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psychologist vol 28 no 11

november 2015 www.thepsychologist.org.uk

Wu-wei – doing less and wanting more The only way to succeed is not to try, argues Edward Slingerland

letters 858 news 866 interview: Cary Cooper 904 looking back: the Great War 944

prisoner suicide 886 choice and control for captive animals 892 a perceptual control revolution? 896 organisational psych of Jurassic World 906

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Wu-wei – doing less and wanting more The only way to succeed is to not try, argues Edward Slingerland

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Prisoner suicide 886 Graham Towl and Tammi Walker consider public management, punitiveness and professionalism

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Choice and control for animals in captivity Laura M. Kurtycz looks at how to counter ‘learned helplessness’

882 LAURA BERNSTEIN-KURTYCZ

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© 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 Psychologist may be copied by libraries and other organisations under the terms of their own CLA licences (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 about copyright and obtaining permissions, e-mail [email protected]. The publishers have endeavoured to trace the copyright holders of all illustrations. If we have unwittingly infringed copyright, we will be pleased, on being satisfied as to the owner’s title, to pay an appropriate fee.

A perceptual control revolution? 896 Warren Mansell and Timothy A. Carey introduce a theory dating back to the 1950s that is increasingly touted as revolutionising the behavioural sciences New voices: Working in a goldfish bowl – ethics in rural practice 900 Steven MacDonald with the latest in our series

...reports

ISSN 0952-8229 Cover Chinese characters wu-wei – effortless action

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news 866 who helps the Ebola helpers?; research treasure trove; mass shootings; the term ‘stampede’; event reports; a new era for psychology?; and much more society President’s column; Branches Forum

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The Psychologist is the monthly publication of The British Psychological Society. It provides a forum for communication, discussion and controversy among all members of the Society, and aims to fulfil the main object of the Royal Charter, ‘to promote the advancement and diffusion of a knowledge of psychology pure and applied’.

Managing Editor Jon Sutton Assistant Editor Peter Dillon-Hooper Production Mike Thompson

Journalist Ella Rhodes Editorial Assistant Debbie Gordon Research Digest Christian Jarrett (editor), Alex Fradera

Associate Editors Articles Michael Burnett, Paul Curran, Harriet Gross, Rebecca Knibb, Adrian Needs, Paul Redford, Sophie Scott, Mark Wetherell, Jill Wilkinson Conferences Alana James History of Psychology Matt Connolly Interviews Gail Kinman Reviews Kate Johnstone Viewpoints Catherine Loveday International panel Vaughan Bell, Uta Frith, Alex Haslam, Elizabeth Loftus

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psychologist vol 28 no 11

november 2015

the issue ...debates letters the reproducibility project; academic resilience; alien abduction; psychology’s contribution; mental health terminology; and more

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...digests using brain imaging to re-evaluate famous case studies; the toll of being ‘on call’; and more, from our Research Digest (see www.bps.org.uk/digest) 876

...meets interview Cary Cooper tells Gail Kinman about his attempts to change organisational culture through the wide dissemination of psychological theory and research

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careers 930 we speak to Siobhan O’Neill, on the eve of a Society briefing paper on suicide and self-harm which she contributed to; Aleesha Begum describes her work with an autism charity; and Karen M. Zubrucky shares how a tragic event led to a career ‘chasing memories’ as a cognitive psychologist one on one with Peter Fonagy, Chief Executive of the Anna Freud Centre

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...reviews eye on fiction 906 Andrew Clements provides an organisational psychology perspective on Jurassic World Cosmonauts at the Science Museum, Banksy’s ‘Dismaland’, Macbeth, Hangmen, BBC Horizon on whether video games are really that bad, and more 938

You may have noticed that this column has become one long, forlorn attempt to elicit sympathy from you readers for how hard my team and I work. Then I talk to academics, and they are putting in more hours than I knew there were in a week. Maybe we don’t have it so bad. But is the ‘nose to the grindstone’ approach outdated and ineffective? On p.882 Edward Slingerland draws on the early Chinese ideal of ‘wu-wei’ or effortless action in order to argue that the only way to succeed is not to try. And on p.904 Cary Cooper tells us organisations need to catch up with the research showing that working hours are not synonymous with commitment or effective performance. As often seems to be the way, Sweden is setting an example on work–life balance, with many workplaces trialling a six-hour working day for the same pay (see tinyurl.com/yesswedecan). The signs are positive, with efficiency and wellbeing on the up. So give yourselves a break – be ‘wu-wei’! Dr Jon Sutton Managing Editor @psychmag http://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk

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...looks back Psychology and the Great War, 1914–1918 Ben Shephard considers our discipline’s involvement, on all sides

The Psychologist and Digest Editorial Advisory Committee Catherine Loveday (Chair), Phil Banyard, Olivia Craig, Helen Galliard, Harriet Gross, Rowena Hill, Stephen McGlynn, Peter Olusoga, Peter Wright

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Six years ago Go to www.thepsychologist.org.uk for our archive, including parasites, minds and culture in a Darwininspired special

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Big picture centre-page pull-out a ‘selfie’ with a difference: words and image from Natalia Kucirkova (Open University)

LETTERS

TIM SANDERS

Science or alchemy?

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We are writing following the publication of the Reproducibility Project (reported in The Psychologist, October 2015, p.794) to encourage the Society’s Boards and its Editorial Advisory Group to take steps to identify effective ways to respond to the implications of the Project and implement them. We are concerned that there has been an element of complacency and even self-satisfaction, in the reporting of the Project. It is claimed, for example, by the Project’s corresponding author, that the Project shows the essential quality of self-correction. However, the Project has attracted attention in part because it is unique within psychology, and it is unlikely to be repeated regularly because it depends upon many researchers giving up their time and resources voluntarily for little personal reward. Few institutions would be happy with researchers doing so regularly at the expense of their main research objectives. The collective results make very embarrassing reading for psychology. The bottom line is that for any recently published significant result in a leading psychology journal, there is only a one in three chance that the research, if repeated, would produce a statistically significant replication. This lack of reliability must be a deterrent to the application or extension of new research. Furthermore, the effect size of the repeated study is likely to be less than half of that originally reported. Any potential users or students of psychology who encounter these findings are likely to question the legitimacy of the discipline. Some of the reasons for the very poor replicability of published research have been widely discussed. Selective publishing, p-hacking, and other ways of massaging results exist, and strategies of registering all planned research can help to address them, but this needs to be formally incorporated into research procedures. However, we believe that there is a further possibility that has not been mentioned in the reports but that will have contributed to some of the misleading original findings. Data are often collected by research assistants and postgraduate students, and the temptation to report the results desired by their employers or supervisors must sometimes lead to data that have been adjusted or possibly invented. There have been a few published examples of identified data fixing, but much more will have been going on. The rewards for falsification are big and, at present, the risks of being caught are small. It will take imaginative procedures established from the top of the profession to reduce, with a goal of eliminating, the temptations and opportunities to cheat.

THE PSYCHOLOGIST NEEDS YOU! Letters These pages are central to The Psychologist’s role as a forum for communication, discussion and controversy among all members of the Society, and we welcome your contributions. Send e-mails marked ‘Letter for publication’ to [email protected]; or write to the Leicester office. Letters over 500 words are less likely to be published. The editor reserves the right to edit or publish extracts from letters. Letters to the editor are not normally acknowledged, and space does not permit the publication of every letter received.

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At present, attempting replications is a low-status activity and publishing the results is difficult. The use of databanks to keep attempted replications publically available is a step in the right direction, but such databanks need to be permanently well funded, and the Society may be able to help here. Even then, the balance in status between replication and original research needs to be shifted where possible. There is a place for the Society’s journals to encourage the publication of attempted replications, and an investigation into how this could be achieved in practice without excessive increase in costs and reader boredom needs to be undertaken. One step that might be considered by teachers of psychology at all levels, as well as textbook authors, is to cite only research that has been replicated. This means forgoing introducing some new, novel findings that might entertain students but which are more likely to fail to replicate. Such a strategy could help to support the publication of replications, if their publication was necessary for the advancement of the knowledge of students and other users of psychology. Ofqual and the various exam boards currently select the studies addressed in AS- and A-level exams; the Society could and probably should encourage them to take similar steps. We hope to hear that the Society, in response to the reports of the Replication Project, is taking a leading role in developing a secure knowledge base in psychology so that the science of psychology will be respected and imitated. Professor Peter E. Morris Dr Catherine O. Fritz University of Northampton

Professor Andy Tolmie, Chair of the BPS Editorial Advisory Group, comments: The Reproducibility Project is without question an important piece of work, and the EAG discussed the implications of its findings and the related Open Science Framework at its last meeting. We believe there is a clear need for a coordinated, discipline-wide response, however, which goes substantially beyond the publishing practices of journals. This includes a searching analysis of the reasons for poor replicability – low n research may be a more endemic part of the problem than any

…and much more We rely on your submissions throughout the publication, and in return we help you to get your message across to a large and diverse audience. ‘Reach the largest, most diverse audience of psychologists in the UK (as well as many others around the world); work with a wonderfully supportive editorial team; submit thought pieces, reviews, interviews, analytic work, and a whole lot more. Start writing for The Psychologist now before you think of something else infinitely less important to do!’ Robert Sternberg, Oklahoma State University For details of all the available options, plus our policies and what to do if you feel these have not been followed, see www.thepsychologist.org.uk/contribute

