About this day
For A level and IB students
Join us at our NEW Psychology in Action event in Manchester for an exciting day of informative sessions and inspirational stories that will give your students real insight into psychology beyond the classroom. Our experienced speakers will deliver five engaging sessions that examine the theories and applications of psychology in the modern world.
The day will also include a special session on examination success designed to provide students with the tools that they need to excel. With plenty of opportunities to directly engage with the speakers, this event is sure to help your students realise their potential, and discover how psychology applies to their studies, careers, and daily lives. Book now to secure your places!
Host: Helen Pilcher (Science Writer and Presenter) Exam Session: Rosie Husssain (Director of Teaching and Learning)
“A great opportunity for our students’ ideas about psychology to be stretched and challenged beyond the A-level specification.”
— Lady Eleanor Holles, Autumn 2024 —
Programme & speakers
Is Your Teacher A Psychopath? Kerry Daynes, Consultant Forensic Psychologist
You might have thought so at times, but just what is a ‘psychopath’ exactly? Scientists estimate that between one and three percent of the population are card-carrying ‘psychopaths’ – a scary thought – but in what walks of life are you most likely to find them and when might you even be happy to meet one?
About Kerry Daynes
Kerry Daynes has spent over thirty years working with the UKs most violent and notorious criminals in prisons, secure hospitals, courtrooms and in the community.
The present and future of the brain Guy Sutton, Director, Neurorama and Medical Biology Interactive
This lecture will explore current developments in brain research, from neuroimaging techniques to the rise of brain organoids and brain computer interfaces. What is happening in research now and what you can expect in your lifetime. Brain nerd heaven.
About Dr Guy Sutton
Dr Guy Sutton is the Founder and Director of Medical Biology Interactive (MBI), an organisation dedicated to bringing cutting edge neuroscience and biomedical science to diverse audiences across the world.
The New Psychology of Leadership - and how it explains the appeal of Donald Trump Stephen Reicher, University of St Andrews
How did a man who is a convicted sex offender, an habitual liar, a multi-millionaire who has used his presidency to further line his pockets, come to be seen as a ‘man of the people’, to gain a rapturous following and get elected (twice!) President of the United States? In this talk, I shall explain the new psychology of leadership which roots effectiveness less in qualities of the individual than the ability of the individual to be seen as representative of the group – as ‘one of us’. I shall apply this theory to Donald Trump and show how it explains his appeal to the American public.
About Professor Stephen Reicher
Stephen’s research at the University of St Andrews is in the area of social psychology, focusing on group processes such as crowd behaviour, tyranny and leadership.
This Talk May Cause Side Effects Helen Pilcher, Author and Science Communicator
Most people have heard of the placebo effect, but did you know that it has an evil twin? This is a force that conjures side effects, symptoms and ill health. It can be spread by social media and explains how curses can kill. In this talk, neuroscientist Dr Helen Pilcher explores the dark side of the placebo effect and explains what we can do to protect ourselves from it.
About Dr Helen Pilcher
Dr Helen Pilcher is a tea-drinking, biscuit-nibbling science and comedy writer. Her books include Bring Back the King: the Science of De-extinction and Life Changing: How Humans are Altering Life on Earth and This Book May Cause Side Effects.
Dance and the brain Peter Lovatt, Director of Dance Psychology at Movement in Practice
At the Dance Psychology Lab we study everything to do with the psychology of dance and dancers. What’s the link between dancing and the brain? How does dancing change the way we think and solve problems? Why is the way we move linked to our hormonal and genetic makeup? This is the science of dance.
About Dr Peter Lovatt
Peter is a former professional dancer who spent over 25 years working in universities as an academic psychologist interested in the effect that dancing and moving has on people.