Dr Geoff Bunn of the Department of Psychology is to lead a national symposium in London on great thinkers of modern times.
Geoff and three other eminent psychologists will present the case for who they believe to be pioneers of psychological science.
The symposium is introduced by Dr Bunn who gained acclaim after hosting the popular BBC series A History of the Brain on Radio 4 last autumn.
The MMU man is joined by Dr Peter Lamont of the University of Edinburgh, Dr Alan Collins of the University of Lancaster, and Dr Peter Hegarty of the University of Surrey, at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London today.
Dr Bunn nominates Liam Hudson (1933-2005)
He says: “I will celebrate Hudson’s contributions to psychology and argue why he should be regarded as one of the greatest pioneer psychologists of the twentieth century.”
Dr Hegarty nominates Michel Foucault (1926-1984)
He says: “Unlike all other contenders for the title ‘greatest psychologist’ only Michel Foucalt has produced a body of work that can account for human conduct and the means by which it became studied as psychology.”
Dr Lamont nominates Edward Cox (1809-79)
He says: “Cox, although not widely known, was the founder of the first British psychological society. I will discuss the relevance Cox has to psychology today.”
Dr Collins nominates Kenneth Craik (1914-1945)
He says: “I will examine Craik’s reputation and his importance to the history of British psychology.”
This session celebrates the launch of the BPS Origins project, a web-based, multimedia timeline charting the development and contributions of psychological science. During the symposium:
The BPS Origins timeline begins in the 1840s and ends at the turn of the century. Along the way visitors will learn about the development of intelligence testing in 1904, Harry Harlow’s maternal deprivation experiments in 1958, and Philip Zimbardo’s controversial Stanford Prison experiment in 1971. Visit BPS Origins: http://origins.bps.org.uk/