I have recently started a petition to stop the politicisation of psychology: an issue that many of us within the profession find deeply concerning. The petition can be found here, and I have replicated the content below to show references. __________________________________________________________________ Petition to stop the politicisation of psychology The discipline of psychology is becoming increasingly politicised and…

Social psychologists, more than anyone, are aware of the consequences of putting people into groups, so why do they keep encouraging us to do it? When I first introduce my students to the topic of social psychology, I usually set it in the context of the Second World War. I…

I recently wrote a letter to the British Psychological Society explaining my resignation from the society after roughly several decades of membership. This letter was considered so problematic that it was published and then removed (more details here). I haven’t seen the majority of the outcry against it as those…

As a psychologist based in the UK, I used to be a member of the British Psychological Society (the BPS) — the accrediting ‘representative’ body of British Psychology. I have been a member for a couple of decades on and off (with pauses when unemployed or working outwith psychology), I…

As a psychologist I used to belong to the British Psychological Society — British Psychologists’ governing body*. Recently however, I have found the organisation’s behaviour deeply concerning, and after deliberating for a substantial amount of time, I decided to resign. I also wrote a letter explaining my decision to leave…

A number of people have asked me how to cope with life starting to open up again, so I wanted to try to compile some advice. This is quite a tricky one as everyone has had such different experiences of lockdown (depending on their own/loved ones pre-existing health conditions, their…

As lockdown is being eased, I’ve started to reflect on the last few months in preparation for what is potentially going to be the next stage of our ‘new lives’. What have I learned and what do I want to change? It turns out, quite a lot… 1.To value and…

Perhaps a little extreme, but think about it: Influencer culture is driven by, and rewards, self-obsession. It also encourages shallowness, materialism, misinformation and ignorance; none of which is conducive to creating a well-functioning society. Pre-social media, Influencers would have been dismissed as narcissists or fakes with too much time on…

Most of us have been in lockdown for a few months now and may be starting to adjust to our new lifestyles. However, some are struggling, and may be facing yet more time in quarantine. As if it wasn’t terrifying enough having to come to terms with a global epidemic…