Search

This is a polemical paper rather than a 'scientific' paper. It focusses on how systemic changes to public services are impacting on children, families and communities. It is argued that the implementation of neoliberal ideology is rolling back the welfare state, undermining the social justice principles on which it was founded, having profound effects on the fabric of society and potentially making public services less effective in meeting the needs of vulnerable people. Psychologists have skills in working systemically and with individuals to alleviate suffering and improve life chances. It is argued that current policy of shrinking the welfare state and privatising public services is creating conditions which will increase social exclusion and have detrimental impacts on the health and well-being of many people. Economic and political policy has not been the usual territory of psychologists and there may be nervousness about straying out of our 'neutral' positions. However, it is proposed that psychology, in fostering universal psychology initiatives for the benefit of all, cannot afford to be apolitical as the values underlying our work are now under attack. It is suggested that we now need to act as a profession to challenge social injustice and lobby for social change. It is possible to do this without aligning to one political party, but from a values-based position. However, it is acknowledged that this is a complex position to maintain, given that some political movements are more aligned to neoliberal ideology than others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the question of how counselling psychology might move forward into the future. It argues that, for many counselling psychologists, the defining feature of our profession lies in a humanistic value-base; and that, to move forward, we need to look at how that could be more fully actualised. The paper argues that this value-base is most succinctly expressed in Levinas's concept of 'Welcoming the Other,' and it proposes five ways in which this ethic might be taken forward: developing our capacity to see beyond diagnoses, enhancing our responsiveness, focusing more fully on our client's intelligibility, taking a lead in giving psychology away, and developing our evidence base. The paper concludes by suggesting that the key issue is not the survival of counselling psychology as a profession; but the survival, development and proliferation of this value-base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wellbeing plays a key role in economic psychology, illustrating how psychological mechanisms impact on economic factors. Wellbeing is vital for occupational psychologists as it allows for the development of interventions to protect and improve workers health. The contribution of economic psychology has received little attention within occupational psychology to improve the measurements of individual wellbeing. The aim of this commentary paper was to bring forward a call to action of two methods that have been used in economic psychology that occupational psychologists can adopt to better measure wellbeing. This commentary paper is based on the insights of Kirchler and Hoelzl (2018) and both time-sample diaries and day reconstruction methods. The analysis showed that by using time-sample diaries, occupational psychologists could better understand the current mood, current mental state and objective characteristics of worker situations. This commentary article identified that by using day reconstruction method, occupational psychologists can have a better insight into employee experiences and feelings in a timely manner. This commentary article recommends that by using insights from economic psychology, occupational psychologists can better measure the wellbeing of workers using time-sample diaries and day reconstruction methods. The paper should, therefore, be of value to scholars and practitioners wishing to improve wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on how eclectic the work of educational psychologists (EPs) can be. It outlines how the profession of educational psychology has had to adapt and grow as a result of the significant impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. An overview of the direct result of the exceptional working conditions that we have endured since March 2020 is presented.

Content & Focus: This paper aims to explore a number of key challenges raised by existential theory to the dominant assumptions, aims and practices within contemporary counselling psychology. It argues that the existential focus on relatedness significantly alters counselling psychology's understanding of, and ways of perceiving individuals as well as the concerns that are brought to the therapeutic encounter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely accepted that Counselling Psychology is underpinned by both Humanist and Post-Modern epistemologies, and that it holds the practitioner's 'use of self' in the service of the therapeutic relationship to be paramount in the therapeutic encounter. Although Humanism and Post-Modernism can both provide theoretical pretexts for the use of self, these stances to knowledge can be experienced as in conflict with each other, and so generate ambiguity and conflict for trainees. The academic (University) contexts of training courses can feed into aspects of these epistemological conflicts in that they uphold individualist-objectivist stances to knowledge/evidence and styles of communication. In this paper psychological literature is drawn upon to explore how trainees are positioned by the discourses of 'self and 'development' that are available to them, with particular reference to the discourse of 'reflective-practice'. The concept of a plural and dialogical self is used to suggest augmenting the manner in which personal and professional development is conducted and assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2018 an updated version of the Qualification in Counselling Psychology was launched. This paper provides information for candidates on how to prepare for the written assignments within the portfolios. It is based on the assessment team's experience of candidate submissions over the last ten years and offers advice on how to avoid common pitfalls and maximise opportunities to be successful in written assignments. In particular it focuses on the need to write at a doctoral level and to be aware of the competency driven nature of the assessment regime. Although the paper is specifically written for QCoP candidates the advice would apply across all society qualifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the development of a systemic family clinic in a Paediatric Health Psychology setting. