| Level | Item |
| Ref No | AUD/002/OHP 01 |
| Thumbnail | 
|
| Title | Jahoda, Gustav - Recording |
| Site | Strathclyde University |
| Date | 19 January 2005 |
| Extent | 1- Audio Cassette |
| Description | Audio cassette and CD MP3 digital conversion of sound recording of an interview with Professor Gustav Jahoda (1920-2016) FBA, FRSE, University of Strathclyde for the British Psychological Society's Oral History project.
The interview was conducted by Helen Ross in 2005.
The following summary is by way of introduction to the full recording held at BPS HoPC London:
Performers:
Gustav Jahoda (GJ) Interviewee
Helen Ross (HR) Interviewer
Topics:
HR begins the interview by asking GJ about his early schooldays in Vienna and early interest in psychology
GJ speaks of his interest in philosophy, a course in engineering, the second World War and his relocation to Britain
GJ continues by speaking of his qualifying course and PhD at Birkbeck College, London then his first job at Oxford, his subsequent move to Manchester (T.H.Pear) and then on to Glasgow (Professor Pickford)
GJ Discusses his hypothesis and talks of his job as Lecturer in Social Psychology at Manchester University and the visit of Ernest Beaglehole (1906-1965) from New Zealand c. 1950 which influences his move to Africa in 1952
GJ speaks of the time he spent in West Africa (Gold Coast), and the experimental social psychology exercises conducted with West Africa students, the social changes taking place in the country and his move to Glasgow in 1956.
GJ talks of problems with fieldwork in Africa, local customs, intelligence tests (positive and negative) on Africa children and availability of research grants in Africa
GJ then speaks of his links with BPS and other professional bodies including sitting on a couple of BPS committees, attendance at BPS Annual conferences and other small conferences, his early membership of European Association for Experimental Psychology, and a few of the people he met at various conferences including, Henri Tajfel and Lewis
GJ mentions the names of a few influential books he has read including; Freud, Malinowsky, McDougall's book on social psychology, Bartlett's memory book, a student of J.F.Herbart called Rein and the notion of psychic unity
GJ mentions how the field of psychology has changed during his working life including new specialities such as cross-cultural psychology, neuropsychology and evolutionary psychology
GJ talks of his interest in evolutionary psychology, human differences, social environment, developmental niche human universals and human nature, terms of adaptations, the research implications of political changes in Africa including post-colonial sensitivities, problems with language and interpreters in Africa, colour vision, Muller-Lyer illusions, spatial skills, environment adaptations differences between Inuits and Tropical farmers, geometrical illusions and research conclusions
GJ talks of psychology in the future including social psychology hard and soft, cross-cultural psychology and the emphasis on large-scale studies then moves on to speak
of ethical issues in intelligence as a scientific question, his scepticism concerning formal intelligence tests and outlines some of his experiences of games of skill in Africa
GJ answers a question from HR concerning his most important publications and GJ mentions; aspects of social change (in Africa), psychological superstition, his cross-cultural publications and his papers on sociologist development
HR asks him for his views on academic publishing and GJ talks of commercial changes to academic publishing, his views on editorial attitudes, internet publishing, information overload, search engines, the research assessment exercise and pressures to publish
GJ speaks in general of his enjoyment at working in psychology and concludes with a couple of suggestions for future interviewees.
End of recording.
c 60 mins
Note: A Video interview of Professor Gustav Jahoda, in conversation with Professor Halla Beloff from 1999 is held in the Visual archive, Ref: PHO/002/01/09
Total Running time: c 60mins
The photograph was taken by Helen Ross during the interview in 2005.
Summary by Mike Maskill, BPS Archivist. |
| RunTime | 60 minutes |
| Format | Cassette Tapes and text |
| Notes | The History of Psychology Centre is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our users. Be aware that our catalogue contains historic terminology relating to mental health which could be considered offensive. The terminology exists within the original record and has been retained to inform users on viewpoints at the time. It in no way reflects the attitudes of the cataloguers or the British Psychological Society. |
| The above photograph was taken by Helen Ross during the interview in 2005. |
| Language | English |
| RelatedRecord | PHO/002/01/09 |
| PHO/001/01/279 |
| PHO/001/03/08/26 |
| TAJ/01/07/04/24 |
| PHO/001/05/11/09 |
| AccessConditions | Authorised Users. View by Appointment |
| AccessStatus | Open |
| Location | 13: BPS History of Psychology Centre, London |
| Term | Educational psychology |
| Social psychology |
| Intelligence tests |
| Intelligence |
| Skills |
| War |
| AdminHistory | Date of Birth: 11/10/20
Place of Birth: Vienna
University Qualifications and Professional Training (no dates):
London School of Economics BSc.Economics
Qualifying exam in Psychology Birkbeck College London
London School of Economics PhD .
Other Honours and Awards (no dates):
Fellow of the British Academy (FBA)
Fellow of the Royal Society Edinburgh (FRSE )
Former President and Fellow of International Association for Cross Cultural Psychology
Professional Career (no dates):
Tutor, Oxford
Lecturer in Social Psychology, University of Manchester
Lecturer in Psychology, University College of the Gold Coast, Ghana
Senior Lecturer, University of Glasgow
Founding head of the Department of Educational Psychology, University of Strathclyde
Directeur d'etudes Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris
Visiting Professor New York University, University of Saarbrucken, Tilburg University Holland, Cape Town University, Osaka University et al
Involvement with BPS and/or other societies and organisations:
BPS: Some BPS committees (no dates)
European Association for Experimental Psychology
Member, Royal Anthropological Institute.
Obituary The Psychologist April 2017, The Guardian 10 April 2017 |
| Copyright | Subject to the condition of the original, copies may be supplied for private research use only on receipt of a signed undertaking to comply with current copyright legislation. Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from the Head of the History of Psychology Centre and Archives and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. Where possible, assistance will be given in identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material |
| Rules | Description compiled in line with the following: ISAD (G) General International Standard Archival Description MAD3 Third Edition 2000 |
| ArchNote | Compiled by Mike Maskill BPS Archivist for the History of Psychology Centre. |