While the cat’s away …
… student life carries on much as normal for those of us who are on distance learning courses. This weekend I managed to submit the first Psychology of Organising assignment on time, and I’m now...
View ArticleShould I go to Glasgow for the DOP conference in January?
I’ve really been enjoying the Commonwealth Games over the last few days, even though my view of them has been from my armchair at home, supplemented by a few quick, surreptitious glances at the BBC...
View ArticleThe Samsung whistle and cocktail parties
Yesterday, on a train traveling between London and Derby, I very nearly snapped. The reason? I had to listen to someone’s ‘phone constantly alerting them using the five notes that form the “Samsung...
View ArticleAn “ah ha” moment
Gestalt psychology argues that the best way to think about solving problems is to consider the whole, rather than obsessing too much over specific details. Max Wertheimer suggested that if you are...
View ArticleOn leadership and followership
View image | gettyimages.com I read somewhere that the boatman who rowed King William back across the river after the Battle of the Boyne is supposed to have asked the King which side won … To...
View ArticleA £400 bribe to stop smoking during pregnancy. Whatever next?
Earlier on this week I was involved in a number of good-natured twitter exchanges about the efficacy of financial incentives for smoking cessation in pregnancy (*), or as the Daily Mail rather more...
View Article“We’ve got something for everyone”– Why astrology and homeopathy win votes
I don’t know whether to get angry, despair, or both when I hear David Tredinnick MPs pronouncements on astrology and homeopathy and why NHS spending on them might be an effective use of our taxes. From...
View ArticleThis is not hello
In August last year I wrote a blog post for the University of Leicester with the title “This is not goodbye“. In it I talked about my initial lymphoma diagnosis (the post was written before I’d had the...
View ArticleMind your language
I mentioned in my last post that I was knee deep in reading for my dissertation proposal. I’m still knee deep, but the ideas are starting to become a little better formed now. One thing I can...
View ArticleOn not boiling the ocean
Over the weekend my studies reminded me of a photograph I took last year. It shows two families of elephants trying to cross the Chobe river from Botswana to Namibia. Unfortunately the groups became...
View ArticleWhat have the psychologists ever done for us?
There’s a wonderfully thought-provoking piece that’s been published on The British Psychological Society’s website in the last few days called “Where is psychology’s non-stick frying pan?“. I’d...
View ArticleExplaining the Labour leadership contest using social identity theory
How does a candidate with a policy position that is perceived to be much more extreme than the consensus within a party win a leadership election? Social identity theory – SIT(*) may have the answer....
View ArticleTaking the plunge and registering for DOP conference
A year ago I mulled over whether or not it would be worth the investment to go to Glasgow in January 2015 for the British Psychological Society’s Division of Occupational Psychology conference – or DOP...
View ArticleYou’re fired! Why “The Apprentice” wasn’t all about negotiation this week
One of my guilty pleasures is watching “The Apprentice”. It’s back on our screens at the moment and this week’s episode featured one of my favourite tasks – the scavenger hunt. The teams were asked to...
View ArticleWelcome back – the OU re-launches psychology masters degrees for 2016
Last year, the Open University announced that it intended to start offering masters qualifications in psychology again from 2016, after mysteriously withdrawing them a few years ago. More details of...
View ArticleDissertation proposal progress
I’ve just realised that it’s been rather a long time since I wrote about the progress of my dissertation proposal. August, to be precise. So with the deadline for submission rapidly approaching and...
View ArticleDigital psychology: why the paperless tax disc has failed to deliver benefits
I’m a huge fan of online services (or “digital”, to use the term beloved of marketing departments everywhere). I make a substantial part of my living from evangelising, designing and helping to deliver...
View ArticleEthics: not just a checklist
“The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.” General Norman Schwarzkopf The British Psychological Society introduces its resources on ethics by...
View ArticleIn praise of Donald J. Trump
During the 2015 election campaign you may remember that everyone’s favourite purple-wearer, Nigel Farage, made a number of comments linking the strain on NHS resources with immigrants being treated for...
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