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) was used in the development of the clinic and to consider future plans. Reviewing the development of the clinic a year on from the AI session we identified the benefits of embedding systemic family work and training strategy within the department. This was enabled by a willingness to lean into uncertainty, clear boundaries, structure and protected time. AI also helped us to look towards growth in the future. We reflect on the process and offer some key learning points that we hope will inspire others in their own service development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a critical discussion about how the curriculum contributes to the sense of belonginess within Higher Education (HE), and how the ongoing aim of decolonisation needs to incorporate a more consistent intersectional lens with the curriculum within psychology. Psychology as a discipline has been criticised for its focus on primarily conducting research with people from countries that are Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich and Democratic (WEIRD; Henrich et al., 2010). This approach has neglected a number of social groups within the wider literature and has indeed marginalised the voices and experiences of many. Through the topic of decolonisation, there has been the discussion of the importance of belonging and belongingness, but the intersectional experiences of various social groups within the curriculum has been neglected. In summary, this discussion reveals that there are several key ways in which curricula and decolonial research can contribute to belonging: 1) communication of what (who) is important; 2) consideration of student learning needs; 3) appreciation of course content that is salient to students; 4) demonstration of alignment with a wider range of philosophical approaches; 5) promotion and celebration of cultural differences which allow students to be themselves; and 6) inclusion of a wide range of factors within teaching that contribute to belonging, for example the importance of place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Republic of Ireland is introducing major human rights-based reform to its mental health laws. This paper outlines the new legal landscape in which psychologists must operate against the backdrop of present day effects of Ireland’s dark legacy of institutionalisation. A rights-based approach aims to positively transform mental health service delivery and we advocate for person-centred treatments as the ‘new normal’. We summarise the recent advocacy work undertaken by the Psychological Society of Ireland’s Special Interest Group in Human Rights & Psychology. Finally, we present an innovative best practice case promoting future rights-based delivery via the Socio-Ecological Model of Health – Kyrie Farm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a long history of human rights violations in healthcare and those perpetrating such human rights violations have included healthcare professionals, including clinical psychologists (Soldz, 2008; Balfe, 2016). Furthermore, individuals who have been subject to human rights violations which can include torture, discrimination, war, genocide, abuse, and trauma to name a few, are more likely to come into contact with mental health services and as a result, with clinical psychologists. Therefore, clinical psychologists have an ethical responsibility to critically engage with and examine issues pertaining to human rights, as well as their own positionality in respect of this (Patel, 2003). To support this examination, Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) training programmes should include opportunities for exploration and engagement with Human Rights violations as part of the training of clinical psychologists, however this is not currently consistently the case. In this paper the authors outline and examine the delivery of Human Rights Based teaching to trainee clinical psychologists using pedagogical, participatory and experiential learning techniques. The authors offer qualitative and quantitative feedback from four cohorts of trainee clinical psychologists on the impact of the Human Rights based teaching on their sense of self, their sense of others, their practice, and their ability to critically reflect on clinical psychology as an oppressive structure. The authors present some of the challenges and opportunities of embedding a Human Rights based framework in the teaching and education of trainee clinical psychologists and the implications of this on the practice of clinical psychology. The authors make a case that training institutions which embody principles and values connected to human rights and just psychology are likely to foster a psychological workforce that is attuned with ethics, justice and privilege. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the wake of the Open Science movement, a large number of training events have emerged. Addressing different topics and target audiences ranging from students to senior researchers, they all are contributing to the goal of making the psychology more open, transparent, and reproducible. In the present paper, the authors, based on their active involvement in the Open Science Community and their experience of leading a Germany-wide Open Science initiative, provide a best practice overview of Open Science events. Six different event types including talks, workshops, podcasts, panel discussions, event series, and summer schools are outlined and ranked on five criteria: accessibility, feasibility, scalability, specificity, and needed expertise. The present best practice article should help individuals interested in Open Science to organise their own educational events and offer established Open Science initiatives for expanding their range of events. We further outline how each of the six presented events can be used for teaching in psychology by illustrating practical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on Educational and Child Psychology, which includes legislation, adolescent development and learning, therapeutic intervention and supporting interventions and challenge and support the work of psychologist in UK and internationally and the strength of response pays testament to the profession's ability to utilize the research role of educational psychologists.

