In Search Of Ourselves - A History Of Psychology And The Mind

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

A Problem Of Consciousness

20140516

In this programme, Martin Sixsmith examines the 'hard problem' of consciousness and the work of psychologists such as Susan Blackmore who believe it is 'just an illusion'.

He asks what drives us to think and act as we do, and questions the role of freewill and morality. He discovers how emotions affect our cognitive functions and examines the importance of insight, including Gestalt psychologist Wolfgang Kohler's work with chimpanzees.

He looks at Nobel prize winner Daniel Kahneman's 'thinking fast and thinking slow' model and the impact decision making has not only on individuals but also for the success of the economy and society.

Produced by Sara Parker

Series consultant, Professor Daniel Pick, Birkbeck, University of London.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Examining the work of psychologists who believe consciousness is 'just an illusion'.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

Bedside Manners

20140521

In this programme, Martin Sixsmith examines the ways in which thinking, emotions and mental events can affect our physical state, and the efforts of doctors and nurses to deploy psychological levers in the fight for wellbeing.

He discovers how medical students at Manchester University are being trained in better communication with patients and he looks at different ways of encouraging empathy in the next generation of doctors through poetry and music.

Produced by Sara Parker

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin examines how thinking, emotions and mental events can affect our physical state.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

Brains And Brass Instruments

20140506

Martin Sixsmith investigates how medical research helped identify different areas of the brain - from the speechless patient of French physician Paul Broca to the brain damaged American railway worker Phineas Gage.

He looks at how new ways to measure time helped German psychologists like Wilhelm Wundt to assess the speed of thought, whilst in Britain archivist Subhadra Das explains the impact on psychology of Sir Francis Galton's statistical mass observations.

Produced by Sara Parker

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin Sixsmith on how medical research helped identify different areas of the brain.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

Care In The Community

20140502

At the end of this week of programmes examining psychiatry, the medicalised model for treating mental illness, Martin outlines the impact of reforms during the latter half of the Twentieth Century that resulted in the closure of Britain's Victorian asylums and a new policy of 'care in the community'.

Series consultant, Professor Daniel Pick, Birkbeck, University of London.

Producer: Alan Hall

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin Sixsmith outlines the reforms that closed Britain's Victorian asylums.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

Dna And Darwin

20140513

Martin Sixsmith looks at how our DNA and the development of our brains inform who we are and how we think.

He re-examines the nature versus nurture debate and considers the claims of evolutionary psychology from Robert Sapolsky's work with baboons to the increasing interest in epigenetics.

He talks to geneticist Steve Jones of University College London and visits the Oxford Brain bank to interview neuropathologist Margaret Esiri about the structure of the brain.

Producer: Sara Parker

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

How our DNA and the development of our brains inform who we are.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

High Anxieties

20140421

Psychology is as old as the human race. People have always sought to understand what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

In Episode 1, Martin examines the government's plan for a national 'happiness index' and traces our search for ourselves back to the ancients.

The term 'psychology' was first used in about 1600 and means, literally, 'study of the soul'. But it was only in the late 19th century that psychology emerged as a separate science. Today it draws on the intellectual legacy of philosophy, physiology and, increasingly, neurobiology and social science.

The author and broadcaster Martin Sixsmith retrained as a psychologist in the last decade, following careers as a BBC correspondent and government adviser. Martin's experience both studying applied psychology and as a recipient of therapy reflects the growing acceptance of psychological counselling in Britain and the lessening of the stigma attached to mental illness. There has been a growth of interest in the therapeutic aspects of psychology, but many of us still have a frustratingly incomplete knowledge of its history, techniques and broader applications.

This series taps into a defining aspect of modern existence and addresses the widespread desire to know more, charting the path from today's democratisation of psychological care back to early beliefs, the birth of modern experimental psychology, the related 'psy professions' - psychiatry and psychotherapy - and the splits and controversies of the 20th century.

