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Mind Changers

Series exploring the development of the science of psychology during the 20th century

Radio 4,33 episodes

Episodes

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Carl Rogers and the Person-Centred Approach
While Freud relied on expert and patient, Rogers pioneered a therapeutic model of equals.
03 Aug 2015,28 mins
BF Skinner and Superstition in the Pigeon
A classic experiment in operant conditioning conducted by the famous behaviourist.
27 Jul 2015,28 mins
Carol Dweck and Growth Mindset
Carol Dweck showed how changing people's beliefs can affect their levels of achievement.
20 Jul 2015,28 mins
Anna Freud and Child Observation
By insisting on observation in nurseries, Anna Freud promoted understanding of children.
26 Apr 2013,28 mins
Abraham Maslow and the Hierarchy of Needs
Claudia examines the Hierarchy of Needs, part of Abraham Maslow's theory of motivation.
19 Apr 2013,28 mins
James Pennebaker and Expressive Writing
James Pennebaker proved that simply writing about how you feel can improve your health.
12 Apr 2013,28 mins
Donald Broadbent and the Cocktail Party
Claudia Hammond examines the legacy the psychologist who launched the cognitive revolution
30 Apr 2012,28 mins
Julian Rotter and Locus of Control
Claudia meets Julian Rotter, who promoted personality theory in clinical psychology.
23 Apr 2012,28 mins
Joseph Wolpe and Systematic Desensitization
Exploring Joseph Wolpe's development of a treatment for patients with phobias.
16 Apr 2012,28 mins
Elizabeth Loftus and Eye Witness Testimony
Claudia Hammond with more experiments that changed our understanding of the human mind.
17 Apr 2011,30 mins
Henri Tajfel's Minimal Groups
Claudia Hammond with more experiments that changed our understanding of the human mind.
27 Feb 2011,30 mins
Walter Mischel's Marshmallow Study
Claudia Hammond with more experiments that changed our understanding of the human mind.
20 Feb 2011,30 mins
Case Study: Dora - The Girl Who Walked Out on Freud
The story of Dora, Freud's first case history, which he used to explain infant sexuality.
01 Sep 2010,30 mins
Case Study: SB - The Man Who Was Disappointed with What He Saw
The story of SB, who had his sight restored after over 50 years of blindness.
25 Aug 2010,30 mins
Case Study: John/Joan - The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl
The case that for years apparently proved that nurture not nature dictates gender identity
18 Aug 2010,30 mins
Case Study: HM - The Man Who Couldn't Remember
A man known as HM provided the key to one of the mysteries of the human brain.
11 Aug 2010,30 mins
Arden House
Claudia Hammond revisits Langer and Rodin's 1976 Arden House study.
17 Aug 2009,30 mins
Harlow's Monkeys
Revisiting Harry Harlow's surrogate mothers experiment, which revolutionised parenting.
10 Aug 2009,30 mins
The Hawthorne Effect
The 1920s experiment in a Chicago factory that gave rise to a classic textbook phenomenon.
03 Aug 2009,30 mins
The Pseudo-Patient Study
Claudia Hammond revisits David Rosenhan's influential 1973 study of psychiatric diagnoses.
27 Jul 2009,30 mins
Case Study: Little Hans
A small boy's phobia of horses seemed unlikely evidence for the Oedipus complex.
28 May 2008,30 mins
Case Study: The Man with a Hole in His Head
Phineas Gage was a railway worker in 19th-century Vermont who survived a bizarre accident.
21 May 2008,30 mins
Case Study: The Wild Boy of Aveyron
In 1800, 12-year-old Victor emerged from the woods, naked and behaving like an animal.
14 May 2008,30 mins
Case Study: Kitty Genovese
A brutal killing led to the naming of the phenomenon known as Bystander Effect.
07 May 2008,30 mins
The Bobo Doll
Albert Bandura's experiment in 1961 exposed the dangers of imitative behaviour.
12 Dec 2007,28 mins
The Heinz Dilemma
Lawrence Kohlberg's experiment to quantify the human capacity for ethical reasoning.
05 Dec 2007,28 mins
The Stanford Prison Experiment
When Philip Zimbardo set up a mock prison, he had no idea what he would witness.
28 Nov 2007,28 mins
Hans Eysenck
Claudia Hammond looks at Hans Eysenck's studies of introvert and extrovert personalities.
26 Oct 2005,28 mins
Mary Ainsworth
Claudia Hammond looks at Mary Ainsworth's research on the parent-child relationship.
19 Oct 2005,28 mins
John Watson and Little Emotional Albert
Claudia Hammond profiles JB Watson, the psychologist considered the father of behaviourism
12 Oct 2005,28 mins