Invisibilia, Happy Maps and much more 222 ...looks back Masculinity, trauma and ‘shell shock’ 250 Tracey Loughran delivers a fitting tribute to the men who suffered in the First World War, and more modern conflicts Five years ago The Psychologist and Digest Go to www.thepsychologist.org.uk Editorial Advisory Committee for our archive, Big picture centre-page pull-out Catherine Loveday (Chair), Phil Banyard, including Alison the path to participation: Society Olivia Craig, Helen Galliard, Harriet Gross, Gopnik on the award winner Guy Holmes on ‘walk Rowena Hill, Stephen McGlynn, Tony supreme infant and talk’, part of a growing Wainwright, Peter Wright movement in community psychology read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk Have you visited The Psychologist’s new website? Dr Jon Sutton, Managing Editor of The Psychologist, said: ‘For me, the relaunch has fundamentally changed the nature of The Psychologist. Yes, our priority remains the print edition for members. But it has been exciting to present regularly changing, exclusive and multimedia content on our homepage. Open access material can fulfil the Society’s Royal Charter objective of disseminating a knowledge of psychology, and we’re sharing widely on Twitter @psychmag. So take a look at what’s changed, and browse a complete archive of 327 issues.’ For those who like the layout of the print version with added functions, Society members, affiliates and e-subscribers can also access digital editions to read on desktop, tablet and smartphone. Just log in via http://tinyurl.com/yourpsych. Visit www.thepsychologist.org.uk now! Our mission Contact Advertise Features The Psychologist Join BPS Violent e Monday, 9 February 2015 FFollowollow tthehe DDigest!igest! WantWant toto learnlearn a newnew skillskill moremore 170 vol 28 no 3 march 2015 A feast from the Research Digest Meanwhile, the Research Digest goes from strength to strength. The blog version is now 10 years old, and its editor, Dr Christian Jarrett, is disseminating the latest findings in psychology in numerous ways to a large and international audience. He now publishes posts by guest bloggers and material from regular contributor Dr Alex Fradera, giving the Digest new content every day of the week bar Sundays (when the previous day’s ‘Link feast’ will give you plenty of reading). All this activity has helped our visitor numbers to rise, and on extremism, digested Twitter @ResearchDigest has passed 50,000 followers. We also have a presence on Facebook, Google+ and Tumblr alongside our free fortnightly e-mail (now in html). And February saw us launch episode one of our very own podcast, PsychCrunch! SearchSearch thethe Digest See www.bps.org.uk/digest for all the latest content, to listen to the podcast, sign up for the free fortnightly e-mail, ‘friend’ or follow us. read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk 171 Psychologists against austerity LETTERS We are concerned about the impact that government ‘austerity’ example, the criteria by which you will you be judging policies are having on the lives of those who use our services. A their policies; and series of reports have demonstrated clear links between I write to local newspapers making similar points. economic policies and mental health, and there is strong evidence that widening gaps between the richest and poorest in In addition, we call on all member networks of the Society society have long-term detrimental effects (Marmot, 2010; (especially the Divisions representing applied psychologists) Wilkinson & Pickett, 2009). Despite this evidence, government to consider developing a non–party political statement policies have had disproportionate effects on the poorest in identifying the problems of current ‘austerity’ policies and society via cuts in welfare benefits and cuts in educational, social proposing criteria by which manifesto commitments will be and healthcare services. judged. It seems to us that the policies of the major political parties In order to support such action we have set up a website – are largely aimed at reducing public expenditure rather than https://psychagainstausterity.wordpress.com – with links to addressing the widely acknowledged causes of the 2008 financial further resources, an opportunity to share experiences, key crisis – poor regulation of the financial sector and an unbalanced issues to address in letters to MPs and candidates, etc.