Produced by Alan Hall and Sara Parker

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin Sixsmith examines the government's plan for a national 'happiness index'.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

In The Beginning

20140505

In this first of ten programmes on experimental psychology, Martin Sixsmith examines its origins in the work of philosophers such as John Locke and scientists like Luigi Galvani, who in the 1700s investigated nerve impulses in frogs. He looks at the popular psychology of Victorian times including phrenology and physiognomy, going behind the scenes at the Science Museum with curator Philip Loring. And he talks to historian and philosopher John Forrester of Cambridge University.

Produced by Sara Parker

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin Sixsmith examines the origins of experimental psychology.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

It's All About Sex

20140423

Freud's development of a new psychological science, psychoanalysis, provoked controversy because of his focus on sexuality.

In episode 3, Martin examines Freud's legacy, with audio archive of his one-time colleague then rival Carl Gustav Jung, his daughter Anna Freud and a new interview with Christopher Hampton, author of the play 'The Talking Cure'.

Producer: Alan Hall

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin Sixsmith examines Sigmund Freud's legacy.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

Lock 'em Up

20140428

This week, Martin examines the evolution of psychology's medicalised model, clinical psychiatry.

In this programme, he traces the origins of the asylum movement, visiting London's 'Bedlam' hospital, the York Retreat, the centre of 'moral treatment' in the late Eighteenth Century, and the dark Victorian buildings of the former Winwick asylum.

Produced by Alan Hall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin Sixsmith traces the origins of the asylum movement.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

Man, Machine And Memory

20140515

In the 1950s, mathematician and Bletchley Park code breaker Alan Turing envisaged a sophisticated computer whose mechanical generation of responses would be indistinguishable from that of a human.

In this programme Martin Sixsmith looks at the way this metaphor of human cognition has informed research into memory and perception.

He considers the work of the 1930s Cambridge psychologist Frederic Bartlett and the American memory specialist George Miller. He talks to Alan Baddeley who with Graham Hitch developed a new theory of working memory, and to Peter Thompson of the University of York about the way our brains perceive and process information - sometimes failing to spot the most obvious.

Producer: Sara Parker

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin Sixsmith explores the way our brains perceive and process information.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

Mapping The Brain

20140514

From early research into how different areas of the brain function to President Barack Obama's announcement in 2013 of a one hundred million dollar brain mapping project, Martin Sixsmith examines the impact of neuroscience on what we know about the way we think, feel and act.

He undergoes transmagnetic cranial stimulation to map the workings of his brain and he looks down a microscope at the Oxford Brain Bank to see what individual brain cells can tell us.

He listens to the chattering of neurons communicating with each other through a single wire implanted in a rat's brain and finds out why London cabbies have larger hippocampi than the rest of us.

Producer: Sara Parker

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin Sixsmith examines the impact of neuroscience on the way we think, feel and act.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

Pavlov's Bell

20140424

Starting with the 'conditioned reflex' that the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov famously identified while studying dogs, Martin explores the development of a significant alternative to the Freudian way of thinking, 'behaviourism' - including recordings of the controversial American psychologist BF Skinner and an interview with his daughter Deborah, who as a child was the subject of her father's close scientific observations.

Producer: Alan Hall

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin Sixsmith explores the development of an alternative to the Freudian way of thinking

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

Power And Persuasion

20140520

Martin Sixsmith looks at how psychology is used in shaping our behaviour and desires through advertising, information campaigns and propaganda.

He talks to Professor David Welch about the history of propaganda, particularly in war and times of social change, and examines the impact of advertising and the retail environment on our choices with the help of consumer behaviourist Nancy Puccinelli from Oxford University's Said Business School - and uncovers some surprising influences.

Produced by Sara Parker

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin Sixsmith looks at how psychology is used in shaping our behaviour.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

Sane In Insane Places

20140501

Psychiatric treatments have had their fair share of controversy.

In this episode, Martin looks at the extraordinary popularity of lobotomies during the middle of the last century, the continued use of Electroconvulsive Therapy and the 'anti-psychiatry movement' of RD Laing in the 1960s.