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deliberate attempts at massaging data – and the messages for research funders, who commonly hold different expectations about the scale and costs of work in psychology compared to other scientific disciplines, and who regard the funding of replications as a low priority. Journals may need to adopt a different stance to publication of such work, but in fact we actually receive relatively few submissions of this kind – to a large extent, the source of the problem lies further back in the research pipeline. Professor Daryl O’Connor, Chair of the BPS Research Board, comments: This Project represents an important step forward for psychological science specifically, and science more generally. Other areas of science have encountered problems with reproducibility in the past, for example, clinical medicine and genetics, therefore, psychology is not alone. However, publication of this report is likely to propel psychological researchers forward, improve scientific practice and trigger new ways of working. A great deal of publicity has been given to the recent findings of the Reproducibility Project, with the Guardian summarising: ‘Findings vanished when experiments repeated.’ The lead author, Brian Nosek, asserted that the study should not be used as a stick with which to beat psychology; if anything, this is an example of science at its best. While I agree, we should not ignore the implications of the problem of lack of replication. Outcome studies on the effects of psychotherapy are rarely, if ever, truly replicated. There are many reasons for this as I discussed in a recent paper (Marzillier, 2014). This is true of systematic reviews and meta-analyses as well as individual research trials. To take one example, in 2007 on the basis of a meta-analytic review it was confidently asserted that the trauma-exposure therapies and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) were clearly superior to other psychological therapies in the treatment of people with problems such as PTSD (Bisson et al., 2007). This scientific conclusion informed the guidelines to practitioners published by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence. Trauma-exposure therapies and EMDR are the therapies of choice. But are they? A year later and another metaanalytic review concluded that there was no good scientific evidence to conclude that any one form of trauma therapy was more effective than another (Benish et al., 2008). Predictably since then there has been a dispute between the authors of the different reviews (Ehlers et al., 2010; Wampold et al., 2010). The truth is that we cannot rely on conclusions drawn from reviews of research studies into the effects of psychotherapy for several reasons that I discuss in my article, one of which is few if any studies are actual replications. In this field there is a lot of noise in the system. What was confirmed at one point is almost always later questioned. As psychologists, we should understand this and not pretend that the scientific evidence is better than it is. In particular, we should question the way what is a limited and flawed database is transformed, like base metal into gold, to produce rigid guidelines about which therapies can or cannot be used. This is not science but something else, more to do with vested interests, power and prestige. It should and must be resisted. John Marzillier Oxford References Benish, S.G., Imel, Z.E. & Wampold, B.E. (2008). The relative efficacy of bona fide psychotherapies for treating post-traumatic stress disorder. Clinical Psychology Review, 28, 746–758. Bisson J., Ehlers, A., Matthews, R. et al. (2007). Systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry, 190, 97–104. Ehlers, A., Bisson, J., Clark, D.M. et al. (2010). Do all psychological treatments really work the same in post-traumatic stress disorder? Clinical Psychology Review, 30, 269–276. Marzillier, J. (2014). The flawed nature of evidence-based psychotherapy. Psychotherapy Section Review, 51, 25–33. Wampold, B.E., Imel, Z.E., Laska, K.M. et al. (2010). Determining what works in the treatment of PTSD. Clinical Psychology Review, 30, 923–933.

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Academic resilience through togetherness Students often feel alone study groups was the and isolated joining a making of some of my new sixth form, which students – so much so negatively impacts on that it encouraged them their academic to remain in college, achievement and their persisting and staying self-concept. In response afloat in their academic to your published article studies despite it being on academic buoyancy ‘hard’ – they knew they (‘From adversity to could rely on each other buoyancy’, September for support. 2015), I wondered if we Having videoed many should consider the student learning sessions significant lessons from it was satisfying to see Vygotsky. His concept older students of the ZPD (zone of proximal development) explained how students reached deeper and more advanced levels of learning when they talked, communicated and shared ideas within their small friendship groups. He further proposed the role of the MKO (more knowledgeable other) to access this Students’ buoyancy and resilience zone of higher are strengthened by collaboration learning. As a teacher and doctoral candidate, my socratically leading study investigations have found groups, using a sense of students’ buoyancy and humour and banter, resilience to be forging friendships and strengthened by horizontal identities to collaboration (in dyads increase their academic and in groups with an self-concept. MKO). New students in Using an MKO or a transitional term (first study-buddies is not 12 weeks of A-level a new idea, but perhaps study) were encouraged could rise to the surface to engage with others in again to increase their ‘free periods’ on academic buoyancy and a regular basis. They self-concept… the only reported an increased problem is getting them sense of belonging and to do it – getting a small wellbeing and lowered group of teenagers to anxiety resulting in an meet regularly is rather improved academic like herding cats! – worth attainment and academic a try though. self-concept. Recognising Celia Bone Full-time teacher, the importance of not Chartered Psychologist feeling alone in a and doctoral candidate at transitional time and Northumbria University encouraging academic

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Alien abduction as trauma substitution Firstly, I must say how refreshing it was to read the ‘Out of this world’ feature in the October edition. I found the article titled ‘Close encounters of the psychological kind’ especially interesting. As an undergraduate, author and psychological therapist, specialising in stress management therapy, I have a keen interest in the causes of PTSD and how trauma causes individuals to behave. Some time ago I saw a documentary about alien abduction. Unlike most subjective accounts of the phenomenon, the individuals who took part in the programme sought theoretical explanations for their experiences. One such individual underwent voluntary hypnotherapy, where he was told that his subjective experience of the abduction was very real to him. Something the therapist was unable to do was to explain why this was so. Afterwards he visited a clinical psychologist for assessment, who was able to confirm that he had no diagnosable mental health disorder, which would ordinarily be used to explain such

symptoms as auditory or visual hallucinations. At the time, I was training in hypnotherapy and considered a possible theory for his experience and those of the other individuals who appeared on the programme. As with this particular man, a couple (man and wife) also claimed to have been abducted. Their experience was quite different. The woman believed herself to have been impregnated by the alien, suffering a miscarriage sometime later. Whilst no physical evidence of an alien abduction was found, her husband was able to confirm that they’d had DNA testing done, and the DNA of the fetus did not match his. The couple’s story was similar to many others that I have since researched out of interest. Most accounts involve either an alien impregnating a woman or aliens leaving one partner incapable of moving whilst taking the other individual away somewhere, bringing them back. Most individuals have been left with visible marks on their skin afterwards, which

they’ve been unable to explain due to memory loss. Without wishing to sound as though I have approached this view with anything other than caution and vigorous explanatory research, I would like to offer readers my theory, which as you may have guessed is linked to both trauma and PTSD. Could some abductees be filling in gaps of memory loss with their own interpretations of what may have happened? We are all capable of creating our own memories. Or could some abductees be substituting alien abduction for some other trauma? Perhaps there could be further research into the possibility that violent assault or rape could be willingly interpreted by survivors as alien abduction in order to survive and deal with their ordeal. I am currently writing on the topic and welcome any interested persons to get in touch: you can contact me on e-mail at [email protected] Louise Mullins Bristol

Psychology’s contribution I have followed with interest the many letters and comments in response to Phil Banyard’s question ‘Where is our non-stick frying pan?’ (Letters, September 2015). Banyard feels that when we consider the great advances made by other sciences it’s not looking good for psychology. My view is the very opposite, and when I gave my Presidential Address to the Society in 2001 I argued that ‘the future belongs to psychology’ (MacKay, 2001). I would propose four reasons why psychology is indeed a discipline that in many ways eclipses other sciences. First, there is the very definition of psychology, which is defined by the Society as ‘the scientific study of people, the mind and behaviour’. It is therefore the discipline that is at the very heart of the human welfare agenda and of the world’s problems. As such, psychology can make an almost unlimited contribution as a central scientific force in society. In many respects it has already done so, and its insights have frequently given it a central role at the highest level of international negotiations. Second, the crucial contribution made by some other core sciences has been at the lower levels of Maslow’s ‘hierarchy of needs’, such as the struggle to meet the basic physiological requirements of life. As society develops, the focus shifts further up the hierarchy to the levels of esteem and self-actualisation. It is there that the systematic study of the mind and behaviour is of crucial significance and this is an arena where scientific inquiry has been dominated by psychological research. Third, the centrality of our contribution has been promoted by changing paradigms within the discipline. In the first of their Delphi studies on the future of psychology as a science Helen Haste and her colleagues spoke of two significant changes. The first was an increasing research emphasis on everyday life, quality of life and the whole person; the second was that psychological

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research was increasingly moving from the laboratory to realworld settings (Haste et al., 2001). The more this has happened, the more psychology has come to centre stage. Fourth, the centrality of psychology as a core science is demonstrated by scientific inquiry itself. In a paper entitled ‘Mapping the backbone of science’, Boyack et al. (2005) looked at citations in over a million journal articles published in 7321 journals. Their aim was to map the various scientific disciplines to determine which have most influence on other areas of inquiry. Seven ‘hub’ sciences were identified of which psychology was one, the others being listed as mathematics, physics, chemistry, earth sciences, medicine and social sciences. It is therefore unnecessary that psychology should be seeking to proffer, as Banyard has stated, any ‘excuse for the lack of great findings’. I have argued that ‘psychology can play a central role in tackling the issue of crime in our cities, litter on our streets, pollution in our atmosphere, breakdown in our international relations, obesity in our children and perhaps ultimately, oppression and injustice in our world’ (MacKay, 2008, p.931), and it has already made a very significant scientific contribution in all of these and in many other areas. Professor Tommy MacKay Psychology Consultancy Services/University of Strathclyde References Boyack, K., Klavans, R. & Börner, K. (2005). Mapping the backbone of science. Scientometrics, 64, 351–374. Haste, H., Hogan, A. & Zachariou,Y. (2001). Back (again) to the future. The Psychologist, 14(1), 30–33. MacKay, T. (2001). The future belongs to psychology. The Psychologist, 14(9), 466–469. MacKay, T. (2008). Can psychology change the world? The Psychologist, 21, 928–931.