The article informs about the Qualitative Methods in Psychology (QMiP) conference at Leicester's De Montfort University on July 13–15, 2022, in Leicester. Topics include workshop facilitated by Michael Larkin exploring interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA); and provides a unique opportunity for qualitative researchers to come together and share innovation.

Background: Enhanced cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT-E) is the most widely researched therapeutic modality recommended by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the treatment of eating disorders. According to CBT-E, in-session weighing, that is, weighing the client each week during therapy sessions, should be a 'non-negotiable' therapeutic intervention. Despite research supporting CBT-E, there is no research that supports in-session weighing as a 'non-negotiable' aspect of therapy. Furthermore, CBT-E posits that behavioural change precedes the therapeutic relationship, which is problematic for counselling psychologists who posit that an empathic, safe and trusting therapeutic relationship are key ingredients to therapeutic change. This paper critically reviews the ways in which 'in-session weighing' can impact on the therapeutic relationship. Method: Searches were made for literature pertaining to in-session weighing; protocolled treatment for eating disorders; ethics in eating disorder treatment and the impact of non-negotiable therapeutic interventions on patients with an eating disorder diagnosis. Qualitative, quantitative and theoretical papers were included in the review. Findings: Based on the literature, this paper argues that in-session weighing, if carried out in an entirely protocolled-driven way, risks overlooking the therapeutic relationship and the individual differences of the clients we meet. However, the paper suggests that CBT-E can be synthesised with counselling psychology's relational ethos by adopting a flexible, transparent and reflective use of in-session weighing. Discussion: Such an approach takes into account the clinician's own values and biases, the context of the client, the presenting difficulties and the clinic setting. Such an approach lends itself to the holistic underpinning of counselling psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs about Micah Saviet's experience at The Qualitative Report's 14th Annual Conference, emphasizing the conference's theme, the well-organized online format, and the diverse topics discussed, including technology-infused research, ethical considerations, and themes related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Saviet expresses a sense of community and highlights the engaging presentations and discussions that contributed to the overall excitement about future conferences.

Story completion (SC) – where respondents are presented with the start of a story (the story ‘stem’ or ‘cue’) and asked to complete it – originally developed as a projective technique for clinical and research assessment. While SC continues to be used in this way, it has also evolved into a qualitative data generation technique, providing qualitative researchers with a creative and novel alternative to the self-report data typical of qualitative research. In this paper, we outline the growing interest in the method within psychotherapy and counselling psychology research and explain what we think the method offers to this field of research. To support psychotherapists and counselling psychologists in adding SC to their methodological toolkit, we also provide practical guidance on the design and implementation of SC, drawing on an example study exploring perceptions of ethnic/racial differences between a therapist and client. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is known that first-year retention rates are a cause for concern within higher education. One way in which to tackle this is to consider how institutions can best prepare new students for the transition to university. The current paper details a project from the University of the West of Scotland where first year psychology students enrolled on a pre-entry academic skills induction course in order to support their transition to university. The course consisted of engagement with five interactive magazines to allow students to begin experiencing the digital environments, skills, and resources that they would need throughout their degree ('What is psychology?', 'How do I study?', 'The importance of critical thinking', 'What's involved in psychological research?' and 'Life after university'). Focus groups were conducted with students shortly after taking part in the course, and again four years later upon graduation, to explore its perceived value both as a new student, and across time at university. A deductive thematic analysis showed a positive reception to the materials, but that some topics were less relevant at the beginning of a degree course. We reflect upon these findings in the context of current HE practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is developed from the Psychotherapy Annual Conference workshop with the the theme: The Distress of Invisible Populations - Your Chance to Speak. It describes how to culturally enhance social prescribing as a community practice for educating community psychologists and psychotherapists. It expands the previous literature review on the topic and the biopsychosocial model. It adds the cultural aspect and evaluates the outcome as evidence-based practice with recommendations to increase the future impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the widespread practices of tài jí and mindfulness, their principles are often misunderstood in the West. This paper shows the authenticity and integrative wholes of Mindful tài jí by demonstrating its overarching principles. It also provides an account of the lineage of a Mindfulness tài jí. The paper was based on the workshop at the 19th Annual Transpersonal Psychology Section Conference on 18-20 September 2015, Cober Hill, Cloughton, Scarborough, which aimed to provide participants with an insight about tài jí and how it relates to mindfulness, by learning some basic principles and movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The return to experience in psychology involves recognising the limitations of traditional mono-modal approaches based on verbal data, detached from activity and context. This paper describes our use of subcams to explore how people experience and engage with the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin. Participants first walked