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The article discusses the need for psychological researchers to consider wider ethical guidelines for socially responsible science. It highlights the potential harm that studies can have on society, even if they are methodologically sound. The article presents examples of retracted papers that promoted stigmatizing or harmful ideas and argues that current guidelines for retraction do not address negative impacts. It also discusses a controversial ethical guideline proposed by the journal Nature Human Behavior, which suggests that some studies should not be published or retracted even if they are methodologically sound. The article concludes by offering recommendations for researchers to improve their decision-making and be more socially responsible in their work. [Extracted from the article]

"The magazine is you" Catherine, as you come towards the end of a sixyear spell as Chair of the Psychologist and Digest Editorial Advisory Committee [first issue near left, alongside my own!] I'm fond of saying we're The Psychologist, not Psychology Monthly or something… so it's often about psychologists as rounded people, their other interests and underlying values. The Psychologist is your publication, it's voices of psychologists coming through directly. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the challenges faced by Educational Psychologists (EPs) in England, highlighting the insufficient training pathways and low numbers of EPs being trained each year. The BPS policy paper fails to address the need for maintaining a robust training pathway and training an adequate number of EPs, despite the increasing demands and pressures faced by EPs in Local Authority services. The attempt to redistribute training places from southern to northern regions has led to the closure of a long-standing EP training program at UCL, further exacerbating the erosion of professional training in Educational Psychology. [Extracted from the article]

Throughout this first year of my PhD, I have spoken to many early career researchers (ECRs). PhDs produce people - people of all backgrounds and minds and brilliance. Still, the one sure thing is that the best approach will recognise that behind every PhD, there's a person. [Extracted from the article]

Archive Manager Sophie O'Reilly said one of the biggest gaps in the BPS archive was the work of Black psychologists, something which is due to numerous factors including criteria for donations to the archive which have been limiting in the past. The BPS History of Psychology Centre is appealing for donations of records relating to Black Psychology and Black Psychologists in the UK. Donations, for the Society's archive, can relate to the work of individuals, groups or movements who have impacted UK psychology - including campaigners and activists. [Extracted from the article]

On Twitter via @psychmag we have been seeking to encourage ways of maintaining important social identities in times of physical distancing. In particular, we were blown away by this incredible collage by Dr Emma Norris from the UCL Centre for Behaviour Change, made from back issues of The Psychologist. If you've come up with any creative uses for copies of the magazine during isolation - a "found poem", papier mache model, toilet paper substitute - we'd love to hear about it. [Extracted from the article]

The article explores the concept of happiness and its cultural variations. It highlights that the pursuit of happiness is primarily valued in Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies, while other cultures may prioritize different aspects of well-being. The article also discusses the potential drawbacks of actively pursuing happiness and suggests that psychological richness and a sense of meaning in life may be important factors for overall well-being. The research emphasizes the importance of understanding cultural perspectives and individual differences when studying happiness and well-being. [Extracted from the article]

The article reports on the paper "Transforming Children and Young People's Mental Health Provision" by the British government which set out plans on how to improve and support child and mental health including the reduction of waiting time in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).

The article discusses the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on psychological research, particularly in hypothesis generation. Researchers are exploring the use of AI, such as machine learning algorithms and large language models, to come up with novel and plausible hypotheses based on vast amounts of data. While AI has shown promise in generating high-quality hypotheses, there are concerns about biases and limitations in the current technology. Some experts advocate for a collaborative approach between researchers and AI to enhance hypothesis generation while acknowledging the strengths and weaknesses of both. The debate on whether psychologists should embrace AI-powered hypothesis generation remains ongoing, with varying perspectives on the role of AI in research. [Extracted from the article]

Research poetry, also known as Poetic Inquiry, is being increasingly used in health psychology as a tool for data generation, analysis, and presentation of research results. It combines the understanding of qualitative research and poetry to enhance the findings and provide new perspectives. Katharine Slade, a PhD student at Aston University, used poetry to develop and present the findings of her qualitative evidence synthesis on the experiences of parents caring for profoundly disabled young people. The resulting poems, created from participant quotations, highlight the challenges and emotions faced by these parents in a unique and impactful way. [Extracted from the article]

The article announces the winners of the 2016 Ig Nobel Prizes, including psychologist Bruno Verschuere and his team, psychologist Gordon Pennycook and his colleagues and neurologist Christoph Helmchen.