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Cold reading and therapy I am writing because I feel there is an important ethical issue that I’ve tried to raise with other psychologists but have either been ignored or laughed at. However, I remain convinced that this is an important issue and would appreciate any comments. Readers with an interest in magic will know of mentalism and most likely ‘cold reading’, which is ‘…a deceptive psychological strategy. Among other things, it can be used by someone who is not psychic to give what seems to be a very convincing psychic reading’ (Rowland, 2008, p.14). Basically, it is often possible by using these techniques to convince people that you know and understand them. As far as I am aware, even the most jaded magicians have never suggested that all mediums or clairvoyants learn their ‘ability’ from a book – most using these skills have learnt them intuitively. However, Rowland talks of many techniques in the cold reader’s armoury that can be learnt as opposed to acquired intuitively. For example, he discusses what he calls the ‘Rainbow Ruse’ – crediting a client with a personality trait and its opposite: ‘You can be a very considerate person, very quick to provide for others, but there are times…when you recognise a selfish streak in yourself” (p.32). He goes on to discuss how these techniques can be applied to areas such as selling, romance and criminal

interrogation. Overall, he argues that these approaches can be used to build good rapport and to ‘sound perceptive and wellinformed’ (p.214). Rowland, on his website, claims that ‘Teachers and Therapists say that cold reading improves their ability to communicate with their students, clients and patients’. I would suggest that cold reading has implications for anyone doing any form of therapy and raises a number of questions: First, is it possible or perhaps likely that psychologists considered to be ‘empathic’ are intuitively using such skills? Second, should psychologists generally be aware of these techniques? Third, if they are made aware of these techniques, should there be an attempt to understand if they have been intuitively using them? Fourth, should these skills be learnt and used in psychotherapeutic contexts if it is felt that they can be useful? Now I am not suggesting that these techniques be learnt so as to manipulate people, but perhaps we should know about the techniques and if/when we are using such approaches. Psychologist – know thyself! John Warren Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire Reference Rowland, I. (2008). The full facts book of cold reading. London: Ian Rowland.

A terminological issue The recent article about emotional deficits in schizophrenia (‘The flat landscape’, October 2015) contains language that appears to contravene your policy on clinical terminology. The latter, as reported by editor Jon Sutton in the November 2009 issue, states: ‘Following recent correspondence, the Psychologist Policy Committee…decided that the policy will change in editorial content to adopt the form “with a diagnosis of [psychiatric condition]” to reflect the dominant usage in clinical psychology; and that authors of other matter (features, etc.) will be advised that this is the preferred style’ (p.906). By contrast, the recent piece repeatedly used ‘with schizophrenia’ ‘deficits in schizophrenia’, etc. Whilst I know this may appear nit-picking to some, psychologists need to take care not to contribute unwittingly to the ongoing reification of such terms, which are widely accepted not only to be invalid but often damaging to those to whom they are applied (Cooke, 2008; Harper et al., 2013). Such usage arguably also contributes to the continuing belief by many members of the public that phenomena such as hearing voices or holding beliefs that others find strange are

essentially medical rather than psychological (Cooke, 2014). Anne Cooke Consultant Clinical Psychologist Principal Lecturer, Canterbury Christ Church University References Cooke, A. (2008). Problems associated with the use of the concept of mental illness. In T. Stickley & T. Basset (Eds.) Learning about mental health practice (pp.329–346). Chichester: Wiley. Cooke, A. (Ed.) (2014). Understanding psychosis and schizophrenia: Why people sometimes hear voices, believe things others find strange or appear out of contact with reality, and what can help. A report by the British Psychological Society Division of Clinical Psychology. Leicester: British Psychological Society. Cromby, J., Harper, D. & Reavey, P. (Eds.) (2013). Psychology, mental health and distress. Basingstoke: Palgrave.

Editor’s note: You are right: I should have contacted the author to explain our policy and suggest (but not demand) alternative wording. I have now done so and she was happy for me to make those changes – the online version has therefore been amended. Apologies that this one slipped through the net.

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NOTICEBOARD Breast Cancer Care is looking for healthcare professionals to peer review their free publications to ensure they are user-friendly and ‘fit for purpose’ for patients. These are voluntary positions and should take only one hour or so of reviewing and commenting back via e-mail. We try to limit review requests to medical professionals to four or five per year. If you are interested in being a reviewer, or would be able to recommend someone, please contact me and I will be able to provide you with further information on the review process. Peter Gannon [email protected] I am a DClinPsy trainee undertaking research investigating how clinical psychology considers the wider context of clients’ lives and how this relates to clinical practice. Qualified clinical psychologists are sought to take part in a qualitative study involving faceto-face, telephone or Skype interviews lasting between 30 and 60 minutes. All data will be anonymised. For more information, please contact me. Heather Spankie [email protected] 0750 837 5665

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Thomas Mckenzie Caine (1918–2015) Tom Caine, who died on 8 July at the age of 96, had been a Fellow of the British Psychological Society since 1976. Tom was born in Bebington in 1918. When he was six, the family emigrated to farm in Ontario, Canada. He returned to England in 1940 with the Canadian Army, and participated in the Dunkirk landing. He then took a BA and MA in psychology at the University of Toronto, before coming back to the UK in 1950 as an occupational psychologist with the Department of Employment. He eventually moved into clinical psychology, working in Graham Foulds’s Department in Runwell Hospital, Essex before being appointed Head of the Psychology Department at Claybury Hospital, Essex, and, 14 years later, becoming Head of the Clinical Psychology Department at University College Hospital, where he remained until retiring in 1983. It was at Claybury that Tom carried out his most significant research. Initially, this was for a PhD, obtained from the University of London, on the expression of hostility and guilt, and he collaborated with Foulds in developing the Hostility and Direction of Hostility and Hysteroid-Obsessoid Questionnaires, and on Foulds’s (1965) book Personality and Personal Illness.

These were exciting times at Claybury, which was undergoing a transition from a traditional psychiatric hospital to a therapeutic community, sparking considerable debate, and this stimulated Tom’s subsequent writings. Firstly, in The Treatment of Mental Illness (1979) he and David Smail argued that disputes between professionals about the relative merits of different treatments were based not on facts but on fundamental differences in values. Support for this was provided by a research programme on ‘personal styles’, indicating that the attitudes and responses of staff and clients to different types of treatment, and the symptoms which clients presented, reflected their more general attitudes, adjustment strategies and patterns of construing. Various questionnaires, and even a projective test, were developed during this research, and the questionnaires, published as the Claybury Selection Battery in 1982, differentially predicted outcome in different therapeutic approaches. Specifically, the type of client likely to improve during behaviour therapy was the complete opposite (e.g. outer-directed and conservative) of the type likely to improve during group psychotherapy. The implication that one therapy does not fit all

prize crossword The winner will receive a £50 BPS Blackwell Book Token. If it’s you, perhaps you’ll spend it on something like this... Psychobiology provides a comprehensive, yet accessible introduction to the study of psychobiology and the key concepts, topics and research that are core to understanding the brain and the biological basis of our behaviour. Assuming no prior knowledge of biology, the text emphasises the interaction of psychobiology with other core areas of psychology and disciplines. 672 pages. Price Pb £44.99 ISBN 978-1-4051-8743-5 Visit psychsource.bps.org.uk

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Send your entry (photocopies accepted) marked ‘prize crossword’, to the Leicester office (see inside front cover) deadline 30 november 2015. Winner of prize crossword no 83 Heather Bonnett, Worcestershire no 83 solution Across 1 Major depression, 9 Chalk up, 10 Freebie, 11 Oboe, 12 Fell, 13 Exit, 16 Customs, 17 Taffy, 19 Peels, 21 Esparto, 24 Goal, 25 Edda, 26 Olio, 29 Carouse, 30 Linocut, 31 Bipolar disorder. Down 1 Microscope, 2 Jealous, 3 Rake, 4 Espresso, 5 Raffle, 6 Stereotype, 7 In brief, 8 Noel, 14 Fossil fuel, 15 Gyrocopter, 18 New Delhi, 20 Ego trip, 22 Relaced, 23 Veneer, 27 Scab, 28 Info.

