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This is a heads up for a new show that coming: A new science series for the BBC in which famous people ask one big question: why are we the way we are? Thanks to Cara Flanagan (and the fab Folens Blog) for the heads up on the TV Show. If you know of any show that you think is relevant to psychology do contact me so I can get it out to the masses.

Three celebrities go on a mission to discover the source of their defining trait, talent or characteristic. With the help of scientific testing, the latest psychology techniques, brain science and genetics, they attempt to answer a question that affects everyone - how do nature and nurture shape us?

In the first programme, John Barrowman embarks on a journey of self-discovery to find out the truth about his sexuality. John is a successful actor, musical performer, dancer, singer and TV presenter. For as long as he has been aware of his sexuality, John has been convinced that he was born gay and firmly believes that homosexuality is not a choice. But did nature really mould him or did nurture have a part to play?

John undertakes a series of tests including a DNA examination that is compared with his straight brother’s, and he takes to the streets of LA to try out a theory that the origin of homosexuality is linked to events in the womb that may affect the foetus.

Throughout the programme, as well as picking up clues from psychologists and scientists, John also meets some celebrities and extraordinary people who help shed light on the origins of their traits.

The show starts next Thursday (24th July 2008) at 9pm on BBC 1. If you miss it on the night remember you can get it on BBC iPlayer for a week after and hopefully we’ll have it up on PsychClips for all to use after. Looks like it could be a great video for highlighting and starting a discussion on the nature-nurture debate.

While we’re on the topic: it seems that the ‘nature of us’ or whatever you want to call it is the ‘in thing’ at the moment - even Orange (mobile) has joined in …

One of the most talked about studies, both here on PsychBLOG and throughout popular psychology, is Milgram’s study of obedience.  Here he asked a volunteer sample of men from the New Haven area to administer increasingly powerful electric shocks to another person (a confederate).  How many people, both teachers and students alike asked themselves the same question: would I pull that switch?

The results from his study (well what was [...]

No! It’s your psychology blog!

Now I’m back from the ATP Conference and recovered it’s time to announce our new project which actually formed the basis of one of the workshops we did.  Also, a big hi to all those who saw me at the conference and commented on our work on-line. Thanks :)

For the past few weeks we’ve (Mark and I) have been working on a new project. [...]

Could social influence be having a positive effect for once?

It’s easy to blame those people around us when we try to rationalise why some take up habits.  It’s just easy to say that the behaviour is learned from those around us - social learning theory - who’s behaviour is imitated.  I have been one of those people myself; turning to social learning theory to explain why children might learn [...]

BBC Radio 4 is currently running an interesting series of programmes on classic and influential studies in psychology - all are interesting - but some are more appropriate to OCR than others. Already the series has covered the story of Kitty Genovese and Freud’s work with Little Hans.

I’ve been listening to them today and they’re actually very good overviews of the two studies; the one on Genovese discusses [...]

We all love and adore the Bandura’s study looking at the imitation of aggression in young children and if you’re anything like me it’s a great chance to get a ‘bobo’ doll and Sock him in the nose! For the last two years I’ve had to cope with a ‘Bob the Builder’ one but now we’re all in with the chance to get hold of a bona fide [...]

I’ve mentioned the ATP conference a few times before - but for the uninitiated it’s a yearly conference held by the ATP - and this year it’s in Lincoln and being organised by Phil Banyard (that chap who writes all the books and ex-Chief Examiner).

The conference, this year titled ‘the wonder of psychology: inspiring teachers and learners’, is being held between the 10th and 12th July 2008 and is [...]

With all my efforts being put into teaching and getting my little darlings ready for their exams it’s been a quiet time around here recently. To add to that loosing this weekend to a marking meeting (at least it was in the beautiful Cambridge) has meant that I haven’t had time to write; but I woke up early. So to make up for it here are some interesting [...]