Celebrating psychological research

I believe that using our position to shine a light on the sheer breadth of psychological research is one of the most important things that we do, whether it's work being carried out by our members, published in our portfolio of journals, or in one of the many network-specific periodicals that we produce.

So far this year we've picked out a handful of studies that we thought were really interesting or particularly relevant to real world issues, which is definitely the case for research from our journal Legal and Criminological Psychology, looking at the impact on victims of the Post Office scandal.

The shocking treatment of those wrongly accused in this scandal has been one of the biggest news stories of the year so far, and findings of clinically significant rates of PTSD and depressive symptoms shows the impact that it has had on those affected.

These are findings that are upsetting rather than surprising, but it is an important contribution from psychology to a story that has struck a chord with the public.

The other research from our journals that we've promoted recently was on a very different theme, with work published in our British Journal of Psychology highlighting the potential benefits of playing video games on concentration and memory.

This is an example of psychological research which challenges conventional beliefs, and adds something new to the conversation, with playing video games rarely being something where we hear about the potential benefits rather than dangers.

Complementing our journals, we regularly publish periodicals, which are available on BPS Explore and allow members from our networks to share their thoughts, ideas, and work with a community of psychologists working in the same area.

We recently covered research from Assessment and Development Matters, which is the periodical available to our certified test users, focusing on some of the potential pitfalls of hybrid work.

The final piece of work I want to flag was presented at our Cyberpsychology Section's annual conference, with our events being another way in which the society gives members the opportunity to showcase their research.

This research found that people with poorer digital skills are more likely to feel lonely and isolated, a finding with clear real-world applications in our increasingly digital society.

These are just a few examples of the cutting-edge research which BPS members and psychologists are undertaking, and the platform that we can offer to help it find a wider audience.

We'll continue to highlight more examples of research from across the broad spectrum of psychology, and if this has given you an appetite to read more, take a look at our journals through our publishing partners Wiley, our Research Digest, and our periodicals on BPS Explore – there's so much more to read and enjoy.