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is as relevant today, at a time of prescriptive therapeutic services, as it was when the research was first conducted, and this was highlighted by the re-publication in 2014 of Personal Styles in Neurosis, the book reporting the research, 33 years after its original publication. I was fortunate to obtain my first clinical psychologist post in Tom’s Department at Claybury, and recall a heady, idyllic atmosphere in which staff would sit on deckchairs on the balconies outside their offices discussing a diverse range of topics. After work many of us, including Tom, who was no mean player, would repair to the hospital tennis courts. This was far removed from the managerialist culture of the current NHS, but staff willingly went the extra mile and probably had much larger caseloads than most contemporary NHS clinical psychologists. It was also an atmosphere in which young people, perhaps seeking their first clinical experience, were welcomed, trusted, and given opportunities to contribute their ideas and develop skills. In later life Tom became a practising Roman Catholic. He is survived by Maxine, whom he married 60 years ago after meeting her at Edgbaston Tennis Club, and his children Marian, John and Chris. David A. Winter University of Hertfordshire

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Polygraph's confused with a coy psi study (14) Theorem methodically showing some visitor to Cornwall (5) Love no man in rejection of object in singular obsession (9) Broadcast bishop at one about rook flying (8) Looking back on era with second to last character (5) German philosopher's hypocrisy in speech (4) Moaning about missing a name of delusion about parentage (6) Excellent service from expert (3) Hollow stone (3) Like fairytale stepmother in audition for yarn (6) Exclude second-rate insult (4) Proportion of outsiders deserting speech (5) Top card in collection held by loose woman (8) One of six – the other put back obstruction (9) One good card game for White House? (5) Gee, returning after expansion upon neurologist's printout (14)

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Primate researcher organises stuff about dream phase… (7) …with which to stigmatise time with artist (9) Sad quality of route shown by map-makers (6) Longing to hold me in the country (5) Sharpen weeding tool around bottom of garden (4) No work graduate left over to send up (7) Info on literary style (5) Taste head ate the French (6) Keen to roll joint (4) That is shortly Roman's date (4) A limit on piano over girl's singing without backing (1,8) Saying wears thin on hearing (6) The Spanish into remedy for need to avoid ambiguity (7) Promise to marry little woman involves rubbish (7) Believing in shopping? (6) Not burying nine overcome by venom (5) All drink a little at first (5) Expression of contempt left in – that's boring

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Dr John Alban-Metcalfe (1940–2015) Dr John Alban-Metcalfe, Chartered Psychologist, and one of the most influential leadership writers of the past 20 years, passed away on 31 March this year. This was after a year’s battle with cancer that he approached with the enormous positive energy that characterised him throughout his life. John and his wife of 43 years, Professor Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe, created a University of Leeds spin-out company, Real World Group, in 2001 following the publication of their groundbreaking study of leadership that is referred to as Engaging Transformational Leadership. A graduate of zoology from Oxford University, John later switched to psychology, completed a PhD at the University of Bradford on the subject of cognitive complexity in children. Based on this, he became a Chartered Psychologist. John was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in the 1990s following his highly influential research into Down’s syndrome. He published many peer-reviewed articles on this subject, and on other issues in special needs education, including a book on ADHD in the classroom, now in its second edition. John worked for most of his academic career at Leeds Trinity University, (latterly as a Principal Lecturer) in special needs education and after retiring from the university joined Real World Group in 2001 as Director of Research. Here, he co-authored the majority of Real World Group’s leadership diagnostic tools, including the TLQ, which is used around the world. For the past 14 years, John was a major contributor to large research projects pushing forward the boundaries of understanding leadership

culture and team working, which included two longitudinal studies of leadership and team working in mental health (with King’s College, London and the University of Bradford, School of Management), and was a lead author on the reports. His limitless ideas and insatiable passion for research fuelled many areas of product expansion at Real World Group, supported by a wide range of peer-reviewed articles and reports co-authored with Beverly on subjects around leadership including systems leadership, competencies vs. behaviours and team working. John was actively writing research papers right up until the weeks before his passing. Two books that he co-authored with his daughter, Juliette Alban-Metcalfe, and colleague, Margaret Bradley, are due to be published next year. His hobbies were paying tennis throughout the year, and he was also an artist, producing a prolific range of paintings. John will be remembered as a true gentleman, a man of huge integrity, relentlessly-positive energy and humour (though he told jokes badly), love of life (and claret!) and of intellectual pursuits; he was a fabulous husband and father. John passed away peacefully at home with his wife, Beverly, and his daughters, Caroline and Juliette. Colleagues at Real World Group and from his extensive network across psychology and beyond will miss him hugely. Juliette Alban-Metcalfe Leeds

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BPS Division of Neuropsychology

Annual Conference 2015

Complex challenges in neuro-rehabilitation Friday 27 November 2015 9.00am–5.00pm Venue: The Holiday Inn London-Bloomsbury, Coram St, London, WC1N 1HT

Keynote speakers: Professor Jennie Ponsford Dr Jenny Limond Professor Trevor Robbins

For full details see

www.kc-jones.co.uk/don2015

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Universities Psychotherapy and Counselling Association Conference 2015 In association with Psychodynamic Studies (Continuing Education) University of Oxford

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP SCHEME

What future long-term and open-ended psychotherapy and counselling?

6–8 week summer vacation research project £200 per week student stipend

Saturday 5th December 2015 10.00am to 4.30pm Speakers

Dorothea Huber, Del Loewenthal, Julian Lousada, Rolf Sandell, Rai Waddingham, Janet Weisz Plus

Research paper presentations Venue: University of Oxford, Rewley House, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA UPCA members £75.00 / non-UPCA participants £90.00 UPCA student members £45.00 /non-UPCA student participants £55.00 Bookings received before 26th October 2015 receive a £5 discount For a booking form please contact: [email protected] or visit our website at WWW.UPCA.ORG.UK Attendance counts as 6hrs C.P.D. requirement met

One Day Conference 18th April 2016

New Directions in Sex Offender Practice Forensic Psychology Practice Ltd and the Centre for Forensic and Criminological Psychology, University of Birmingham invite you to attend our 5th annual interdisciplinary conference on what works and best practices when working with sexual offenders, bringing together practice, policy and academia. Assessing Sexual Deviance Professor Jean Proulx, University of Montreal Sexual Violence Risk: From Formulas to Formulations Professor David Cooke, Glasgow Caledonian University Sexual Offenders who use the Internet Dr Ethel Quayle, University of Edinburgh Eradicating Child Sexual Abuse Donald Findlater, Lucy Faithfull Foundation Desistance in Sexual Offenders Mark Farmer, National Offender Management Service Religiosity in Sexual Offenders Dr Stephanie Kewley, Birmingham City University Women Who Sexually Abuse Children Dr Mary Di Lustro, Nottinghamshire NHS Healthcare Delegate fees: • Standard rate: £200 • Early bird rate: £170 – to qualify for the Early bird rate payment must be received by the 1st February 2016.• Student rate: £70 (with valid NUS card/number) Venue: The conference will be held at the University of Birmingham. For booking information please contact Marie at FPP Ltd on 0121 354 7298/6784 or email [email protected]

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Deadline date: 9 March 2016 The Research Board is pleased to announce the call for applications for its popular Research Assistantship Scheme for 2016. Awards will be made to researchers (not directly to the student) to allow them to provide undergraduates with ‘hands on’ experience of research during the summer vacation, to gain an insight into scientific research and to encourage them to consider an academic career. The scheme is a prestigious award that marks out a student as a future researcher and potential academic. It is hoped that the senior researcher, to whom the award is made, will develop the RA’s potential and interest in research. l Applicants: must be members of the Society who are active researchers employed by a UK HEI, who may then appoint an undergraduate student who is finishing the penultimate year of their degree to become their Research Assistant in the summer break before the start of the students final year. l The award provides a student stipend at a weekly rate of £200, for a 6–8 week project. Further details (including criteria and application form) can be obtained from Carl Bourton ([email protected]) If you have any specific queries in relation to the scheme, please contact Dr Lisa Morrison Coulthard ([email protected] or 0116 2529510)

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Lost in memory In the face of Ebola, who helps the helpers? Ella Rhodes reports. Forced to work in secret using pseudonyms, shunned by families and communities, all the while risking their own lives for the thousands who had been struck down by Ebola. The national healthcare workers in Sierra Leone faced scores of barriers and intense psychological trauma during the height of the epidemic. In a country with no state-employed psychologist and only 20 mental health nurses the future could look bleak for the Sierra Leonean healthcare workers. However, a small team of psychologists from the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) has recently launched a pilot service to help them. The three-phase service has already reached more than 70 per cent of those who worked tirelessly for months in the six Ebola treatment centres in the country that were funded by the UK government’s Department for International Development (DFID). This pilot project is part of a wider Ebola Psychological Support Service set up by SLaM and funded by the DFID, which also offered one-to-one Skype support to NHS workers who also gave their time to help those affected by Ebola in the country. Idit Albert, consultant clinical psychologist and expert in complex trauma and PTSD, leads the service for UK aid workers. She said that when faced with the numerous psychological challenges of Ebola, SLaM, DFID and other trusts within the NHS were quick to act to implement a service to support UK workers in the country. She explained that at the time Ebola broke out, a team from the King’s Centre for Global Health had already been in the country for around 18 months. ‘A mental health nurse from the King’s team had been receiving Skype support from a psychiatrist and she wanted to ensure this type of support was available for the rest of her team in Sierra Leone.’ The mental health nurse asked her boss to contact Alison Beck, the head of psychology and psychotherapy at SLaM, to see if any of its team of psychologists and therapists were willing to help the King’s staff. Around 10 per cent of the workforce said they would be happy to volunteer their time in supporting the people fighting Ebola in Sierra Leone. The King’s Global Health Team were paired up, one-on-one, with psychologists and therapists from SLaM to speak to whenever they needed. The Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies heard about the service and suggested linking it up with the Department for International Development to offer the service to NHS workers who would soon be sent out to the country. Although there are only a few NHS staff in Sierra Leone at

