| Description | MP3 sound recording transferred to CD of an interview with Professor Hugh C. Foot FBPsS, University of Strathclyde, Honorary Editor of 'The Psychologist', 1992-1997 for the British Psychological Society's Oral History Project.
The interview was conducted by Kate Davidson on the 7th of December 2015.
The following summary is by way of introduction to the full recording held at the British Psychological Society's History of Psychology Centre, London.
Performers:
Performers:
Hugh C. Foot (HF)
Kate Davidson (KD)
Topics covered:
Running order:
HF introduces himself and then talks about his family background, his siblings, upbringing, school days, school teaching, his mother's influence,
undergraduate days at Durham University (1959), studying psychology and philosophy, fellow students and educational qualifications.
KD asks HF what made him interested in a psychology career
HF replies that psychology seemed interesting and how he enjoyed the subject and philosophy, his experiences as a student at Durham, the Head of Department Professor Frederick Smith and the smell of animal labs.
KD asks HF what sort of animals would they have been in the Labs
HF speaks of rats, chickens, chicks, Behaviourism, Sklinner, experimental psychology, the influence of Fred Smith's book 'The Explanation of Behaviour', learning theories and final year's field trip to a hospital.
KD asks HF that he found himself in a career in psychology and how did that happen after his undergraduate years.
HF talks of his successful application to a course at University College London, his studentship in Dundee to do a PhD (with Professor Terence Lee), his post-doctoral fellowship at Dundee before his lectureship at Cardiff (UWIST), his marriage and the Department of Occupational Psychology.
HF responds to KD's quastions about the popularity of psychology at the time and the lack of textbooks and how he became a social psychologist.
KD asks HF to speak of what Social Psychology was concerned with at that time
HF talks of Solomon Ash on conformity theory, Pilgram on obedience, social facilitation theory, Rober Zajonc in USA, his high impression of Roger Brown's textbook on Social Psychology, Solomon Ash's work in USA, ant-conformity movements, altruism, prosocial interest.
KD asks HF how did this develop your interest in Social Psychology in terms of your later career-you became a Professor
HF talks of the merger between UWIST and UC Cardiff (1980s), how he became more interested in child development and social development, his work on humour, his 1970s work with Tony Chapman leading to the first International Conference on Humour and Laughter, his growing interest in verbal communication, Michael Argyle, language development, interest in homeostasis levels of intimacy.
KD asks HF what would you say was your main area of research (at that time).
HF talks of how he became interested in child pedestrian behaviour with Tony Chapman, his interest in interactive learning, his move to Strathclyde, Strathclyde Centre for Interactive Learning Behaviour (Head Christine Howe), peer tutoring and collaborative learning in children, children learning in small groups, teacher/learner relationships and informal peer study groups.
KD asks HF how he became Head of Department at Starthclyde (1992).
HF mentions he didn't expect to be Head, how he became immersed in Departmental matters, how he enjoyed his 6 years as head, staff procedures and processes and how he was appointed as Vice-Dean for the faculty.
KD asks HF to talk about his links with the BPS.
HF speaks of his first contact with the BPS, his first paper given at SPS conference, how he has been a member since 1963/4,
how he joined the BPS Welsh Branch, how he became Secretary and Chair of the Section, BPS Council, BPS Conferences and BPS funding for the Laughter and Humour International Conference, (one per year in Wales), how he became Conference Secretary , Secretary and Chair of the SPS, his time on BPS Council, his good relationship with Robert Farr (Hon.Gen.Sec.BPS) and his 5 year term as Chief Examiner for BPS Qualifying Exam.
KD asks HF about his time as Honorary Editor of the BPS Bulletin.
HF speaks of The Psychologist and his time as Editor, how he enjoyed his term, Elizabeth Mapstone (Managing Editor) and working relationships., Glynis Breakwell and Graham Davey.
HF speaks oh is interest in research ethics, the work of Milgram, Alan Elms, Personal Construct Theory and Dan Bannister's work in the 1970s.
KD asls HF what changes do you think you have seen in academia over the years.
HF speaks of the importance of the advent of IT Social media research, compulsive access, Social Psychology developing towards child access and behaviour to computers.
HF talks of his children and the process of emigrating to Australia (new beginnings).
KD wishes him good luck and thanks HF for speaking today.
Ends.
Total Running time: c 58 minutes.
Summary by Mike Maskill, BPS Archivist. |