Producer: Alan Hall

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Exploring the popularity of lobotomies during the middle of the 20th century.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

Talking Cures?

20140425

Martin considers some of the therapies that combined the psychoanalytic principles of Freud and Jung with the behaviour modifying techniques of the mid-Twentieth Century's other significant psychological movement 'behaviourism'.

With reference to the 'Gloria' tapes that featured the same patient being treated by three different 'talking cures' - Albert Ellis's Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy, Fritz Perls's Gestalt Therapy and Carl Rogers's Person Centred Therapy.

Series consultant, Professor Daniel Pick, Birkbeck, University of London.

Producer: Alan Hall

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin Sixsmith considers therapies that combined psychoanalysis and behaviourism.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

The Criminal Mind

20140519

In the final week of the series, Martin Sixsmith starts by investigating the criminal mind and how psychology is used in the police and justice system.

He interviews one of Britain's leading forensic profilers Julian Boon about the early days of profiling, from Jack the Ripper in Victorian London to the capture of 'Mad Bomber' George Metesky in1940s New York.

He looks at criminal responsibility and witness suggestibility and he asks about the place of modern neuroscience in ensuring a fair trial.

Produced by Sara Parker

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin investigates the criminal mind and how neuroscience is used in court.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

The Cuckoo's Nest

20140429

From the late Eighteenth Century, the treatment - or containment - of mentally ill people was taken out of the hands of the church and into the hands of doctors.

Martin talks to psychiatrist Professor Tom Burns about changing models of treatment and to Joanna Moncrieff, author of The Myth of the Chemical Cure.

Producer: Alan Hall

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

How doctors took over the treatment of the mentally ill.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

The Freudian Age

20140422

In Episode 2, Martin traces a line from current government interest in 'talking cures' back to the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, visiting Freud's private apartments and also Europe's oldest mental asylum, the Narrenturm - literally, the Tower of Fools - in Vienna.

Producers: Alan Hall and Sara Parker

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin Sixsmith visits Sigmund Freud's apartments and Europe's oldest mental asylum.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

The Happiness Project

20140523

In the concluding programme of this 25-part series, Martin Sixsmith looks at where we are now in terms of understanding what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

He re-visits the Government's 2010 pledge to increase happiness and well-being and talks to former 'happiness tsar' Richard Layard. He examines initiatives such as the provision of thousands of newly-trained CBT therapists to make treatment for mental health problems more widely available and other ways in which we are being encouraged to modify our behaviour, asking 'what is happiness' and whether it's achievable both for an individual and society .

Produced by Sara Parker

Series consultant: Professor Daniel Pick of Birkbeck, University of London

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin looks at our understanding of what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

The Mind Observes The Mind

20140507

In this programme Martin Sixsmith examines the evolution of psychology on both sides of the Atlantic, from the founding father of American psychology William James to the Gestalt movement in Germany, through the rise of behaviourism in the United States to the cognitive revolution of the 1960s.

He talks to the veteran psychologist George Mandler, who was part of that revolution, about how it still influences thinking today.

Produced by Sara Parker

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin Sixsmith examines the evolution of psychology on both sides of the Atlantic.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

The Sex Factor

20140522

As celebrity candour around mental illness fights stigma and promotes better understanding, Martin Sixsmith looks at the public perception of psychology with the help of comedian Ruby Wax.

He examines what it is that interests us about human thinking, including the pioneering research into sexual relationships by Kinsey, Masters and Johnson in 1950s and 1960s, as well as the social impact of a rising interest in gender differences.

He uncovers how the work of women psychologists went largely unrecognised in the early history of the science and compares it with the feminisation of psychology these days.

Produced by Sara Parker

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin looks at the public perception of psychology with the help of comedian Ruby Wax.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

The Snake Pit

20140430

Martin talks to clinical psychologist Vaughan Bell about different forms of mental disturbance - psychoses and neuroses - and their manifestation in popular culture, including the Polanski film Rosemary's Baby and the poetry of Spike Milligan. And he meets Dolly Sen, a film-maker who's experienced psychosis for most of her life.