VC: I guess it captures as well "Big Q qualitative" researchers' frustration with positivism creeping into definitions of good practice, into reviewing and editing processes and so on. Victoria Clarke Virginia Braun and Victoria Clarke's 2006 paper, "Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology", has become widely used and cited in psychology and in many other disciplines. VC: There are so many pressures on students… developing your Twitter profile as a PhD student? In this interview, Victoria (VC) and Virginia (VB) discuss helping qualitative researchers become (better) storytellers. [Extracted from the article]

The article "How do you change the behaviour of the world?" explores the challenges of changing individual and population behavior, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. It discusses the importance of psychological principles in influencing public health behaviors and highlights the impact of factors such as collective identity, trust in leadership, messaging, and misinformation. The research findings emphasize the need for evidence-based policies grounded in diverse populations and real-world contexts, with a focus on addressing structural barriers and tailoring interventions to specific communities. The article suggests that behavioral science can inform policies not only during public health emergencies but also in addressing other pressing issues like climate change and mental health, emphasizing the importance of rigorous testing and tailored approaches for effective outcomes. [Extracted from the article]

The article explores the function of dreaming and proposes a new theory that dreams have a group-bonding and empathy function when shared with others. The standard view suggests that dreams serve purposes such as simulating threats or consolidating memories. However, there is no experimental evidence to support these claims. Dream-sharing has been found to have beneficial effects, increasing empathy between individuals. The article suggests that dreams may act as a form of fiction, simulating social experiences and promoting self-disclosure and empathy. Dream-sharing may have evolved as a way to enhance group cohesion and cooperation. Further research is needed to investigate the personal and social benefits of dream-sharing. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the existence of taboo topics in the field of psychology and the potential self-censorship that researchers may engage in when studying these topics. The article highlights the conflicting views among psychology professors on various taboo statements, such as the role of gender biases in STEM fields and the genetic contribution to IQ differences. The study also explores the professors' attitudes towards self-censorship, concerns about social media attacks, and the handling of controversial research. The findings reveal a lack of consensus among scholars and differences based on demographics, such as gender and political beliefs. However, the researchers acknowledge the limitations of the study and emphasize the need for further research to understand the diversity of perspectives among psychological scientists. [Extracted from the article]

Recently I've tried to help that process through, for example, writing papers showing what good work is, how to evaluate IPA and making useful material available on the IPA website. In the pain research, starting with work with Jamie Kirkham and now with my PhD student Isabella Nizza, who asks people who are taking part in a pain management programme to draw their pain, and then talks to them about their drawing. What IPA was becoming was something theoretically grounded, conceptually rich, but also that would enable us to do psychology, empirical in the broadest sense, collecting data from participants, analysing and presenting that material in a systematic way. Tell us a little bit about IPA, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. [Extracted from the article]

The paper explores the role for psychologists and psychology in promoting greater inclusivity, and what inclusive education looks like in practice. To read the paper see tinyurl.com/ycumk945 The BPS Division of Clinical Psychology have released a report, including five case studies, which lays out a case for why people should be able to access clinical psychologists in GP practices. Inclusive education can be more cost-efficient, has multiple benefits for children and the quality of education, according to a new position paper by the BPS Division of Educational and Child Psychology. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the potential dilution and misinterpretation of concepts in organizational psychology, specifically focusing on job burnout, psychological safety, and the Job Demands-Resources Model. The author argues that these concepts are often oversimplified and used as "diagnosis tools" or quick fixes, rather than being explored and understood in their complexity. The article highlights the need for researchers to acknowledge the limitations and uncertainties of these concepts and to communicate them effectively to avoid misleading the wider community. The author also emphasizes the importance of maintaining scholarly rigor and avoiding the pressure to prioritize quantity over meaningful research. [Extracted from the article]

In my psychological vulnerability, I willingly agreed to undergo their aversion therapy "treatment" of sexual deviations in order to divert my lesbianism to heterosexuality. The paper presents the findings of their study of the history of aversion therapy as a treatment technique used in the English mental health system to convert lesbians and bisexual women into heterosexual women. In the mid 1960s I was training to be a clinical psychologist and spent my final practical placement at a hospital in Manchester where there was a treatment programme using aversion therapy for homosexuality - a form of conversion therapy. I was unaware that the "treatment" programme was to be the subject of a series of academic articles and in 1971, edited in a book by Feldman and MacCulloch entitled Homosexual Behaviour: Therapy and Assessment. [Extracted from the article]

A letter to the editor is presented to discuss the waste of paper by subscribers of the periodical "The Psychologist".

