‘The work of psychologists in media productions is fuzzily defined’
John Oates and Kairen Cullen discuss ethics and dilemmas
17 April 2023
Professor John Oates, Chair of the British Psychological Society's Media Ethics Advisory Group, and member of the BPS Ethics Committee, has worked on many media productions, including ethnographic documentaries in Hungary and Kyrgyzstan.
Dr Kairen Cullen is an HCPC registered Practitioner Psychologist (Educational), who has worked extensively with media productions and is also a writer.
Here, they discuss some of the issues and contexts that have informed the development of new guidelines for psychologists working with media production companies.
John: On a Wednesday evening, I get an email from a TV production company that I have never worked with before, asking if can 'psych test' some children who are going to be filmed the following week, starting Monday. It's 'an experiment' to 'find out if they can overcome their fears'. The email is from a junior production assistant. No questions are put to me about my experience, qualification, or registration; presumably, they are calling me on a recommendation. The director and executive director are unavailable to discuss the details of the shoot. This is typical of last-minute requests, out of the blue, and raises all sorts of issues about how psychologists and production companies should be working together. Have you had this sort of experience, Kairen?
Kairen: Yes, my first contact usually comes from someone quite a way down the hierarchy, such as a production assistant or production coordinator. There is an awareness in the industry that the needs of under-age and/or particularly vulnerable actors must be given due regard. This means that their emotional wellbeing and mental health must be supported and in no way compromised by the demands made upon them by a production.
It is common, in my experience, for this awareness to translate into a last-minute action on the part of the production manager. The triggers for this may include a director, assistant director, executive or producer, with experience from previous productions, realising that there is a duty of care for young and/or vulnerable actors that will be best fulfilled through the involvement of a media production psychologist (MPP).
I think this accounts for the fact that a huge proportion of my work comes via word of mouth… personal recommendation, usually someone I have worked with in the past. The impromptu and often last-minute request means that a very flexible personal and professional timetable is required of me as an MPP. Fortunately, after several decades of standard educational psychologist assessment work, I now spend a lot of my time writing, and therefore can work with media productions, for which I seem to be much more in demand recently.
John: Yes, me too. I can see that television and film production companies are increasingly aware that protecting contributors requires specific professional skills and good levels of collaboration between a psychologist and producers. The services of psychologists are now more often being sought to advise and support the provision of duty of care to contributors in productions. Partly, I guess, this is due to greater public concern over the mental health risks that the expanding genre of 'reality' appears to pose. There has been wide publicity of cases of suicide by people who have been contributors in such productions, and some contributors have alleged that they have been subjected to manipulative and coercive treatment.
Ofcom responded to these two drivers by publishing, in 2020, new, more wide-ranging guidance on 'Protecting participants in TV and radio programmes' (tinyurl.com/ofcomparttv) based on a consultation to which the BPS gave extensive evidence. BPS evidence was also given to an inquiry into reality television by the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee around the same time, which focused on the case of a suicide in 2019 by a contributor in The Jeremy Kyle Show… that episode was not broadcast and the show was axed by ITV.
One of the serious concerns that emerged from the DCMS inquiry was about how, how well and by whom the mental health of contributors was protected and monitored. In 2019, recognising increasing awareness of the problem, the BPS published an extensive guidance document, produced by the Media Ethics Advisory Group (MEAG), 'Psychology and Media Productions: Guidance for commissioners and producers' which sought to apply the Society's ethical framework, as set out in the Code of Ethics and Conduct, to the many and varied ways in which psychology and psychologists are involved in productions. The guidance recognised that duty of care for contributors, while very important, is only part of a broader ethical landscape of how human experience is explored and portrayed in media.
How do you see ethics playing out in this work?
Kairen: Well, I can see that productions want, primarily, to satisfy industry and legal duty of care and safeguarding requirements. The form this takes can vary enormously and often starts with production staff asking the MPP about their usual practice. In other words, some degree of consultation and support for the production staff's professional development is sought before any formal contractual arrangement is agreed. I usually explain that as a practitioner psychologist, I must approach the work like any other piece of applied psychology, i.e., research in practice.
This means that every aspect of the work is reflective of the ethical and legally required framework which underpins and guides my practice as an HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) registered practitioner psychologist. The BPS overarching guidance is contained within the Code of Ethics and Conduct (July 2018) and specific, context-relevant, additional guidance is contained within The Code of Human Research Ethics (BPS, 2014).
The Code of Ethics and Conduct is based on its four primary ethical principles: respect, competence, responsibility and integrity. Each principle is described by a statement of key values and accompanied by a set of standards, laying out specific forms of ethical conduct and behaviour. Generally, these ethical aspects are implicit, rather than overtly stated in my communications with production personnel, but in all my work I am mindful of them.