Producer: Alan Hall

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Psychoses, neuroses and their manifestation in popular culture.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

The Stages Of Life

20140512

In this programme Martin Sixsmith looks at the stages of human development from childhood to old age, including Erik Erikson's psychosocial model with its eight phases of the human life cycle.

He examines Jean Piaget's influential work on childhood development and John Bowlby's theory of attachment between mother and child.

He considers how the study of animals such as Konrad Lorenz's work with geese on imprinting and Harlow's controversial experiments with baby monkeys informed research, as well as talking to Bristol University's Professor Bruce Hood about early years development and theory of mind.

Produced by Sara Parker.

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin Sixsmith looks at the stages of human development from childhood to old age.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

War

20140508

Martin Sixsmith looks at the ways in which war has influenced psychology.

He examines the impact of shellshock and the treatment methods of pioneer doctors like W.H. Rivers at Craiglockhart Hospital in Scotland. He talks to military psychiatrist and Falklands veteran Dr Morgan O'Connell and to Edgar Jones, Professor of the History of Psychiatry at Kings College London. And he explains how war changed society's attitude to mental health and boosted psychology as a profession.

Produced by Sara Parker

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

We Do What We're Told

20140509

Following the Second World War, psychologists wanted to understand how so many ordinary Germans could have agreed to participate in the Nazis' atrocities.

Martin Sixsmith looks at their attempts to explain the banality of evil, including the controversial experiments of Stanley Milgram and Philip Zimbardo. And he talks to Oxford Professor Miles Hewstone about how far social psychology has come in clarifying how we think and act within a group.

Series consultant, Professor Daniel Pick, Birkbeck, University of London.

Produced by Sara Parker

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.

Martin Sixsmith looks at psychologists' attempts to explain the psychology of evil.

Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.