But in 2015's Houston, We Have a Narrative: Why Science Needs a Story, scientist-turned-storyteller Randy Olson bemoans the fact that 'Science is a profession that is permeated with narrative structure and process, yet scientists are so blind to the importance of narrative that they don't even make use of this established label'. When I speak to psychologists about becoming storytellers, there can be a reticence, which seems to be about the potential for tall tales, massaging the truth, smoothing the corners. In some sense, all writing is storytelling, and good writing often capitalises on storytelling elements (e.g. making it clear "who" "does" "what", in a sentence, paragraph, paper etc). [Extracted from the article]

In my final paper I looked at the strategies students used to navigate university life, which we talked about during the focus groups. Some of my students said they would hear white students singing along to songs which use the N word in bars and clubs on student nights - but if there are 75 people doing it, how do you get them all to stop? There was also an understanding, among people who worked in university and the Students' Union, that a big chunk of the Black students were also international: they said there were around 50 Black British students at the university which is incredibly low. I requested data from the university about gender and attended a few meetings of the student union group for non-binary gender queer and trans students, and it was a really small group. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the issue of academic writing being perceived as disingenuous, dense, and difficult to understand, leading to discomfort for readers. The author argues for the need to write with compassion, clarity, and creativity to alleviate this issue. They highlight the negative impact of academic bullshit and indigestible writing on both readers and writers, and suggest alternative approaches to academic writing that challenge traditional methods. The article emphasizes the importance of writing with compassion, clarity, and creativity to create meaningful and engaging content. [Extracted from the article]

This summer is a key time for several important government consultations on plans for mental health, acquired brain injury and education for students with special educational needs and disabilities. The SEND Review and the acquired brain injury strategy have a deadline of 1 July, and the mental health plan consultation 7 July. The questions, developed alongside people with lived experience of mental health conditions and other stakeholders, ask how we can all promote positive wellbeing, prevent mental health conditions, intervene earlier when people need support, improve treatments, support those with mental health conditions to live well, and improve support for those in crisis. [Extracted from the article]

An interview with Australian professor John Bradshaw is presented. When asked about evolutionary psychology and pathways to neuropsychiatric disorder, he refers to the six psychiatric disorders written in his book entitled "Developmental Disorders of the Frontostriatal System." He says that these psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression have generative aspects, otherwise they would have been removed from the population.

The author reflects on the paper published by social psychologist Daryl Bem entitled "Feeling the future" in which she claims that people can predict future events using extraordinary perception. He cites how the paper raises several questions regarding the limits of science, current statistical paradigm, and policies that govern academic journal publishing. The author also asserts that several commentators pointed out that Bem's experiments were far from watertight and have numerous flaws.

Whereas Marcel Proust's idea for his novel (1913-1927) was to enable readers to discover and reflect on meaning in their own and others' lives, William James' paper of 1884 and his book of 1902 were expository: aimed at discovering mechanisms. Marcel Proust considered that À la Recherche du Temps Perdu was psychology extended over time. (Du Côté de Chez Swann, p.84, my translation) Portraits of characters over time Here follows an example of the kind of understanding of a person that Proust achieved in his novel. So, although, in psychology, fiction has often been dismissed as neither valid nor reliable, what has happened is that effects of introspective and extrospective depictions, such as those of Proust, have now joined with results of empirical findings of cognitive, interpersonal, and emotional benefits of reading fiction. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on exaggerated media reports of scientific findings and they found most of it coming from university press releases and a science writer stated the journalists should take 100%of the blame. However, a research fellow suggested press releases should include named authors, press officers, and academics from the original paper and this would create accountability and journalists should cross check their sources. This improves quality of health-related news stories.

The article provides information on the paper authored by Dr. Fabian Davis, Dr. Lynn McDonald and Dr. Nick Axford which explores how to make parenting and family skills training programmes inclusive to parents with social and economic disadvantage in Great Britain. It notes that the paper suggests to develop programmes that will be accessible to parents from diverse groups. The authors have surveyed the top 23 evidence-based parenting/family skills training programmes of the United Nations.

