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Question
History and philosophy

We asked… What’s your favourite untold story from the history of Psychology?

... and you responded.

07 March 2024

Margret Geraghty @MargretGeraghty
Not exactly history but I've always thought Keith Oatley's idea of fiction being the 'mind's flight simulator' very apt. His book Such Stuff as Dreams (The psychology of fiction) is a fantastic read.

Kevin Silber @reblisnivek
Pretty much the stories of all the influential women at the start of psychology. People like Mary Whiton Calkins, Margaret Floy Washburn, Leta Hollingworth, and others barely get a mention in the history books. They had to fight against a very male-dominated academia.

Dr Paul Marsden @marsattacks
The 'magic' of neural networks - AI as applied psychology in technology, including modelling artificial intelligence on human intelligence. That and the 'Eliza Effect'.

Psychphsg @PsychPhsg
I'm not sure if this is 'barely told' but Phineas Gage lived in Chile for a couple of years as a valued employee of a stagecoach company. His behaviour changes and impulsivity seemingly under wraps. 

Dr. Lauren Beadleston @LNBeadleston
Vygotsky and Piaget communicated, even despite Stalin's Iron Curtain, to the point where they were trying to smuggle copies of their work to the other person

A Level Psychology @AlevelPsy
F. Skinner's development of pigeon-guided missiles for use in wartime as part of 'Project Pigeon'. He went to great lengths and received significant funding government funding too before the project was cancelled.

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