Episodes

Title	First Broadcast	Comments
A Problem Of Consciousness	20140516	In this programme, Martin Sixsmith examines the 'hard problem' of consciousness and the work of psychologists such as Susan Blackmore who believe it is 'just an illusion'. He asks what drives us to think and act as we do, and questions the role of freewill and morality. He discovers how emotions affect our cognitive functions and examines the importance of insight, including Gestalt psychologist Wolfgang Kohler's work with chimpanzees. He looks at Nobel prize winner Daniel Kahneman's 'thinking fast and thinking slow' model and the impact decision making has not only on individuals but also for the success of the economy and society. Produced by Sara Parker Series consultant, Professor Daniel Pick, Birkbeck, University of London. A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4. Examining the work of psychologists who believe consciousness is 'just an illusion'. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
Bedside Manners	20140521	In this programme, Martin Sixsmith examines the ways in which thinking, emotions and mental events can affect our physical state, and the efforts of doctors and nurses to deploy psychological levers in the fight for wellbeing. He discovers how medical students at Manchester University are being trained in better communication with patients and he looks at different ways of encouraging empathy in the next generation of doctors through poetry and music. Produced by Sara Parker A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4. Martin examines how thinking, emotions and mental events can affect our physical state. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
Brains And Brass Instruments	20140506	Martin Sixsmith investigates how medical research helped identify different areas of the brain - from the speechless patient of French physician Paul Broca to the brain damaged American railway worker Phineas Gage. He looks at how new ways to measure time helped German psychologists like Wilhelm Wundt to assess the speed of thought, whilst in Britain archivist Subhadra Das explains the impact on psychology of Sir Francis Galton's statistical mass observations. Produced by Sara Parker A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4. Martin Sixsmith on how medical research helped identify different areas of the brain. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
Care In The Community	20140502	At the end of this week of programmes examining psychiatry, the medicalised model for treating mental illness, Martin outlines the impact of reforms during the latter half of the Twentieth Century that resulted in the closure of Britain's Victorian asylums and a new policy of 'care in the community'. Series consultant, Professor Daniel Pick, Birkbeck, University of London. Producer: Alan Hall A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4. Martin Sixsmith outlines the reforms that closed Britain's Victorian asylums. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
Dna And Darwin	20140513	Martin Sixsmith looks at how our DNA and the development of our brains inform who we are and how we think. He re-examines the nature versus nurture debate and considers the claims of evolutionary psychology from Robert Sapolsky's work with baboons to the increasing interest in epigenetics. He talks to geneticist Steve Jones of University College London and visits the Oxford Brain bank to interview neuropathologist Margaret Esiri about the structure of the brain. Producer: Sara Parker A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4. How our DNA and the development of our brains inform who we are. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
High Anxieties	20140421	Psychology is as old as the human race. People have always sought to understand what makes us think, feel and act the way we do. In Episode 1, Martin examines the government's plan for a national 'happiness index' and traces our search for ourselves back to the ancients. The term 'psychology' was first used in about 1600 and means, literally, 'study of the soul'. But it was only in the late 19th century that psychology emerged as a separate science. Today it draws on the intellectual legacy of philosophy, physiology and, increasingly, neurobiology and social science. The author and broadcaster Martin Sixsmith retrained as a psychologist in the last decade, following careers as a BBC correspondent and government adviser. Martin's experience both studying applied psychology and as a recipient of therapy reflects the growing acceptance of psychological counselling in Britain and the lessening of the stigma attached to mental illness. There has been a growth of interest in the therapeutic aspects of psychology, but many of us still have a frustratingly incomplete knowledge of its history, techniques and broader applications. This series taps into a defining aspect of modern existence and addresses the widespread desire to know more, charting the path from today's democratisation of psychological care back to early beliefs, the birth of modern experimental psychology, the related 'psy professions' - psychiatry and psychotherapy - and the splits and controversies of the 20th century. Produced by Alan Hall and Sara Parker A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4. Martin Sixsmith examines the government's plan for a national 'happiness index'. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
In The Beginning	20140505	In this first of ten programmes on experimental psychology, Martin Sixsmith examines its origins in the work of philosophers such as John Locke and scientists like Luigi Galvani, who in the 1700s investigated nerve impulses in frogs. He looks at the popular psychology of Victorian times including phrenology and physiognomy, going behind the scenes at the Science Museum with curator Philip Loring. And he talks to historian and philosopher John Forrester of Cambridge University. Produced by Sara Parker A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4. Martin Sixsmith examines the origins of experimental psychology. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
