South West Conferences

This conference offers a unique opportunity to hear two legends in psychology speak about their work and experiences.

Date   Tuesday 24 March, 2009 and Wednesday 25 March, 2009 

Time  11.0 am - 4.30 pm

Cost   £20 per student plus 1 free teacher place for every 10 students

Note - there is a special rate for teachers who brought students to the Science and Pseudoscience conference in November. Tickets for both conferences cost £30.

Venue The Emmanuel Centre, 9-23 Marsham Street, London SW1P 3DW (risk assessment details can be sent to you if required)

To book places   Send the following details by email or post:

♦ Date of conference

♦ Your name, school’s name and full postal address, and contact telephone number.

♦ Number of tickets required (students plus free teacher tickets)

♦ Purchase order no. for invoice (if required). I will provide an invoice to print out for payment.

  

Email to cara.flanagan@btopenworld.com

Or use the conference booking form

Post to Southwest Conferences, East Gilgo, Migdale, Bonar Bridge, Sutherland IV24 3AR

Note that no deposits will be taken.

Payment in full required by February 1^st

If you have any queries please ring Cara Flanagan 01863 766242 / 07710 534418.

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME FOR THE DAY

11.00  Introduction

11.10  Phil Banyard, Senior lecturer at Nottingham Trent University. former Chief examiner OCR, will talk about ‘Case studies in Psychology and what they tell us about ourselves’.

 

11.45 Cara Flanagan, freelance academic author, senior examiner, will talk about ‘Who made you? Was it your parents or was it you? Is it nature or nurture?’

 

12.15  Chris Costner Sizemore will about her personal experience of, and thoughts about, mental disorder. She will then answer questions from students.

 

1.15 Lunch

 

2.15  Mike Cardwell, Senior lecturer at Bath Spa University, former Chief examiner AQA A, will talk about ‘Social influence research and its implications for social change’.

 

2.45  Professor Elizabeth Loftus, Distinguished Professor at the University of California - Irvine. 

 

New studies show the power of imagination and suggestion to make people believe that they have had experiences that they didn’t have. People have been led to remember non-existent events from the recent past as well as non-existent events from their childhood. They can be led to falsely believe that they have had familiar experiences, but also rather bizarre or implausible ones (e.g. that they witnessed demonic possession as a child). They can be led to believe that they did things that would have been impossible (e.g. that they shook hands with Bugs Bunny during a trip to Disneyland). They can also be led to falsely believe that they had experiences that would have been highly traumatic had they actually happened. False beliefs have consequences for people, affecting later thoughts and behaviours. For example, people who are led to believe that as children they got sick eating particular foods show avoidance of those foods later on.

These false beliefs are important in legal cases.  When witnesses testify, they are often detailed, confident and emotional. Juries are impressed with the testimony. But people can be detailed, confident and emotional, even when the memories are false.

 

There will be a Q & A session at the end of Professor Loftus’ talk

 

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