| Description | Audio cassette sound recording of an interview with Professor H. Rudolph Schaffer, (1926-2008) FBPsS (Hon), FRSE, University of Strathclyde for the British Psychological Society's Oral History project.
The interview was conducted by Helen Ross in 2007.
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:
Prof.Rudolph Schaffer (RS)
Helen Ross (HR)
Side A
c 47 mins
HR asks RS what led him to take up psychology
RS talks of the reasons why he gave up an architecture degree at Liverpool University and decided instead to study psychology (part-time) at Birkbeck College, London
RS speaks of research after graduating from Birkbeck in 1950 and his appointment at Tavistock Clinic as a research assistant to John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. RS talks of Bowlby's ideas in developmental psychology, his research in maternal deprivation and childrens' care and the controversy surrounding James Robertson's films about childrens' experiences in hospitals
RS talks of his next job as a clinical psychologist at Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow in 1955 including the establishment of a Dept. of Child Psychiatry and parent and staff roles
RS speaks of his move to the recently opened Department of Psychology at the University of Strathclyde in 1964, his work on the development of attachments, Gustav Jahoda (founding Professor) and how a close relationship was built up with the small number of students and the benefits of student practical visits
RS briefly talks of his responsibilities as Reader and Head of Department at Strathclyde
RS then talks of his links with professional groups such as the BPS Scottish Committee and his membership of the Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry and the positive influence of the Society for Social Research (USA)
RS remembers the impression left by hearing Hans Eysenck at BPS Annual Conference ( late 1940s) and gives his views on the influence of psychoanalysis at the Maudsley and Tavistock Clinic
RS talks of psychoanalysis treatment, CBT, Freudian theory on early child experiences and early year traumas (child)
RS gives his views on the human mind, and the treatment of psychoses in the past (mentions Bedlam)
HR asks RS if there were any particular people or books/literature which influenced you
RS replies John Bowlby's books and writings were an enormous influence and how he is a great admirer of Bowlby and Harriet Rheingold (North Carolina)
RS talks of the time he spent abroad at the Van Leer Foundation , Jerusalem, Israel in 1976, how he met Henri Tajfel and Larry Kohlberg there and the excitable atmosphere taking place in Jerusalem at that time (during the Entebbe Raid)
RS speaks of his connections with Spain in the 1980s, the state of psychology in Spain at that time, the lack of research expertise and how he developed a close link with the University of Barcelona
RS talks of French and German publishing, translations and the growing interest in psychology in Eastern Europe and China
RS speaks of family and work-life balance
HR asks RS for the good and bad things about being a psychologist
RS mentions there is so much to learn and comments on the progress of Developmental psychology making for interesting and exciting times and his interest in the challenge of giving away psychology (G.Miller 1969) before talking of his busy life after retirement
RS speaks of World War II promoting psychology through the use of psychological tests, assessment methods and Officer Selection tests before speaking about human computer interaction, sports psychologists, sports psychology, multi-disciplines and new developments in neuropsychology
Side A ends
Side B
RS talks of neurophysiology and mind brain problems, MRI techniques linked to behaviour and mental/informational processes with the brain
RS speaks of his regret that he didn't publish more earlier in his career then in response to HR's question RS states that his main contribution has been the study of socialisation processes, the establishment of early relationships, communicative methods of infants and bridging the gap between research and practice (applied and academic)
RS speaks of the Tavistock Clinic, John Bowlby and psychoanalysis and perceptions
RS talks of ethical issues such as student credits as passive participants in experiments
In response to HR's question asking which of his published works does he consider the most important RS replies ' The development of social attachment in infancy' with Peggy Emerson (1964)
RS gives his views on academic publishing today, the pressure to print, peer reviews and the opportunities to publish on the Internet
RS finishes the interview with a couple of suggestions for potential interviewees for the Oral History Project
Side B ends
Total Running Time: c 63mins
A VHS video interview of Professor Rudolph Schaffer in conversation with Professor Halla Beloff from 1998 is available upon request, Ref: PHO/002/01/11
Warden, D.A. (2008) Emeritus professor h. rudolph schaffer (1926-2008) - obituary. The Psychologist, 21 (4). p. 346
Photograph by Helen Ross.
Summary by Mike Maskill, BPS Archivist. |
| RunTime | On one UR90 cassette, running time c 63 minutes |
| AdminHistory | Date of Birth: 21/07/1926
Place of Birth: Berlin, Germany
Died: 23rd February, 2008
University Qualifications and Professional Training:
Birkbeck College, University of London BA (Hons) Psychology 1950
University of Glasgow, PhD. 1962
Honours and Awards:
Fellow of the BPS, 1974
Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1995
Honorary Fellow of the BPS, 1998
Honorary Doctorate of the University, Open University, 1998
Bowlby-Ainsworth Award, New York Attachment Consortium, 2004
Professional career:
Research Assistant, Tavistock Clinic, Bowlby Research Unit, London, 1951-1955
Senior Clinical Psychologist,1955, 1959; Principal Psychologist, 1959-1963, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow
University of Strathclyde, Department of Psychology:
Lecturer, 1964-1965
Senior Lecturer, 1965-1968
Reader, 1968-1970
Professor, 1970-1991
Head of Department, 1982-1991
Professor Emeritus, 1991-2008
Nuffield Social Science Fellow, University of North Carolina 1971
Van Leer Foundation Fellow, Van Leer Centre, Jerusalem, Israel, 1976
Involvement with BPS and/or other societies and organisations (selected):
BPS Scottish Division of Professional Psychologists, committee member 1956-1961
BPS Scottish Branch, committee member 1967-1969
BPS Board of Examiners for the Diploma in Clinical Psychology 1973-1978
BPS Board of Examiners for the Qualifying Examination 1975-1978
Social Science Research Council, Member of Council 1976-1978
Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Chair 1986-1987
British Association for the Advancement of Science, President of Section J (Psychology) (nd)
Scottish Child and Family Alliance, Chair Under-Sixes Working Group 1986-1989
Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education, Member of Advisory Board 1991-1996
Appointments Boards for University Chairs: Sussex, Exeter, Open University; Edinbugh
Founding Editor, Social Development 1990-2004
Co-Editor, British Journal of Psychology 1968-1976 |