The article presents the author's view regarding the publication of a research paper entitled "Physics Reports," which has 2512 co-authors. He argues the implication of two or more authors in a research paper because it could mark by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws. He comments that if authors are all going to move in the direction of multi-authored papers, they should establish some rules for where their names go on the list.

The article discusses the recent comments made by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak regarding mental health and welfare reforms. Sunak expressed concerns about "over-medicalising" everyday challenges and worries of life when providing financial support to individuals with mental health conditions. The British Psychological Society (BPS) expressed deep concern over these comments, stating that they minimize the mental health challenges faced by people in the UK and hinder their ability to work. The BPS called for investment in mental health services and increased capacity to address the backlog of mental health assessments. Additionally, the Centre for Mental Health published a report highlighting the high cost of mental ill health and the need for increased investment and action. [Extracted from the article]

"Nothing beats getting out of the laboratory" Richard Wiseman is the Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. "It's always a body of evidence, rather than single studies" Simone Schnall is Professor of Experimental Social Psychology, and Fellow and Director of Studies in Psychology, Jesus College, University of Cambridge. "Psychology doesn't care enough about sampling" Avshalom Caspi, Ph.D., is the Edward M. Arnett Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience at Duke University, and Professor of Personality Development at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience, King's College London. The first thing that came to mind was the sheer increase in interest in psychology - as shown by the number of students studying psychology at undergraduate and postgraduate level. [Extracted from the article]

The article offers information on the language of slam poetry. It mentions that slam poetry straddles the border of theatre and literature, permitting the audience and writer to experience words in a way which makes them whole and free from frequently malleable more subjective nature of redundant words on paper. It states that the pursuit of meaning in contemporary culture, emotional capacity and self-expression are all in force when enacting a slam poem.

Rather than using some kind of sign language, where every object or situation would get its own sign, Howe decided to teach Laura English words spelled out using raised letters that could be differentiated by touch. With a certain flair for publicity, Howe described Laura's ever-growing language abilities in the Perkins School annual reports. Laura quickly mastered finger spelling, liberating her burgeoning language skills from the confines of her desk where the raised letters were kept. Next, Howe gave her each raised letter on a separate piece of paper, arranged next to one another to spell the words she knew: S-P-O-O-N, B-O-O-K, K-E-Y. All the letters were then mixed up in a pile, and Laura was prompted to order them into the labels for the objects she knew. [Extracted from the article]

In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, we found that people were engaging in an average of around 4.5 hours combined media a day, in the first week after the bombings. More media is associated with greater anxiety, greater worry, and more media about the next tragedy. We were using, in particular, the work that we had done in the aftermath of Ebola around 2013, where we analysed what happened in the United States: hysteria, fueled by the media. "Be self-protective about media exposure to tragedy". [Extracted from the article]

You refer to what is becoming a common state of unhappiness as "problems in living", a phrase Thomas Szasz used in his paper "The Myth of Mental Illness". Adler's name surfaces quite often, because he was the first of Freud's disciples to establish his own, independent school of psychotherapy, and his term - "inferiority complex" - has entered everyday speech as a pejorative. Freud famously referred to the goal of psychotherapy as being "common unhappiness". If self-help books, apps, and blogs, offer advice drawn from the tradition of psychotherapy (as opposed to pop-psychology) I think they can be very helpful. [Extracted from the article]

Oliver Zangwill (1913-1987) brought respectability to British psychology and neuropsychology at a time when American psychology dominated the field. In his 2006 paper 'An intimate connection: Oliver Zangwill and the emergence of neuropsychology in Britain', Alan Collins argued that Zangwill believed that for 'tests to be useful they were better tailored to a particular purpose and had to have some basis in clinical experience. A one-time trainee of Zangwill's and later professor of psychology at Oxford University, Larry Weiskrantz, has said that Zangwill was indeed the driving force behind the creation of the society. As a result of his work in Edinburgh during the second world war, Zangwill, along with colleagues, demonstrated that posterior right hemisphere lesions were associated with visual spatial deficits (Paterson & Zangwill, 1944). [Extracted from the article]

The article provides answers to a question of how to improve psychological science.