the psychologist vol 29 no 9 september 2016 www.thepsychologist.org.uk Experiencing the ‘surveillance society’ Darren Ellis, Dave Harper and Ian Tucker letters 658 the social psychology of cybersecurity 686 news 668 untying the hardest knots 690 careers 710 interview: Judith Rich Harris 696 looking back 730 new voices: who cares for the carers? 698 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 Experiencing the ‘surveillance society’ 682 www.thepsychologist.org.uk We are increasingly being watched. Darren www.psychapp.co.uk [email protected] Ellis, Dave Harper and Ian Tucker ask whether psychology has been slow to cast tinyurl.com/thepsychomag a watchful eye over the implications. @psychmag The social psychology of cybersecurity 686 John MacAlaney, Helen Thackray and Jacqui Download our iOS/Android app: Taylor consider motivations for hacking, and full access for BPS members how the problem is best addressed Advertising Reach 50,000+ psychologists 682 Untying the hardest knots 690 at very reasonable rates. Dan Jones delves into the work of Eran CPL, 1 Cambridge Technopark, Halperin, in the field of conflict resolution Newmarket Road Cambridge CB5 8PB New voices: Who cares for the carers? 698 Recruitment Matt Styrka J Jane Smallwood with the latest in our series 01223 378 005 OHN for budding writers B [email protected] IRDSALL Display Michael Niskin 01223 378 045 /P ...reports HOTOFUSION [email protected] encountering pain; 20 years of UCL’s Institute of August 2016 issue Cognitive Neuroscience; Society awards; British 52,786 dispatched Academy Fellows; on the front line of boardroom change; and more 668 Printed by Warners Midlands plc 698 on 100 per cent recycled paper. Please re-use or recycle. ISSN 0952-8229 © 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 Books Emily Hutchinson, illustrations. If we have unwittingly Rebecca Stack 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 9 september 2016 the issue ...debates With barely a day passing between tragic terrorist atrocities, and the letters 658 blood-saturated media coverage police armed response; Black Lives Matter; that flows from them, it’s easy to Jerome Bruner, 1915-2016; President’s Letter; form the impression that we live and more in very insecure times. With this month’s loose theme of ‘security and policing’, you will encounter ...digests several pieces that consider how the brain deals with blinks; expert schmoozers; OCD; and more, in the countermeasures, and whether latest from our Research Digest (also available as blog, email, app, and more) 676 they genuinely make us feel safer. Our cover feature (p.682) looks at surveillance, and argues that ...meets psychologists have been slow to news 674 cast their own watchful eyes over 5 minutes with Marc Chevreau on encouraging wellbeing and resilience the implications of increased levels. in children A relative lack of psychological inquiry is also a theme of Peter interview 696 Squire’s consideration of police we hear from Judith Rich Harris about her extraordinary fightback against armed response (p.658). Other entrenched views of child development articles look at those putting psychological theory and research careers 710 to practice in areas such as we meet Peter Hobson, Emeritus Professor of Developmental cybersecurity and conflict resolution. Psychopathology at University College London; Thomas Hoare describes Often when we publish such his voluntary work in Nigeria; and Hope Christie offers a practical guide to a collection, I receive emails saying the final undergraduate year ‘I work in this area, I wish you had one on one 732 asked me’. Well, unlike the UK’s with clinical psychologist, trainer and author Lucy Johnstone CCTV system, I can’t possibly have eyes everywhere… please don’t wait to be asked, get in touch now! ...reviews Dr Jon Sutton Managing Editor @psychmag Notes on Blindness; Dr Broks’ Casebook; ‘Wounded’ at the Science Museum; The Spoils; and books 718 718 ...looks back Phantom suffering? 730 Joanna Bourke looks into physical and emotional wounding after the First World War …more The Psychologist and Digest Go to www.thepsychologist.org.uk Editorial Advisory Committee for exclusives and our archive, and Catherine Loveday (Chair), Emma Beard, download our free iOS/Android app Phil Banyard, Olivia Craig, Helen Galliard, Big picture centre-page pull-out Harriet Gross, Rowena Hill, Stephen Beyond Seizures: from a series by McGlynn, Peter Olusoga, Peter Wright Angela Farragher for the London Brain Project read discuss contribute at www.thepsychologist.org.uk Split-second responses? LETTERS In July, five Dallas police officers were shot dead by a black ‘black’ humour, and residual elements of sexism and racism. activist angered by the grossly disproportionate death toll of When these traits are factored into tactics and use of force, African American men following police encounters. More than the evidence suggests that, just as police deploy legal powers ever we need calm heads, clear thinking, effective (such as vehicle checks, stop and frisk), they may also use non- communication, the sensitive application of training principles, legal powers such as ‘DWB’ or ‘driving while black’, a form of minimum use of force, and public accountability. Unfortunately, racial profiling relating to US vehicle checks; the ‘attitude test’, when split-second decision-making is called for in a fast-moving a judgement reached by British police officers concerning and potentially dangerous situation, these ideals may be hard to whether a suspect was suitably compliant and deferential, where come by – especially when overlaid by fear, uncertainty, failing the test could result in an arrest for ‘obstruction’; and the suspicion and, yes, the baggage of racist working assumptions ‘Ways and Means Act’, a non-existent piece of legislation cited sometimes conflated with an idea of ‘racial profiling’. by UK officers to legitimise their actions vis-à-vis some The issues raised resonate in recent British debates about unsuspecting petty offenders. police use, and misuse, of force. British police firearms Another central issue is that officers often deploy the instructors I’ve interviewed have referred to the need for officers equipment they have to achieve the purposes they seek. Other to develop ‘muscle trained’ reactions. Facing immediate threats, issues enter the frame of reference, especially, for instance, their training routines should kick in and they, almost officer safety, but the message is generally that police will deploy instinctively, do the right thing – legally, procedurally, the equipment they are given. Use of CS sprays increased mechanically, effectively – to ‘neutralise’ (interesting word, that) dramatically following their introduction, arrestees sometimes any threat. being given a little spray once handcuffed (and contrary to Yet, even as the Dallas police deployed a weaponised regulations) as a de facto field punishment for non-compliance robot against the sniper, police officers are not robots. Instead during the arrest; Taser use, likewise increased 45 per cent cultivating professionalism and ethical integrity is seen to be the during 2011, when they were deployed to more UK police key. A lot hangs on that phrase ‘almost instinctively’. Whereas forces (see tinyurl.com/zhjz5dp). And the same goes for guns. those of a psychological orientation might want to unravel the One of the most dramatic demonstrations of cultural distinct ‘learned’, ‘trained’, ‘perceived’, ‘co-produced’ and differences in policing dictated by whether the police force in ‘situationally determined’ factors – which, vying with adrenaline- question was routinely armed is demonstrated in two articles rushed, fight-or-flight responses, influence police action and (Hendy, 2014; Knutsson