The complexity of human psychology, be it at the individual, group and/or whole systems level/s, means that the psychological knowledge and skills I bring as a professional psychologist must always combine with an awareness of the ethical dimensions of every case and project. These ethical aspects are generally in the forefront of my thinking and often constitute a large part of the material I raise in supervision, which I have with a very experienced MPP peer at least monthly.
Of course, there are occasions when the ethical stance I have decided upon can even threaten my involvement in a production. When this has happened – and luckily it has been relatively infrequent – I have had to sacrifice my own employment. That's one for another article…
John: I think this can happen because of limited understanding by productions about the differences between psychology, psychiatry, counselling, nursing and other professions associated with mental health and wellbeing… it has been rather a random process by which support for duty of care is provided. Not only that, but the awareness and understanding of the need for duty of care and what it entails has also been very varied. The recent Ofcom guidance on protecting participants offers a detailed analysis of the potential risks and harms to contributors.
While it specifically refers to 'psychological assessments' of potential contributors, 'psychological advice being always accessible for the production team and contributors' and 'psychological or other support during filming', 'providing a psychological debrief after filming', and including 'access to psychologists [after production]' where a production is judged to have high risks, the guidance only refers to 'appropriately qualified experts' as providing such psychological services.
Recognising then, that there are many different roles that psychologists can play in productions, and not only the ones that Ofcom notes, but there is also a real challenge for productions to choose the right people to deliver competent, professional advice and support. There are people already offering and delivering such services as either an occasional, part-time or full-time occupation; some being BPS members, including clinical, occupational and educational psychologist members, others calling themselves psychologists but not necessarily having any affiliation with a professional body or registered with the Health and Care Professions Council. Others, such as psychotherapists and counsellors, may also be working in this arena, again with a variety of backgrounds, qualifications and experience.
For BPS members, providing services to media productions means doing so with due regard to the Society's expectations of professional conduct. But because the ethics of television and film production involves many different considerations, and the roles of psychologists working in productions are very fuzzily defined, don't you find it can be difficult to know what the boundaries and meanings of 'duty of care' in this field are?
Kairen: Absolutely, and that is why when I agree to, and start, a piece of media production work, I must gather as much information about the remit for the job as I can. Apart from anything else this allows me to judge whether I should take the work on, and to do that I must be sure that I am operating within my area of competency as a practitioner psychologist i.e., that I possess the appropriate skills, knowledge and experience, for a specific project.
As an experienced educational psychologist who has worked in every aspect of the education system, including early years, special education, further education and higher education plus work with adults engaged in vocational training and learning, I am confident to work with all age groups. However, if a production, by nature of its content, requires a psychologist with a particular specialism, for example, clinical experience of some areas of mental health such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychosis or personality disorder, then I would suggest alternative and/or additional MPP support. All these examples require a practitioner psychologist whose field of application is mental health.
In an ideal world, both the production's resources and the collaborative facility between different fields of application would mean more joint psychological practice took place so that the clinical expertise of working with media can combine with clinical specialisms. In reality, this is rare.
John: So once you have decided to become involved, how do you begin; what do you actually do?
Kairen: Usually I have a discussion and/or read about the production and ask for the entire script or at the very least, the parts that are particularly relevant to my input. I find out about the dialogue and action and about the actors and dramatic content with which they are involved. I also need details of the timescale, the location/s, any relevant previous series or productions and key personnel.
In addition, I need biographical information about the individual actors for whom I am being appointed and in the case of under-age actors in particular, details of their parent/s/carer/s. Ideally, I can have either a telephone call or an online discussion with the young actor and their key adult but sometimes the biographical details with which I am initially provided, can be as brief as the details on an actor's 'Spotlight' CV.
In quite a few cases, the production only wants the MPP input before the on-set work happens, and throughout the pandemic, this was largely the case. Following a meeting; either online or face-to-face with the individual actor, and, as appropriate, their parent or carer, plus any follow-up telephone calls that I judge are necessary, I write up my report for the production.
If on-set work is required I plan to be physically present on set, usually throughout the duration of the young actor's time on set, which depends upon their age, as there are very clear regulations for how long that should be. The days are long and often involve less than comfortable physical situations, i.e., outdoors or in dramatically rich but grim settings. I learnt very early that wearing weather-appropriate clothing and footwear is essential!
I spend my time observing, consulting and interacting with the cast, film crew and other production personnel, and making suggestions to cast, production personnel and/or film crew plus any other professionals, for example, stunt managers, medical staff, chaperones and tutors. Whatever I do, I document, and I then share my notes with the production staff. This applies to any post-filming or broadcasting work as well. All documented work is subject to full data protection requirements as specified by the Information Commissioner's Office.
John: I agree that this is really important because members of the British Psychological Society agree to comply with the Society's Code of Ethics and Conduct and the Member Conduct Rules. These set out principles, value statements and standards to guide how psychologists should behave professionally. Much of the work that we engage in involves making decisions and taking actions that require careful thought about duty of care in their work.