It's All About Sex	20140423	Freud's development of a new psychological science, psychoanalysis, provoked controversy because of his focus on sexuality. In episode 3, Martin examines Freud's legacy, with audio archive of his one-time colleague then rival Carl Gustav Jung, his daughter Anna Freud and a new interview with Christopher Hampton, author of the play 'The Talking Cure'. Producer: Alan Hall A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4. Martin Sixsmith examines Sigmund Freud's legacy. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
Lock 'em Up	20140428	This week, Martin examines the evolution of psychology's medicalised model, clinical psychiatry. In this programme, he traces the origins of the asylum movement, visiting London's 'Bedlam' hospital, the York Retreat, the centre of 'moral treatment' in the late Eighteenth Century, and the dark Victorian buildings of the former Winwick asylum. Produced by Alan Hall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4. Martin Sixsmith traces the origins of the asylum movement. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
Man, Machine And Memory	20140515	In the 1950s, mathematician and Bletchley Park code breaker Alan Turing envisaged a sophisticated computer whose mechanical generation of responses would be indistinguishable from that of a human. In this programme Martin Sixsmith looks at the way this metaphor of human cognition has informed research into memory and perception. He considers the work of the 1930s Cambridge psychologist Frederic Bartlett and the American memory specialist George Miller. He talks to Alan Baddeley who with Graham Hitch developed a new theory of working memory, and to Peter Thompson of the University of York about the way our brains perceive and process information - sometimes failing to spot the most obvious. Producer: Sara Parker A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4. Martin Sixsmith explores the way our brains perceive and process information. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
Mapping The Brain	20140514	From early research into how different areas of the brain function to President Barack Obama's announcement in 2013 of a one hundred million dollar brain mapping project, Martin Sixsmith examines the impact of neuroscience on what we know about the way we think, feel and act. He undergoes transmagnetic cranial stimulation to map the workings of his brain and he looks down a microscope at the Oxford Brain Bank to see what individual brain cells can tell us. He listens to the chattering of neurons communicating with each other through a single wire implanted in a rat's brain and finds out why London cabbies have larger hippocampi than the rest of us. Producer: Sara Parker A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4. Martin Sixsmith examines the impact of neuroscience on the way we think, feel and act. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
Pavlov's Bell	20140424	Starting with the 'conditioned reflex' that the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov famously identified while studying dogs, Martin explores the development of a significant alternative to the Freudian way of thinking, 'behaviourism' - including recordings of the controversial American psychologist BF Skinner and an interview with his daughter Deborah, who as a child was the subject of her father's close scientific observations. Producer: Alan Hall A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4. Martin Sixsmith explores the development of an alternative to the Freudian way of thinking Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
Power And Persuasion	20140520	Martin Sixsmith looks at how psychology is used in shaping our behaviour and desires through advertising, information campaigns and propaganda. He talks to Professor David Welch about the history of propaganda, particularly in war and times of social change, and examines the impact of advertising and the retail environment on our choices with the help of consumer behaviourist Nancy Puccinelli from Oxford University's Said Business School - and uncovers some surprising influences. Produced by Sara Parker A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4. Martin Sixsmith looks at how psychology is used in shaping our behaviour. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
Sane In Insane Places	20140501	Psychiatric treatments have had their fair share of controversy. In this episode, Martin looks at the extraordinary popularity of lobotomies during the middle of the last century, the continued use of Electroconvulsive Therapy and the 'anti-psychiatry movement' of RD Laing in the 1960s. Producer: Alan Hall A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4. Exploring the popularity of lobotomies during the middle of the 20th century. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
Talking Cures?	20140425	Martin considers some of the therapies that combined the psychoanalytic principles of Freud and Jung with the behaviour modifying techniques of the mid-Twentieth Century's other significant psychological movement 'behaviourism'. With reference to the 'Gloria' tapes that featured the same patient being treated by three different 'talking cures' - Albert Ellis's Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy, Fritz Perls's Gestalt Therapy and Carl Rogers's Person Centred Therapy. Series consultant, Professor Daniel Pick, Birkbeck, University of London. Producer: Alan Hall A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4. Martin Sixsmith considers therapies that combined psychoanalysis and behaviourism. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
The Criminal Mind	20140519	In the final week of the series, Martin Sixsmith starts by investigating the criminal mind and how psychology is used in the police and justice system. He interviews one of Britain's leading forensic profilers Julian Boon about the early days of profiling, from Jack the Ripper in Victorian London to the capture of 'Mad Bomber' George Metesky in1940s New York. He looks at criminal responsibility and witness suggestibility and he asks about the place of modern neuroscience in ensuring a fair trial. Produced by Sara Parker A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4. Martin investigates the criminal mind and how neuroscience is used in court. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
