How accessible is psychology?

The Black Oil

I'll admit that I cringe a bit when I see or a hear a psychologist being rolled out on something like a reality TV show. It seems reductive and I'm not sure they make any observations that are terribly surprising. I'm not a psychologist, btw. It depends on the type of TV show and how it's edited, though. Outside of that and the likes of Prime Time, does psychology push itself to be visible and accessible? It can be hard to push a discipline even with advocates and people who are active. As with any field, it seems like there can be a gulf between those who are in it and the lay person who may want to follow it, not for personal support, but for their own education or interest. Plus, there's bound to be a certain amount of it that's oversimplified or just not very good.

I don't keep up with it as much as I'd like, but when I find things such as this piece on propoagnosia, this on our friend HM and finally a piece with Eric Kandel, I try to listen to them.

So, does psychology do a good job of interacting with Joe Public?

Valmont

The Black Oil wrote: »

So, does psychology do a good job of interacting with Joe Public?

That's a good question and I'd have to say no, scientific psychology does not push itself enough on the general public. It's a complicated issue because unlike some other sciences, psychology is hemmed in at all sides by crackpot pop-psychology that is completely geared towards Joe Bloggs and often when you find a lay person interested in psychology it is usually Paul McKenna's latest book or some Freud they saw in a movie. I don't know how to address the issue exactly but I know that its inclusion as a school subject in England goes some way towards giving people an idea of what psychology is and what it isn't and how to differentiate the evidence based material from the outright wacky stuff like NLP. Even browsing this forum you will threads about life coaching, NLP and all sorts of "psychology" related topics.

I always recommend Lauren Slater's Opening Skinner's Box: Great Psychological Experiments of the Twentieth Century as a starting point for anyone interested in real psychology. It's accessible, informative and hugely interesting. I still pick it up and read certain chapters every now and again.

JuliusCaesar

The Black Oil wrote: »

the likes of Prime Time,

Thanks!

The Black Oil wrote: »

So, does psychology do a good job of interacting with Joe Public?

Well, PSI maintains a list of psychologists who are willing to talk to the media.

However, often the questions the media wants to ask are kind of pop-psychology questions. Bear in mind that there aren't a hell of a lot of psychologists doing research here, and often all we can do is give an educated guess as to what the answer in an Irish context would be.

I do remember talking to a researcher from a programme and saying, look that isn't my area of expertise; but he was under time pressure and had to get some psychologist on, no matter whether they were talking through their asses. As far as he was concerned any psychologist can talk expertly about any area of psychology - he had a soundbite to fill!

Sadly, often the loudest mouths aren't those with the expertise......

The Black Oil

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

Thanks!

Er, have I missed something?:o


Anyway, yeah, if you go into a mainstream bookshop the pop psychology section can be more prominent or better stocked than traditional psych.

I've had few dealings with the PSI so I may be speaking out of turn, but sometimes representative bodies can unintentionally come across as closed off, not saying that's the case here, but a bit like 'if you're not one of us, we'll be slow to deal with you'.

On a more positive note, one of my former lecturers was on Drivetime (with Tony Bates) a while back. Seemingly he has taken over the mantle of a research area his now retired predecessor covered. It was good to hear as it shows that they're not all hidden away in their offices for most of the year and that not all research is with college students and has applications in the real world.

JuliusCaesar

The Black Oil wrote: »

Er, have I missed something?:o

You wouldn't have recognised me anyway....

The Black Oil

No toga?

/gets coat

taztastic

That's a good question and I'd have to say no, scientific psychology does not push itself enough on the general public.

I'd take issue with that one. I think the general public have a similar regard for psychology as they do for something like medicine or law - broad sweeping statements helped by the fact that psychology appears so immediately accessible and inituitive. There is alot in here about psychology related subjects which are really snakeoil merchants but show me a kinesiologist or homeopathy practictioner who doesn't claim science is involved. (Apologies for any misspellings in there).

In the Psychologist magazine (published by the British Psychology Society) there is a really interesting article about psychology in films and how that forms public perception/engagement with the subject. (Can't find a link but will keep an eye out for where I saw it).

And as for psychologists sitting in rooms and not engaging with the public...
WHAT IS IT YOU THINK APPLIED PSYCHOLOGISTS DO?!?!