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the time of writing, and 20 staff on standby to be deployed to Sierra Leone in case of increase in Ebola cases, the service is still supporting NHS volunteers who have returned home. The Skype support sessions from psychologists and psychotherapists who volunteered their time varied from counselling and psycho-education through to higher-level clinical interventions. For the majority of aid workers, it involved discussing their work during deployment, processing what they saw, debriefing and also offering advice on improving personal resilience and protecting their wellbeing. Dr Albert explained that in other cases aid workers presented with anxiety, depression and PTSD-type symptoms. She added: ‘The service aimed to encourage people to think about self-care as well as giving them a place to process their experience during their deployment and supporting them in the adjustment to life in the UK. The psychologists and psychotherapists can be flexible in how they offer help.’ Despite the traumatic scenes many of the aid workers witnessed, Albert said some came out of the experience feeling stronger. She added: ‘We haven’t analysed all of our data yet but it’s encouraging to see that after this experience people’s priorities in life have shifted and many discovered they were stronger than they initially thought.’ The DFID were also keen to offer support to Sierra Leone nationals who had been working at the Ebola treatment centres. Elaine Hunter, a consultant clinical psychologist and expert in complex trauma, psychosis and cross-cultural psychology, was chosen to lead this pilot project. She visited Sierra Leone in April to assess the 2000 workers’ needs and developed a three-phase pilot project to give culturally appropriate support to treatment centre staff across the country and recruited an in-country team of 15 Sierra Leonean nationals to deliver the service. Phase one of the project proved highly popular and attracted more than 1600 people. This included group workshops with questionnaires that assessed general wellbeing, and those who had moderate to high scores were then invited to take part in the second phase. The second phase, also open to anyone who is interested in taking part, will include group self-help sessions focusing on six areas that were found to be most problematic during Dr Hunter’s initial visits to the country: stress, sleep, anxiety, low mood and grief, anger and alcohol, and relationships. National staff have been able to sign up to attend any of these problem areas and already over 3500 participants have been booked. The third phase will offer brief individual CBT-style guided

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self-help over six weeks for anyone who is still experiencing psychological problems. Hunter painted an alarming picture of the challenges that so many of the Sierra Leonean healthcare workers face, many of whom have no clinical background. She explained after Sierra Leone shut down schools and places of business to attempt to prevent the spread of the disease, many were drawn to work at treatment centres – one of the few places of paid employment in the country. ‘People who work around Ebola are really stigmatised, they often work in secret and used pseudonyms,’ Hunter told me. ‘I talked to the burial team, who were some of the most stigmatised because they’re preventing people from carrying out traditional burial practices. They were such a dignified team despite their very grim job – they had to bury up to 12 people a day. People’s relationships broke up, if found out people were pushed out of their families. They all witnessed a huge number of people dying and some of them very suddenly.’ Even experienced clinical staff, including nurses, were left in shock after witnessing the many children who were killed by the disease. She added: ‘They don’t normally see children dying; with Ebola it has a 100 per cent mortality rate for anyone under five years old. Most people knew others who were dying – family, friends and colleagues.’ While speaking to national staff, Hunter was struck by the ways in which people described their psychological problems. ‘People speak of having “problems with their imagination” following their experiences. People who experienced flashbacks, feeling like they were back on the wards again, said they were “lost in memory”. They described having anxiety symptoms as a “restless heart” and they spoke of themselves as being “sick at heart” when describing grief or depression.’ This pilot project will run until the end of December, and the Maudsley team will evaluate data from questionnaires and outcomes to assess whether the project could be expanded. The Maudsley is currently in discussion with the DFID and the organisations recruiting NHS staff for humanitarian aid missions for providing formal psychological screening and support in future. I For the thoughts of the NHS workers, see the online version of this item via http://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk

A treasure trove The boxes of data – 65 of them – had lain unattended for years. Answers from a two-decade research programme carried out by an Australian academic, who died suddenly in 2007, were in danger of being lost for ever. The records potentially contain clues to how schizophrenia differs across cultures. There was just one small problem – the study had been conducted with the tribal Iban people of Malaysia, and very few people understand the language. But now the project is being rescued, following a chance meeting involving a psychologist from London’s University of Roehampton. Between 1986 and 2006 Professor Rob Barrett investigated the indicators of schizophrenia in Iban people. There are just 400,000 Iban in the world, many living a lifestyle based on farming and agricultural work in Sarawak, Malaysia. Professor Barrett lived amongst them in ‘long houses’ housing several generations, combining social anthropology, psychiatry and genetics to dig out the roots of schizophrenia. His records included firsthand accounts in the native language, and blood samples from 700 people. Professor Barrett’s theory was that some major symptoms of schizophrenia, such as those related to thinking (e.g. delusions of control and thought broadcast, insertion or withdrawal), may not be a significant indicator of schizophrenia in all cultures – including the Iban. In the Western context, thinking is a mental activity that takes place in the brain. But among the Iban, thinking is believed to come from the heart-liver region and is closely tied with emotion, desire and will. The research findings would have remained a mystery were it not for an invitation to Professor Cecilia Essau to give a seminar at the University of Adelaide last September. Explaining her personal history and Iban language fluency led to the international connection – Professor Barrett had previously worked at Adelaide. Professor Essau is the only Iban-speaking academic psychologist in the world and was the first Iban women ever to hold a PhD. She is also a Fellow of the British Psychological Society. With support from the Florey Medical Research Foundation, Essau is working for the next two months with Barrett’s former colleagues at the University of Adelaide, including Head of Psychology Professor Anna Chur-Hansen, to translate and study his findings. ‘There’s so much

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there, it’s incredible,’ she told us. ‘There are lots of videos and interviews with patients and their family members, fieldwork notes, photos, documentation of Iban shaman doing curing rites and death and bereavement rites.’ Professor Essau said: ‘This is a hugely exciting project to work on, not least because Professor Barrett’s fieldwork was carried out in towns near where my own family have lived, but also because it reaches right to the heart of the nature or nurture debate. Having the opportunity to recover the work of such an eminent scholar, interpret it into English and understand his findings, is a real contribution to science. It would have

Professor Cecilia Essau

been incredibly sad to think so much work and study over a lifetime would have been lost.’ The boxes are being kept at a section of the special collection at the Barr Smith Library. Professor Essau said there would be increased need to work with other psychologists to fully analyse the information. ‘At this point, we haven’t yet started looking at the family component of the research. The Iban family structure is very complex because we don’t have surnames like in the West. And it has been interesting to read how the patients described the way they communicated with the voices they heard: animal themes seem to be very dominant in the content of the hallucinations.’ Professor Essau invites any academic psychologists who feel their expertise may be useful to this project to contact her on [email protected]. ‘Professor Barrett’s is definitely work that will last for several years,’ she concluded. JS

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‘Focus your attention on the victims and their families’ October’s school shooting in Umpqua Community College Oregon was just the latest of almost 300 mass gun attacks in the US this year alone. President Obama could barely contain his emotion and frustration at the regularity of these attacks, saying: ‘Our thoughts and prayers are not enough. It does nothing to prevent this carnage being inflicted some place in America, next week or a couple of months from now.’ Noting that the US has spent trillions of dollars and passed laws to protect people from terrorism, Obama said: ‘…yet we have a Congress that explicitly blocks us from even collecting data on how to reduce potential gun deaths. How can that be?’ Yet there are others with a responsibility to reduce the risk of further shootings: the media. Back in 2009 (see tinyurl.com/parkdietz), forensic psychiatrist Park Dietz called on the media to avoid: showing sirens blaring in their reports, using photographs of the killer, having rolling 24 hour coverage of the event, and leading with the body count. Dietz warned that these were all factors in creating ‘anti heroes’ and prompting copycat, one-upmanship: ‘Every time we have intense saturation of coverage of a mass murder we expect to see one or two more within a week.’ The coverage of the Virginia TV journalists shot dead earlier this year during a live report suggested Dietz’s advice had not been heeded. However, following the Umpqua killings, the Sherriff of Douglas County, John Hanlin, refused to name the shooter in an official statement released on Facebook, and implored news outlets to do the same. He said: ‘Let me be very clear: I will not name the shooter. I will not give him