around the memorial on their own while wearing a subcam and second they commented on their experience while watching the subcam video of the walk. The analysis links visuals with participants' interpretations of the site and their understandings of the appropriate norms of behaviour there. The paper concludes with a discussion on the usefulness of subcams as a means of exploring multimodal forms of expression and communication in people's ongoing flow of experience while engaging with the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistics anxiety is extremely common in undergraduate psychology students. The Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS) is at present the most widely used measure to assess statistics anxiety, measuring six distinct scales: test and class anxiety, interpretation anxiety, fear of asking for help, worth of statistics, fear of statistics teachers and computational self-concept. In this paper we first review the existing research that uses the STARS with psychology undergraduates. We then provide an analysis of the factor and reliability analysis of the STARS measure using a sample of undergraduate psychology students (N=315). Factor analysis of the STARS yielded nine factors, rather than the six it is intended to measure, with some items indicating low reliability, as demonstrated by low factor loadings. On the basis of these data, we consider the further development and refinement of measures of statistics anxiety in psychology students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes how to culturally enhance social prescribing as a community practice in accordance with the ethno biopsychosocial human rights model for educating community psychologists and psychotherapists. It provides a literature review and an overview of the procedures on how to translate the theory into practice. It expands therapeutic approaches as a multidiscipline that involves community psychology, psychotherapy and sports and exercise psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This position paper illustrates prominent theories of reading comprehension and considers how these models have informed reading instruction within the classroom. It then considers how reading comprehension can be supported by educational psychologists (EPs). Methods: This paper presents five sociocultural models of reading comprehension. These models are discussed and used to inform EPs' understanding of effective reading comprehension instruction. Findings: Metacognitive and sociocultural models provide clues that can enhance EPs' understanding of what potentially makes the reading process break down and how reading can be supported within the classroom. Limitations: There are many models of reading comprehension; a comprehensive study of all would not be feasible within the scope of this paper. Discussion/Conclusions: This study offers seven recommendations regarding reading instruction and how EPs can support schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many people find it difficult to accept British psychology's eugenic history. Much of the literature is unhelpful in its abstention from comprehensive and lucid accounts of the Galtonian eugenic origins of much published work on individual differences in intelligence and personality deemed as inherited, the multifaceted nature of eugenics itself, or the complexity of this legacy in the early 20th century. Despite some well researched accounts of highly specific aspects of eugenic influence, the wider picture often remains elusive. Yet as the implications of eugenics for studies of race, class, and the histories of institutions and academic disciplines are increasingly interrogated, this is ever more inappropriate. Its eugenic past forms part of the challenging history of British psychology. Though a single paper cannot address these issues in their entirety, this thematic reappraisal of Galton and his legacy in the early 20th century provides a crucial initial step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to provide an understanding on the meaning of transpersonal psychology. It first examines the current definition of transpersonal psychology and its inherent problems and challenges. It then offers a new insight on the definition by drawing a parallel metaphor from the Taoist perspective and concludes that the nature of transpersonal psychology is fluid like water which is formless. Transpersonal psychologists may well be continuously calling themselves Transpersonal psychologists and let the transpersonal continuously evolve and be defined by the individual concerned. The truth is out there, beyond the definition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Focus groups are a widely utilised research method in an array of disciplines including the social sciences and, more specifically, in counselling and psychotherapy. They can be effective in assessing attitudes, opinions and experiences relative to a specific context and are relatively time and cost efficient. However, there are also potential limitations with this method, such as a reduced opportunity to participate for individuals and an increased likelihood of conformity in the group setting. Aims: This paper explores methodological issues in conducting and interpreting focus groups, illustrated with data from our own study on couple counsellors' experiences of working with same-sex couples. Method: Data was collected via three focus groups with 11 Relate counsellors and analysed using thematic analysis. The research process was used to reflect upon the experience of conducting and interpreting focus group data. Results/Discussion: The advantages and disadvantages of using focus groups are exemplified in various ways, including evaluating benefits and shortcomings in a different light by considering them as situation specific methodological issues of group interaction and group dynamics. Issues in data analysis are demonstrated by stressing the importance of appraising the content, interaction, and the socio-cultural and biographical contexts of the focus group, participants, and the moderator. Implications: The paper concludes with implications for future research employing focus group methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses the history of counselling psychology in Great Britain. Topics include the first annual conference of the British Psychological Society's Special Group in Counselling Psychology held in Birmingham, England in 1990, the relevance of positive psychology to counselling psychology, and the paper by Steffen, Vossler and Joseph.

