Well written, Danny!

The blog captures a number of the fundamental problems with the predominant individually-focussed psychology.

Thanks,
Jacqui A
________________________________________
From: The UK Community Psychology Discussion List [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Taggart, Danny [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 22 June 2013 19:26
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] Nudge

Following on from this discussion a while back I took some of the ideas and put them into a blog post. In case some of you are interested here is the link

http://www.cost-ofliving.net/nudge-nudge-push-shove/

Danny
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From: The UK Community Psychology Discussion List [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Wendy Franks [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 08 May 2013 19:24
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] Nudge

Hi Richard,

I am sure that lots of psychology is put to good use. I know that I try my hardest to reflexively and transparently apply what I (think I) know in the service of people who seek something helpful in the face of damaging experiences. But I also recognise that I am embedded in a system within which it is sometimes difficult to see clearly who else's interests are served by the work that I do.

I think the work of the nudge unit (to which I was referring in my original email, rather than to a more general principle) is far from one person's highly questionable practice. I think indeed it is social, and reflects an abuse of psychology to act in a relatively invisible (to most people) way in the interests of those who have greater access to resources and power: material, structural and educational.

Best wishes,

Wendy

From: Richard Pemberton <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, 8 May 2013, 16:53
Subject: Re: [COMMUNITYPSYCHUK] Nudge

Wendy
I wouldn't dismiss nudge just because of one persons highly questionable practice. If all your friends divorce the likelihood of you divorcing rockets? This is a social phenomena that its daft to ignore if we want to, for example, support people who  give up smoking or help disadvantaged boys realise their potential at school?  It's social! How targets are chosen and in who's name and how transparent programmes are is what's impt?
Richard

Sent from my iPhone

On 6 May 2013, at 18:10, Wendy Franks <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:

Hello all,

I wondered if others have been following the news on the 'nudge unit'.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/apr/30/jobseekers-bogus-psychometric-tests-unemployed

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/may/06/jobseekers-psychometric-test-failure

It had long been a source of unease for me before this latest news. I thought about how psychologists seem widely distrusted (so I hear in my circle of non-psychologist friends and colleagues), and sometimes for good reason (the APA and torture comes to mind), and this latest news-spinner also seems to be something beyond mere shady manipulation.

I'm very conscious that I'm only taking a few minutes out of my bank holiday PhD writing schedule, and I don't have time to invest in looking at it in greater depth, but wondered if anyone else thinks that this unit isn't clearly 'bringing the profession into disrepute' (ok, I recognise the irony), particularly in relation to ethical standards within experimental research, transparency, consent, misuse of power and the like.

Perhaps I'm just irked by spending another sunny day inside at work and looking for something to grumble about?

I wondered what others think?

I hope you are all well.

Best wishes,

Wendy


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