The Cuckoo's Nest	20140429	From the late Eighteenth Century, the treatment - or containment - of mentally ill people was taken out of the hands of the church and into the hands of doctors. Martin talks to psychiatrist Professor Tom Burns about changing models of treatment and to Joanna Moncrieff, author of The Myth of the Chemical Cure. Producer: Alan Hall A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4. How doctors took over the treatment of the mentally ill. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
The Freudian Age	20140422	In Episode 2, Martin traces a line from current government interest in 'talking cures' back to the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, visiting Freud's private apartments and also Europe's oldest mental asylum, the Narrenturm - literally, the Tower of Fools - in Vienna. Producers: Alan Hall and Sara Parker A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4. Martin Sixsmith visits Sigmund Freud's apartments and Europe's oldest mental asylum. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
The Happiness Project	20140523	In the concluding programme of this 25-part series, Martin Sixsmith looks at where we are now in terms of understanding what makes us think, feel and act the way we do. He re-visits the Government's 2010 pledge to increase happiness and well-being and talks to former 'happiness tsar' Richard Layard. He examines initiatives such as the provision of thousands of newly-trained CBT therapists to make treatment for mental health problems more widely available and other ways in which we are being encouraged to modify our behaviour, asking 'what is happiness' and whether it's achievable both for an individual and society . Produced by Sara Parker Series consultant: Professor Daniel Pick of Birkbeck, University of London A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4. Martin looks at our understanding of what makes us think, feel and act the way we do. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
The Mind Observes The Mind	20140507	In this programme Martin Sixsmith examines the evolution of psychology on both sides of the Atlantic, from the founding father of American psychology William James to the Gestalt movement in Germany, through the rise of behaviourism in the United States to the cognitive revolution of the 1960s. He talks to the veteran psychologist George Mandler, who was part of that revolution, about how it still influences thinking today. Produced by Sara Parker A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4. Martin Sixsmith examines the evolution of psychology on both sides of the Atlantic. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
The Sex Factor	20140522	As celebrity candour around mental illness fights stigma and promotes better understanding, Martin Sixsmith looks at the public perception of psychology with the help of comedian Ruby Wax. He examines what it is that interests us about human thinking, including the pioneering research into sexual relationships by Kinsey, Masters and Johnson in 1950s and 1960s, as well as the social impact of a rising interest in gender differences. He uncovers how the work of women psychologists went largely unrecognised in the early history of the science and compares it with the feminisation of psychology these days. Produced by Sara Parker A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4. Martin looks at the public perception of psychology with the help of comedian Ruby Wax. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
The Snake Pit	20140430	Martin talks to clinical psychologist Vaughan Bell about different forms of mental disturbance - psychoses and neuroses - and their manifestation in popular culture, including the Polanski film Rosemary's Baby and the poetry of Spike Milligan. And he meets Dolly Sen, a film-maker who's experienced psychosis for most of her life. Producer: Alan Hall A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4. Psychoses, neuroses and their manifestation in popular culture. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
The Stages Of Life	20140512	In this programme Martin Sixsmith looks at the stages of human development from childhood to old age, including Erik Erikson's psychosocial model with its eight phases of the human life cycle. He examines Jean Piaget's influential work on childhood development and John Bowlby's theory of attachment between mother and child. He considers how the study of animals such as Konrad Lorenz's work with geese on imprinting and Harlow's controversial experiments with baby monkeys informed research, as well as talking to Bristol University's Professor Bruce Hood about early years development and theory of mind. Produced by Sara Parker. A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4. Martin Sixsmith looks at the stages of human development from childhood to old age. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
War	20140508	Martin Sixsmith looks at the ways in which war has influenced psychology. He examines the impact of shellshock and the treatment methods of pioneer doctors like W.H. Rivers at Craiglockhart Hospital in Scotland. He talks to military psychiatrist and Falklands veteran Dr Morgan O'Connell and to Edgar Jones, Professor of the History of Psychiatry at Kings College London. And he explains how war changed society's attitude to mental health and boosted psychology as a profession. Produced by Sara Parker A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
We Do What We're Told	20140509	Following the Second World War, psychologists wanted to understand how so many ordinary Germans could have agreed to participate in the Nazis' atrocities. Martin Sixsmith looks at their attempts to explain the banality of evil, including the controversial experiments of Stanley Milgram and Philip Zimbardo. And he talks to Oxford Professor Miles Hewstone about how far social psychology has come in clarifying how we think and act within a group. Series consultant, Professor Daniel Pick, Birkbeck, University of London. Produced by Sara Parker A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4. Martin Sixsmith looks at psychologists' attempts to explain the psychology of evil. Martin Sixsmith examines what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.