This paper outlines the origins, developments, and current state of play of counselling psychology in Australia. The relative strength of the early and middle developmental stages of the professions are contrasted with the current decline largely brought about by the Medicare system. The constraints on future development of the field are examined and the importance of revisiting its philosophical base is discussed alongside the need to vitalise its research culture and publications. The paper concludes with a number of recommendations for strengthening counselling psychology in Australia and a reassertion of the value of counselling psychology for the Australian and international community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current political and economic trends in psychology push for an evidence-based practice whereby interventions are chosen on the basis of relevant research findings. Although valuable and effective, the efficacy and the ecological validity of evidence-based interventions has often been questioned, as it can be argued that human beings are too complex presentations to be captured by the restraints of clinical trials only. In addition, the dangers of pressurising psychology services to strictly adhere to manualised guidelines means that specialist's skills might be obscured. This paper and the case-study presented in it position itself in the midst of this debate by highlighting how clinical intuition and idiosyncratic formulations can be integrated and enrich research based practice. In addition, this paper also highlights how these fluid specialist skills are crucial to the vitality of the field and to the identity of counselling psychologists. This urge for a wider definition of what constitutes 'evidence base' when working with such complex presentations as human beings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This paper explores the perspectives of recent entrants to the profession of educational psychology, specifically with regard to their discursive constructions about their professional role in delivering therapeutic interventions. Rationale: The purpose of this paper stems from an interest in how Educational Psychologists (EPs), new to the profession, attribute meaning to therapeutic practices and the language they use to describe such approaches. Methods: This research reports on a Discourse Analytical study (DA) that explores the discursive constructions of therapeutic practice within educational psychology. These constructions were taken from the perspective of 15 EPs who were new to the profession. Drawing on data from four focus groups, comprising of three to four participants, Discursive Psychology (DP) was used to analyse the psychological themes emerging from participant talk. Findings: Analysis indicated that five interpretative repertoires were used to discuss therapeutic practice within educational psychology. These included: 'therapeutic-as-skilled'; 'therapeutic-as-eclectic'; 'therapeutic-as-threatening'; 'therapeutic-as-limited' and 'therapeutic-as-emerging'. Conclusions: It is argued that participants were able to take up varying subject positions in relation to therapeutic practice; this seemed to present them as both passive and active agents. When talking about therapeutic work participants appeared to position themselves as confused, reluctant and unconfident, as well as valuable, skilled and motivated practitioners. It is concluded that the relational aspects of therapeutic EP practice are as important as the technical aids or tools used to facilitate this type of work. It is suggested that the uncertainty that exists around therapeutic work within educational psychology reflects the uncertainty of an emerging EP identity. It is felt that EPs, who are new to the profession, have the sufficient agency to negotiate and reconstruct new therapeutic practices that can be embedded alongside other EP roles. However, this will require further investment from leaders and other individuals within the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This explorative study investigated whether there was a difference in reading speed and errors made when reading using a coloured overlay and reading using an e-reader for adolescents with developmental dyslexia. A clinical sample of adolescents (N=17) aged 11-16 were used. It was found that there were only very small (non-significant) differences in the mean reading speeds and reading errors when reading using either a coloured overlay of any colour or on an e-reader. This suggests that coloured overlays and e-readers are equally effective interventions for developmental dyslexia. The application of e-readers in an educational setting is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid rise in recent years of cyberbullying in schools has largely taken the education community by surprise, and only now are we developing an understanding of how widespread cyberbullying in schools has become, the different forms that it can take, what motivates pupils to engage in cyberbullying, and what strategies schools can employ to prevent it. This paper takes stock of research findings dealing with cyberbullying by pupils in order to create a psychological typology of pupil cyberbullies. Five common types are identified and described: the sociable cyberbully, the lonely cyberbully, the narcissistic cyberbully, the sadistic cyberbully, and the morally-driven cyberbully. A better understanding of these cyberbullying types will help ensure that the strategies used to prevent cyberbullying by pupils take account of the psychological attributes (both personal and social) that underpin such behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elite youth sport environments present unique psychological and social challenges as well as physical challenges to young athletes. In recent years there has been a growing interest in the impact of the psychological and social context across sport including elite football development. However, relatively little has been shared about how these ideas can be put into practice in real world football academies. This paper aims to illustrate concepts and values that underpin the psychological and social environment in a