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credit for this horrific act of cowardice. Media will get the name confirmed in time… but you will never hear us use it. We would encourage media and the community to avoid using it, repeating it or engaging in any glorification and sensationalisation of him. He in no way deserves it. Focus your attention on the victims and their families and helping them to recover.’ Unsurprisingly though, once the killer’s name was released to the press, hugely in-depth investigations of his background were released. His internet activity, his history and interviews with his distraught father saturated the news while a photograph of the shooter holding a rifle accompanied each separate report. Research supports the suggestion that such coverage has a deadly impact. Work led by Sherry Towers (Arizona State University) and published in PLOS One earlier this year (see tinyurl.com/towersetal) found that there is a ‘temporary increase in probability’ following mass killings involving firearms, lasting on average for 13 days and leading to at least 0.30 new incidents. Shockingly the authors outline that 87 per cent of all children (aged 0 to 14) killed by firearms are children living in the US, despite the fact only 5 per cent of the world’s children live in the country. Psychologist Pam Ramsden (University of Bradford), an expert in vicarious trauma, said that in the wake of school shootings a certain percentage of the public – particularly

parents – could be prone to experiencing some symptoms of trauma after viewing coverage on the news. She said: ‘We know that when children are involved the amount of trauma is higher – especially if they have schoolaged children, because they can visualise their own children in danger at what is suppose to be a safe environment. Trauma is more likely when normal people are doing normal things – for example we all are not shocked when a soldier is killed during active duty, because we have an expectation that this will happen. We don’t have the same expectations in what we would consider “safety zones”.’ Some of the media images following the Virginia shootings, showing the precise moment the victims realised they were going to die, seemed particularly graphic. Rumsden said: ‘These pictures are traumatising as the human brain is specifically designed to catalogue visual memories… we store these and each picture we see further builds on these traumatising images. I believe it is enough to show that a terrible accident occurred, or a natural disaster, we don’t need to see floating bodies – whether they are human or animals. These graphic violent images can be damaging, and I believe that the media, in an effort to increase shock value, portrays

the very worst of the images that they can.’ As for helping schools to reduce their vulnerability to deadly shooting incidents, research by Traci Wilke and Mark Fraser from 2009 identified six strategies, including strengthening pupils’ attachment to their school, reducing social aggression, breaking down codes of silence, establishing resources for troubled and rejected students, increasing basic security measures, and bolstering communication within the school (e.g. by introducing a mass text message alert system) and between school and community agencies, allowing, for example, the rapid review of pupils whose essays and compositions may betray signs of mental distress. ‘If implemented successfully, programs based on these six strategies are likely to reduce social stratification, increase school bonding, and provide early intervention to ostracized and angry students who, if exposed to other risk factors, may have a higher likelihood of violence,’ the authors wrote. (See also the excellent piece on the race to stop the next school shooter: tinyurl.com/nrm7jep). But to turn the spotlight back on the media, is it time for outlets to take responsibility for reducing glorification and sensationalisation? There are media guidelines around the reporting of suicide (see tinyurl.com/8fvckxv) so why not homicide? Surely a first step would be to follow Sherriff Hanlin’s advice: to not name the killer, ditch his photo and focus instead on the victims and their families. ER

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‘Stampede’ – a loaded term The horrific crush near the holy city of Mecca, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the valley of Mina, killed 717 people and injured more than 850 others. Press coverage quickly focused on ‘panic’ and ‘stampede’, but is the ‘mindless mass’ really to blame for such tragedies? Professor Steve Reicher (St Andrews University) told us that the problem lay in crowd physics management rather than crowd psychology. ‘Claims of inevitability are using excuses for doing, and having done, nothing… descriptions like “panic” and “stampede” suggest that the problem lay in irrational crowd psychology or behaviour. Yet there is little evidence of anyone “rushing wildly”, as is the nature of a stampede. In fact, in events such as this the problem is that people can’t run anywhere.’ When crowds meet a certain density of around four people per square metre, Professor Reicher explains, any push or shove results in waves passing through the crowd. Another issue, he said, is that is people at the front fall or meet an unexpected barrier; those behind may carry on moving leading to a ‘catastrophic’ build-up of pressure. Dr Clifford Stott (University of Leeds) added: ‘While we still don’t know the full details it appears the authorities allowed crowds from different directions to converge on a single location that itself was a confined space. Much like the Hillsborough disaster this would have created fatal pressures that no-one could have escaped from.’ There is also growing evidence that two paths near the site of the accident had been closed off for ‘unknown reasons’. ‘This points to the fact that in many disasters, the problem lies in the way that certain exits are blocked off,’ Reicher said. On top of this, Reicher added, there were issues with group psychology, trust and respect of authorities. ‘We know that Islam is a house divided. Previously that was not seen to be too significant at the Hajj. Whether it was a factor in the tragedy, we don’t know yet. But what we can see is that the tragedy has affected socio-political divisions. Iran, for instance, has attacked the Saudi regime for mishandling the Hajj. Since the whole legitimacy of the Saudi regime rests on being “custodians of the two mosques” this is potentially of huge geopolitical significance.’ A large-scale survey of pilgrims at the Hajj, by Dr John Drury (University of

Sussex) and Hani Alnabulsi and published in PNAS, has shown that the effect of density on feeling safe is moderated by social identification. If a person felt part of the crowd of pilgrims they didn’t fear crowding and, in fact, felt safer in denser spaces – because they felt that they were alongside people like themselves who would support them. Reicher said: ‘This could potentially lead people into risk taking and attract them to dangerous spaces. I would stress, though, that compared to issues of crowd flow and management this is relatively minor.’ So how can the risk of such tragedies be reduced? Dr Stott says: ‘The solutions do not lie in increasing coercion and security measures, nor merely in addressing the infrastructure, but also in

facilitating awareness and communication with and among crowds.’ In this sense Reicher highlights the need to see crowd members as part of the solution to disasters and not just the problem. Studies have found that, far from panicking, and looking after oneself at the expense of others, in disasters people come together and help each other often at severe risks to themselves. ‘So we should examine the role of crowd members as ‘first responders’, as helping to deal with the aftermath of the crushing,’ Reicher concluded. In 2006, more than 360 pilgrims were killed in another incident in Mina. Back then, pilgrims were blamed before the finger was pointed at poor management as the primary problem. ‘Most crowd safety experts would say “accidents” are due to mismanagement,’ Dr Drury told us. Writing about the term ‘stampede’ on his blog (http://dontpaniccorrecting mythsaboutthecrowd.blogspot.co.uk), psychologist Dr Chris Cocking said: ‘…it is such a loaded term, and does not accurately describe what actually happens in such incidents… if we are going to improve safety at large crowd events, using outdated terms such as “stampede” when things go wrong, will only get in the way of trying to create safer crowd experiences for everyone involved.’ JS

See our website at http://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/reports for much more news, including the Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction; and reports from the launch of the new Forensic Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London; from the European Skeptics Congress; and the Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society’s West Midlands Branch.

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Nudging us towards a better future Eloise Smart reports from Behavioural Exchange Insights 2015 Over two days in London this September, the Behavioural Insights Team hosted the inaugural Behavioural Exchange conference. Addressing an array of global social issues, the sold-out event brought together 900 of the world’s leading behavioural insights experts, policy makers and practitioners to use social norms to create policies that can affect the world for the better. Amongst the leading the speakers were esteemed Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman and President of the American Economics Association Richard Thaler. Starting the conference by tackling ‘the world’s biggest challenges’ head-on was a team including David Halpern, psychology graduate and Chief Executive of the Behavioural Insights Team, discussing social issues such as poverty and inequality. Professor Iris Bohnet from the Harvard Kennedy School spoke to the impact of gender inequality at the highest levels within the workplace. To remedy this, the British government found that telling companies a positive statistic (that 94 per cent of companies had at least one woman on the board) rather than a negative one (that only 17 per cent of board members were women) led to a much better response in those companies’ promotion policies. The science and style of behaviour change communication were debated between leading psychologists Steven Pinker and Robert Cialdini, where the effectiveness of ‘reciprocity’ (that people are more likely to give something up if

SCOTTISH HIGHERS – A CORRECTION The news item on p.793 of the October issue, headed ‘A-level Psychology’, stated that total entries for Scottish Higher Psychology in 2015 were 3175, a ‘10 per cent decrease’ compared with 2014. In fact, the 2015 exam was the first year of the new revised Higher under ‘Curriculum for Excellence’, running alongside the old Higher in its final year. The old Higher had 3175 entries while the new Higher attracted 497. Old and new Highers yield the same Higher Award, and entries should therefore have been collated to give an overall entry total of 3672 – a 5.5 per cent increase.