premier league football academy. It describes the work of the academies 'psych-social team' (PST), who work with, and within, the wider academy. The aims of the PST are to integrate these ideas across the whole multidisciplinary team (MDT) to create an environment that is both safe and psychologically informed to enhance performance and development of young players. By sharing this developing model, we hope to spark discussion, and collaboration across football about how best to create practical and operational solutions to holistic psychological and social development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the implementation of a new and innovative learning activity created to enhance the learning experience of psychology undergraduate dissertation students. The writing retreat is a student-based learning activity which aims to address students' needs over the final stages of the dissertation module. Involving active-learning, blended learning, and integrating with module assessment strategies (Laurillard, 2007), the event offers workshops on responding to formative feedback, writing skills, preparing the discussion chapter, and putting together the final dissertation document. The event aims to facilitate a learning environment that supports student autonomy, since this type of environment can have a positive effect on students' intrinsic motivation (Hagger et al., 2003, 2006). To assess the effectiveness of the writing retreat, we employed a Self-Determination Theory perspective (Ryan & Deci, 2000) to investigate if the writing retreat facilitated an autonomous -- hence beneficial -- learning environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers a series of unresolved matters from scientific debates in the 19th century about vitalism and indeterminism. Beginning with everyday experiences of being alive, which at times invoke agency in relation to both the human and the non-human world, alongside the cognitive bias of blaming others and excusing ourselves, the paper moves into an overview of those earlier debates, in a period when psychology was emerging as a discipline separated from philosophy. One common account is that vitalism was put into the dustbin of history by a form of scientific rationalism (which was avowedly reductionist about causes and completely deterministic in its logic). However, the paper considers the various ways in which vitalism and indeterminism have remained important in the academy, across the disciplines. A critical realist position is offered at the end in order to draw out implications of this lack of resolution of older debates for contemporary psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores concerns regarding the standardization and technologization of education, specifically in the field of counseling psychology training. While acknowledging the potential benefits of these changes, such as increased access and improved planning, the author also highlights the negative consequences, including a loss of independence, curiosity, and risk-taking in the learning process. The article argues that spontaneity, emotion, and unpredictability are crucial for effective learning, and that a focus on metrics and outcomes can hinder genuine engagement. The author calls for a reevaluation of the current approach to education and emphasizes the importance of reflection, critical thinking, and protecting vital aspects of teaching and learning. [Extracted from the article]

Because I have so little time in which to tackle such a basic and important issue I shall limit myself to sketching the fundamental contradictions and pitfalls that are to be found underneath the smooth presentations of this new discipline of counselling psychology. It seems to me all the more important to take this opportunity to ask some pertinent questions and challenge some of the preconceptions around the aims and objectives of counselling psychology as it will be tempting for most of us to launch headlong into the professionalization of the field in order to achieve credibility. In making these few remarks I shall therefore speak from the perspective of the philosopher as defined by Wittgenstein in his Philosophical Investigations, where he declares that "the work of a philosopher consists in assembling reminders for a particular purpose" (Wittgenstein, 1953). My purpose will be clear in a minute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This systematic review aims to explore the lived experiences of young gang members to explore the processes that mediate gang membership and offending. Rationale: Gang membership disproportionately effects young people (Home Office, 2016). The link between gang membership and inordinately high levels of severe offending characteristics is well represented in research (Thornberry, 1998). However, the processes that mediate gang membership and offending are poorly understood (Melde & Esbensen, 2011). Young gang members are often passively conceptualised within research and need to have their voices uncovered to better elucidate the psychological processes that link gang membership to offending. Method: A systematic review of qualitative research was carried out following the Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement for reporting (Moher et al., 2009), Six papers were identified which represented samples from both the UK and US. These were reviewed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Checklist (2016) and were subsequently analysed using thematic synthesis. Findings: Young gang members associated offending with its role in reinforcing a community of belonging, providing material and non-material capital and as a response to living within an oppressive context. Conclusions: This research suggests that the internal psychological processes within a gang play an important interacting role with the external marginalised contexts they occupy. Implications of the need for policy, research and practice to better account for this are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological literacy has become a key concept for the teaching and learning of psychology in higher education and is a laudable goal of pre-tertiary psychology education. The widely used definition