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another party has also given something up) was highlighted in Cialdini’s example that hotel guests are more likely to reuse towels if told their hotel has already given to an environmental charity. Health and behaviour change was also given thorough and thought-provoking examinations. The ‘interactive’ session ‘You are the doctor’ allowed the audience to experience how good and bad medical decisions can cause life or death, and stress-tested the alternatives. Health experts, including Cornell University’s Brian Wansink (whose obesity research contributed to the introduction of smaller 100-calorie’ packages for reduced portion size) and the White House’s Sam Kass (who served as Executive Director of the First Lady’s ‘Let’s Move’ campaign) then discussed the epidemic of obesity and solutions to change widespread health behaviours around impulsive eating patterns. Topical sessions on finance and behaviour demonstrated the UK government’s pressing need to entice the public to actively manage their money for sustained financial health, as best exemplified in the recent pension reforms. Effective communication of the implications of poor financial management drove reformed behaviour, as observed after reminding people that taxes fund vital public services, rather than simply demanding payment without explanation. Another route was equally effective, as explained by David Halpern: ‘Findings from behavioural science show us that people are strongly influenced by what they think their fellow citizens are doing. The Behavioural Insights Team, for example, has shown that people are more likely to pay their tax when they are reminded of the truth – that most people pay their tax on time. So this survey has important implications. We underestimate how virtuous our fellow citizens are, and this really matters. If we think others are cheating, not saving enough, or not eating healthily, then we’re much more inclined to do the same ourselves. Our perception of others’ behaviours is often way out of line with reality, and this has consequences for what we ourselves do.’ Halpern’s references reflected the findings of the Ipsos Mori survey released at the event. This found that Britons underestimate how much exercise they really do, and the extent to which they save for retirement. The survey found

people think that 65 per cent of the population are not saving enough for retirement, when government studies suggest it’s actually 43 per cent; and that only 42 per cent do the recommended amount of exercise each week, when detailed physical activity surveys indicate it is 57 per cent. The survey, which was conducted in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, France and Germany, also found that people believed others’ behaviour was generally worse than their own. For example, people think that 52 per cent of their fellow citizens have pretended to be sick in the past year, but only 23 per cent of workers say they have done so themselves. On these and many other key topics that affect our everyday in big and small ways, such as crime, the environment and education, it was acknowledged that behavioural economics could seem paternalistic, and that turning theory into policy brought with it responsibility, and uncertainty. In a plenary session that was by far the highlight of the event, long-time colleague Richard Thaler interviewed Daniel Kahneman (dialling in from New York) about these issues, whose words were wise as a reminder of consequence: ‘In designing policy you have to worry about who the losers are going to be. What I believe is when you are introducing change there will be winners and losers. Losers will fight harder. Reform is more expensive than expected. Leaders don't anticipate loss aversion… they create winners and losers who they have to compensate… That would be the first piece of advice: who will the losers be and what will they be able to do to you?’ As final parting words, Kahneman’s concerns felt apt to the number of policy makers in the room: ‘I think there is an awful lot of decision making going on within firms and government and much of it is really very poor quality – it has evolved but it hasn't been designed. And designing decisions is a very large field. Seeing an organisation that produces decisions and asking: what quality controls can we apply? Getting into that is a very big challenge.’ Perhaps Thaler nailed the shortcut to the solution to this challenge by asking Kahneman how one can get buy-in for change management even if you don’t have a Nobel Prize? ‘Well, I think every consultant should have one,’ quipped Kahneman.

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Aiming to forget – human frailty or strength? What does it really mean to forget? Michael Anderson (University of Cambridge) has spent his career challenging the belief that forgetting is a human frailty and exploring the neurological mechanisms behind so-called motivated forgetting. He began his talk, at the British Academy in a joint event with the British Psychological Society, speaking of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a film that follows a man’s mission to have memories of his ex-partner erased. He said that although people think forgetting is a negative thing, there are many situations where people may be motivated to actively forget. For example, one may wish to alleviate negative feelings, to protect one’s own self-image. He added: ‘More often than we realise, forgetting is what we want and need to do. Forgetting is the goal while remembering is the human frailty.’ Dr Anderson told a story of knocking a cactus from a windowsill and inhibiting himself from catching it. He said it occurred to him that if nature saw fit to give us mechanisms to prevent actions, some of those mechanisms might be able to be turned inward – for example in the case of memory retrieval. He went on to investigate this idea in the lab. Participants were trained to memorise word pairs. When faced with one of the cue words, could people actively prevent themselves retrieving the associated word? Anderson looked further into the moment where a person stops themselves from remembering. A ‘think – don’t think’ paradigm presented subjects with words either in green or red: when shown green they retrieved the associated word, when shown red they had to refrain from remembering the associated word, not allowing it to enter their consciousness. In the final phase of the test participants had to try to remember all word pairs. The words presented on ‘think’ trials were remembered well, while those on ‘don’t think’ trials were remembered more poorly. Anderson used the term ‘suppression induced forgetting’ to describe this phenomenon – constantly trying to keep something from one’s mind results in worse memory for that stimuli. But what are the neurological mechanisms behind this process? Anderson found activity in the

dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during motivated forgetting, an area also heavily involved in inhibiting action. Interestingly, Anderson also saw suppressed activity in the hippocampus – an area with a wellestablished role in memory. Anderson wanted to find out in these ‘don’t think’ trials whether people were simply waiting and not thinking of the associated word, or ‘slamming on the mental brakes’, as it were, to stop themselves remembering. So he asked subjects in the scanner to report on the ‘don’t think’ trials whether the associated word had crept into consciousness or hadn’t. He said when a participant experienced the word coming to mind and had to push it out he saw huge downregulation of hippocampus activity. Potentially, Anderson said, downregulating hippocampus activity does not target specific memories but has a more global effect on memory – causing people to briefly become amnesic. He described the case of one woman who suggested to him that she had experienced organic amnesia. It later emerged that she had witnessed a mass school shooting and later had to return to the same school. She found that her memory for her school years was badly affected. Anderson suggested that while suppressing memories triggered by stimuli related to the incident, this down-regulation of the hippocampus would have affected other memories that were unrelated to the trauma but that happened to the woman just before or after the incident that triggered the suppression. In his future work, Anderson and his

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team are hoping to assess whether people can be trained to suppress certain memories and whether people can be trained to down-regulate the hippocampus using neurofeedback. He concluded: ‘Forgetting is much more active than we realise. We do it on purpose more often than we realise.’ ER I Watch the lecture in full at tinyurl.com/babpsma

HCPC REVISE TRAINING GUIDANCE The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) has launched revised guidance for people with disabilities who are considering or training for a profession regulated by the HCPC. Nicole Casey, HCPC Acting Director of Policy and Standards commented: ‘Disabled people have an important contribution to make to the health and care professions we regulate. Having a health condition or disability should not be seen as a barrier to becoming a registered health and care professional. Many people who have disabilities successfully complete our approved training programmes, go on to register with us and practise as health and care professionals. We hope that this revised guidance will encourage, enable and support disabled people who are considering or training to become HCPCregistered professionals.’ I Download the guidance from tinyurl.com/ps8zges

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Not-so-smartphones – government reviews mobile policy in schools An investigation into how to train teachers to tackle poor pupil behaviour is to be expanded to cover the use of mobile phones. Former teacher and expert in behaviour in schools, Tom Bennett, will lead the government-commissioned review into how initial teacher training prepares teachers for managing behaviour in 21stcentury schools. Though many schools now use devices such as tablet computers to help children learn, teachers have reported that the growing number of youngsters bringing personal devices into class hinders teaching and leads to disruption. A recent study from LSE found banning mobile phones from classrooms could benefit students’ learning by as much as an additional week’s worth of schooling over an academic year. The report found that banning phones would most benefit low-achieving children and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

A 2013 survey suggested that the vast majority of schools have some form of mobile phone policy in place and one third of schools ban mobile phones outright, with a further fifth limiting their use in lessons. Chief Inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw has already called for more schools to ban children from bringing phones into lessons – a major issue that Tom Bennett will now review. Occupational Health psychologist Gail Kinman (University of Bedfordshire) is part of a team who have organised a BPS-funded seminar series on the so-called

‘Always On’ culture. She said focusing on mobile device behaviour in schools would be useful in preparing young people for the workplace. ‘As well as the need to understand how using mobile devices at school can impair learning, it is important to help children appreciate the etiquette around using mobile phones – what is appropriate and what isn’t. Most university lecturers and employers have experiences of young people being unable to switch their phones off and who are engaged with them during important meetings and even during job interviews. The behaviours children learn in schools are reinforced and, if not challenged, will be used later.’ There is increasing evidence that a respite from mobile phones has benefits for learning as well as health and relationships. Professor Kinman said that although mobile devices are here to stay, there are ways of setting boundaries for their use. She added: ‘Parents have quite a lot

of power in this, and they are important role models for mobile phone use. They may tell children they can do something while a school says they can’t – there needs to be a negotiated and consistent view.’ Kinman suggested that schools should involve teachers, parents and children in developing the policies around mobile phone use in school. She added: ‘Parents and children need to appreciate the accumulated evidence that constantly switching attention from a phone to a teacher will impair attention at school as well as potentially create problems for them in their future education and in the workplace.’ The final seminar on the always-on culture, entitled ‘The always on culture: Implications for work life boundary management over the lifespan series’ will be held on 11 March. Further details will be available on https://alwaysonculture. wordpress.com. ER

POLICE AND UNIVERSITY TEAM UP FOR STUDENTS University of Bolton staff and students have joined forces with Greater Manchester Police on research and professional training, thanks to a memorandum of understanding. This also aims to support the provision of placement opportunities for students interested in working alongside police. This marks one of the first agreements that links up a large police force with a psychology department. Leader of the BSc in Criminological and Forensic Psychology at the university, Dr Gill Allen, said the memorandum would allow students to engage in research within applied areas around policing. She added: ‘Following the successful set up of a data-sharing agreement, which is in progress, students will be able to use existing data and collect their own data, which

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may contribute to the completion of their third-year honours projects.’ Academic staff will also be able to work with the police to undertake research, which will in turn benefit teaching across modules on the Criminological and Forensic Psychology programme. Allen added: ‘In addition to this student research, psychologists from the university will support Greater Manchester Police though delivering training sessions, research dissemination and facilitating on wellbeing events, which are increasingly important for the police force.’ Students will also be given bespoke lectures from Chief Inspector Shane O’Neill on opportunities of working in the police force as well as giving advice on important transferrable skills they will develop during

their academic studies. The memorandum of understanding will also open up new opportunities for placements for both undergraduate and postgraduate students with an interest in working with the police. Dr Allen said: ‘The undergraduate students were delighted to hear about this new partnership. When the information was disseminated to students in induction week, one final-year student who is keen to forge a career within the police service said, “I think it is a really fantastic opportunity for young motivated individuals like myself to get a foothold in the police force, and it will help boost relations between the community and Bolton University if the general public are aware that GMP are in partnership with us”.’ ER

vol 28 no 11

november 2015

news

A new era for psychology? Could psychology be heading as Shadow Public Health those things without the for a new era, where the Spokesperson, Luciana has strong economy that we have subject is high on political powerfully advocated for an built over these last five years.’ agendas and guides policy appreciation of the social On the other side of the and legislation? Recent events determinants of health – for pond, Barack Obama signalled seem to signal a shifting focus physical health problems, his intention to put towards psychology and psychology at the heart of the behavioural sciences in policy by issuing an Executive the political world. Order on the use of so-called The newly elected ‘nudge’ techniques (see leader of the Labour Party, tinyurl.com/pgzgnfw). Obama Jeremy Corbyn, has said in the order that findings garnered praise for his from psychology about how appointment of a new people make decisions and act Shadow Minister for on them could be used in Mental Health Luciana policy to ‘better serve the Berger. In a statement American people’. He added announcing the members that where policies have been of his Shadow Cabinet, he guided by behavioural science pointed out it was the first they have improved outcomes time there was a majority for Americans, and he gave the of women. He added: ‘I am example of automatic delighted that we have enrolment and escalation in established a Shadow retirement plans, which have Cabinet position for mental helped people accumulate Shadow Minister for Mental health, which is a matter more in retirement savings. Health Luciana Berger I have long been interested He said that behavioural in.’ insights could support people The Independent reported where economic and social in finding better jobs, lead (see tinyurl.com/ox2rbe3) that disadvantage dramatically healthier lives and increase Berger will: ‘Directly work on affect our health, and in access to educational mental health issues and mental health, where social programmes. He made consider how they can best determinants are recommendations, among be addressed by the NHS and overwhelmingly important.’ prioritised by a Labour Psychology and mental government.’ Her position is health also featured in an entirely new creation, and Corbyn’s first Prime Berger has no counterpart in Minister’s Questions – in the current Conservative which he asked members of government. the public to submit BPS President Elect Peter questions to be put to David Kinderman said on Twitter Cameron (see Hansard report that the appointment of Berger at tinyurl.com/q56zgph). He was game changing. He added: was asked by one woman ‘It’s wonderful that mental why mental health services health now has a Shadow were ‘on their knees’ and Cabinet position – Luciana Angela Gilchrist, a clinical Berger will sit at Shadow psychologist, had one of her Cabinet meetings – rather than own questions put to the being a subsidiary Shadow Prime Minister, she asked Dr Tom Insel, Director of the Minister under the Health about the lack of beds for National Institute of Mental portfolio – which substantially mental health patients. Health raises the profile of this vital The Prime Minister issue. responded that although ‘Luciana Berger herself has more resources need to be others, that Executive been a strong advocate of good made available there should Departments and agencies mental health services and, also be a change in both the should identify areas of policy indeed, the work of the British way the NHS works and public where behavioural science Psychological Society, speaking attitudes to mental health. He could have good input, test at the launch of our report added: ‘But I say again that we and evaluate areas where it is Understanding Psychosis. And, will not be able to do any of used and recruit behavioural

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science experts to the Federal Government to help achieve this. Also in the USA Dr Tom Insel, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, announced he would be stepping down to join Google Life Sciences, which looks into developing technologies for early detection of health issues. This potentially signals psychology and mental health issues having more input. The New York Times reported (see tinyurl.com/qzavfzr) that Insel was turning back to the psychosocial realm after focusing much of his career steering funding towards the most severe psychological problems, such as schizophrenia, and into basic biological studies. The report, by Benedict Carey, gave insight into what his first input may be: ‘One project he has thought about is detecting psychosis early, using language analytics – algorithms that show promise in picking up the semantic signature of the disorganized thinking characteristic of psychosis.’ Insel told Technology Review: ‘We are at a really interesting moment in time. Technology that already has had such a big impact, on entertainment and so many aspects of our lives, can really start to change health care. If you ask the question “What parts of health care can technology transform?” – mental health could be one of the biggest. Technology can cover much of the diagnostic process because you can use sensors and collect information about behavior in an objective way. Also, a lot of the treatments for mental health are psychosocial interventions, and those can be done through a smartphone. And most importantly, it can affect the quality of care, which is a big issue, especially for psychosocial interventions.’ ER

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Wiley Prize in Psychology Professor Peter Fonagy has been awarded the British Academy’s prestigious Wiley Prize in Psychology, awarded every two years to an outstanding international scholar for lifetime achievement in psychology. Previous winners were Professors Martin Seligman, Michael Tomasello and Anne Treisman – it has never before been awarded to a British academic. Professor Fonagy is being recognised for ground-breaking work that has had a major impact on social policy on early childcare, adoption and fostering. His research has demonstrated that having a secure attachment to a parent or caregiver helps children to develop the ability to understand their own and others’ thoughts and feelings. This capacity, which he termed ‘mentalisation’, is uniquely characteristic of humans but individual differences have been shown to influence personality development and mental health in both the short and longer term. He has shown that these abilities are passed from caregiver to child, not genetically but via the quality of childcare. This research into mentalisation has also been extended to psychotherapy for patients with borderline personality

disorder (BPD). This group, characterised by difficulties with emotion regulation and impulse control, and unstable relationships and self-image, were previously often seen as ‘untreatable’. With Anthony Bateman, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist at St Anne’s Hospital, London, Professor Fonagy developed and evaluated mentalisation-based treatment (MBT), which has had a major impact on clinical practice for the treatment of patients with BPD in the UK (NICE CG 78) and internationally. It has also been used with other common mental health problems, including eating disorders and substance misuse, and in a range of clinical settings. As well as being an academic at University College London, Professor Fonagy is Chief Executive of the Anna Freud Centre (www.annafreud.org), a pioneering children’s mental health

Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore (UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience), who has spent her career investigating the emotional and social development of the adolescent brain, has been awarded the Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize for her research. The award is given by the Jacobs Foundation, which promotes child and youth development, to recognise exceptional research in the field. Blakemore’s research has focused on the development of social cognition and decision making during adolescence, she has helped to overturn the previously held belief that no major neurodevelopmental changes occur after early childhood. By demonstrating that the brain develops both structurally and functionally during adolescence, her work has shown adolescence represents a period of relatively high neural plasticity, particularly in brain regions involved in executive function and social cognition. Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore said: ‘It is a great honour to be awarded the Klaus J. Jacobs Prize. It is truly humbling that my lab’s research has been recognised by this prestigious award from the Jacobs Foundation. ‘I am indebted beyond words to my mentors and to all the people who have worked in my team at UCL over the past 13 years, and I am grateful to the many children and young people who have taken part in our studies and the schools that support our research. I am also grateful to the colleagues who nominated me for this award. I feel privileged to work with such inspiring and supportive people.’ The award, consisting of 1 million Swiss francs, will be presented on 4 December at an award ceremony at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.

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charity. The Honourable Michael Samuel, Chair of Trustees of the Centre, said: ‘We are delighted that Peter has received this recognition. He has been an energetic and exceptionally successful academic leader of the Centre and has overseen its growth from a local mental health provider to a national centre for child mental health.’ The charity is currently leading a push for a stepchange in the way services for children and adolescents with mental health problems are delivered. The Duchess of Cambridge visited the Anna Freud Centre two weeks ago to find out more about this work. Professor Fonagy said: ‘Naturally, I feel deeply honoured to receive this award which I feel recognises my many collaborators over nearly four decades of research whose contribution I am delighted to join in celebrating.’ JS I See p.948 for a ‘One on one’ with Professor Fonagy, and read more about his work in our archive (see tinyurl.com/pj6xn4s)

WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU… A CEO? The 25th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony was held at Harvard University in September, celebrating research that makes people laugh and then think. Its founder, Marc Abrahams, presented prizes to winners including academics who have studied the likely descendants of Moulay Ismael the Bloodthirsty (the Sharifian Emperor of Morocco) and research into the biological principle that nearly all mammals empty their bladders in about 21 seconds (plus or minus 13 seconds.) Each of the Ig Nobel winners was given their prize by a real Nobel

laureates and the winning teams also received a cash prize of a ten trillion dollar bill from Zimbabwe. Although there was no psychology prize this year the management prize went to Gennaro Bernile and his team, who discovered that many business leaders developed a fondness for risk-taking after childhood experiences of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and wildfires (see tinyurl.com/otdx8xv). ER I Watch the ceremony at tinyurl.com/nkrhqqu. More improbability: tinyurl.com/improbres

vol 28 no 11

november 2015

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