of McGovern and his colleagues enables a subject-specific contribution to liberal education. Nevertheless, this definition also includes general educational goals and is not specific enough for introductory courses on psychology, which provide an overview of the field and familiarise students with various ways of psychological thinking. This practice exchange paper shows how Sternberg’s triarchic model of psychology learning and teaching could be used to elaborate a more subject-specific notion of psychological literacy which would interlink psychological knowledge, psychological thinking skills and reflective psychological attitudes that are necessary to critically reflect common-sense psychology. This more focused and comprehensive understanding of psychological literacy challenges the unquestioned topical approach to the teaching of introductory psychology and requires a rethinking of the basic arrangement of course materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This short report will outline a remote work experience scheme that has successfully been running for three years in the psychology group within the Leeds School of Social Sciences. It is designed to aid transition to university for pre-tertiary students by introducing them to undergraduate literacy skills and making their expectations of university level study more realistic. Students act as remote research assistants by working on a brief provided by an academic within the psychology group. The brief summarises a research topic and asks for students to source relevant research and produce a reflective report of their thoughts on the area. The lead academic then provides a brief reference on the work received to the student and their school or college. The scheme is still growing and being refined year on year. This paper describes the scheme in its current form and discusses its effectiveness and potential future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles on the topics including experiences of Imposter Syndrome in postgraduate students from an ethnic minority background; and using Photovoice within small group teaching and presents a reflection from both the educator's perspective.

The field of transpersonal education was originally discussed in the mid-1970s, aiming to unite the various domains of human experience (i.e. cognitive, affective, psychomotor) through a series of principles and practices (Moore, 1975; Roberts & Clark, 1976). There has been a paucity of research in the area, furthermore the field has become strongly associated with postgraduate courses (e.g. Rowe & Braud, 2013), opposed to investigating how transpersonal education may be applied to the early years and compulsory schooling sector. Recently, there have been attempts to redefine transpersonal education to provide a balanced focus within compulsory schooling (Buckler, 2011; 2013), with initial research suggesting that the field has cross-cultural interest. This paper extends research into the concept through analysing current publications in the field, while also deriving international perspectives from participants. To conclude, a discussion of the UK context is provided where an opportunity is highlighted for transpersonal psychologists to lead future development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is dominated by doing - from doing therapy to doing up shoe laces. This paper briefly examines some of what continues to be done by psychology experts. Doing less seems never an option and a systems theorist might suggest that doing anything will be met by opposing forces to maintain the homeostasis. A few tentative suggestions are made for a more cautious praxis within the psychology industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working in a consultation role in a large secondary school over the last few years has provided me with a window into that world. In this paper, I will discuss my observations on the impact of political and social changes on students and staff and how the culture within a school can have both positive and negative impacts on psychological wellbeing. I will consider the opportunities for whole-school community engagement in making change happen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the first research in the UK to achieve what amounted to operant conditioning (Grindley, 1932) was published in the same year as Skinner's pioneer publication no similar procedure seems to have been carried out in Britain until Hurwitz founded an operant laboratory at Birkbeck, (then Birkbeck College), University of London, in the early 1950s, presumably inspired by his meeting with Skinner in 1951, and their subsequent friendship. It certainly was an import from America, fortified by local solutions for providing suitable control equipment. The author was a student of Hurwitz at Birkbeck (1957-1961) and was researching (1961-1964) close by at University College (UCL). There follows a largely biographical account of how operant conditioning, initially mostly in rats, spread around universities in the UK. Many of the people concerned, and others not mentioned, shared their ideas at meetings of the Experimental Analysis of Behaviour Group (EABG) that informally sprang up in the early 1960s, initially without funding or its own journal. In coordination with the later emergence of the European Association for Behaviour Analysis (EABA) and its associated journal (European Journal of Behaviour Analysis) the organisation of the EABG has become established in Bangor, and holds regular biennial meetings at University College, London, alternating with those of the EABA in other parts of Europe. The EABG continues to attract many foreign attendees, including from the US, but some of its earlier enthusiasts no longer attend, whilst those attending mostly see themselves as Behaviour Analysts, reflecting changes both in the theory and practice of operant psychology. While operant technology remains a useful tool for those seeking a broad biological and authentic evolutionary understanding of behaviour, the philosophy of operant psychology as an all-encompassing approach to behavioural science has proved divisive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]