The ethical stance that has been long debated and firmly endorsed by the Society is based on a recognition that individual persons are embedded in a social nexus of family, relatives, friends, colleagues, groups and communities. It also recognises that personal experience is intimately bound up with the context in which persons are living their lives. Further, the Society recognises a duty to the population at large. When psychologists' work involves engaging with persons' mental wellbeing, the significance of contextual factors can never be discounted.
Working with media productions can, then, pose a dilemma. Should we be concerned only with 'the person', to care for their immediate and proximal well-being, or should we also be concerned with impacts on family, friends and colleagues, as well as in a broader context? Is it ethical to screen people to assess whether they are emotionally 'strong' enough to survive challenges to their dignity, privacy and autonomy in productions that specifically engage the interest of audiences in viewing such challenges? Does the duty of care extend to questioning whether the production itself is ethical, and whether indulging dubious audience motivations is problematic?
How do you tackle these ethical dilemmas as a practitioner psychologist through the different stages of your work as an MPP?
Kairen: The initial media production request can always be formulated as a question or questions that, once clarified and agreed, require researching, i.e., data collection, informed in turn by methodological considerations and methods, analysis and communication of findings with suggestions and possibilities for discussion. Virtually all of the requests that have been made to me are largely about the psychological wellbeing and safety of specific participants, the possible risks presented by a production and the individual/s involved and the measures required to prevent and/or address these.
When the focus of the work is upon specific participants, I offer a Zoom or equivalent meeting with actor and key adult and then follow up with a telephone call to the adult. In some cases further information is warranted from involved professionals such as doctors, teachers, social workers and if so, obviously parental permission and facilitation of this contact is required. Once I have had the necessary conversations, I write up my report for the production. I aim, usually at very short notice, to produce a comprehensive and clear report, summarising all the above and including suggestions for pre, during and postproduction measures and strategies.
When filming begins, I am often, but not always, asked to be present on set, so that I can offer support to young and/or vulnerable actors and their key adults, monitor their psychological safety and wellbeing and the measures in place to support this and to generally be a resource for production staff, film crew, ancillary staff such as chaperones and tutors and cast members for issues that arise during filming as well as in relation to psychology in general.
After filming I always send a summary of notes from my on-set work, and this may include further suggestions to those contained in the original pre-filming report/s. I have developed a practice of having immediate de-briefing meetings with actors, parents and chaperones and any other production staff who whom I have been closely involved.
Depending upon the brief, the report contains biographical and production details, an account of methodology and methods and the findings, which summarise my views about the risks presented by the production and any vulnerabilities and/or sensitivities presented by the actor. It always concludes with suggestions for ensuring the actor's wellbeing and safety and these are usually specific to the individual as well as to the production as a whole.
John: There's a lot to think about and weigh up. One of the challenges that I face when I am working on a production is that there is virtually no research that has examined the risks, the harms and the benefits for contributors. There is plenty of evidence and extensive testimony in the public domain from contributors who feel that they have been treated badly, and there is extensive evidence that was given to the DCMS inquiry and to the Ofcom consultation on duty of care from a wide range of sources.
So, when I am working with a production, for example in the early stages of developing a pitch to commissioners, in assessing the risks I have to extrapolate from theory and research evidence that is relevant but not directly drawn from studies into the experiences of contributors. For example, as a developmental psychologist, I am usually helping with productions where children and young people are involved, and I can make use particularly of attachment theory where the concept of 'secure base' is really helpful in planning how children can feel secure on set and how chaperones and the crew can contribute to the children's sense of security.
In working with BPS colleagues in producing the Society's responses to the various reviews, inquiries and consultations in this area, I have also been able to draw on research and theory in individual differences in resilience and vulnerability to argue for individualised assessments and support packages to recognise diversity, a key point taken up in the Ofcom guidance.
Kairen: It was reassuring to see this in the guidance as it has certainly facilitated my involvement with the industry as a practitioner psychologist. In my ongoing clinical practice and professional development I draw upon a wide range of theories including social contextual learning theory, constructivist, behaviourist, psychodynamic, humanist and cognitivism. No one theory fits all social and human complexities but exercising some judgement about the most relevant and useful is part of what a professional psychologist brings and translates for their clients within their practice. Media productions do not generally wish to have to read through dense theory, literature and reference sections or to discuss these in order to get to the practical implications of a psychologist's input but, if they did, this is always possible.
I do have a conscious bias towards positive psychology in my work and like Martin Seligman, who is considered to be the 'founding father' of positive psychology, try to focus on the strengths, virtues and resources of individuals, experiences and institutions and look for opportunities for growth, learning and development for everyone involved. Actually, I realise this urge to grow and learn is exactly why I started to work with media productions and also why I wanted to facilitate the involvement of other psychologists. Over the many years of practice, I have been both stimulated and challenged; a great blend that generally ensures development!
John: I entirely agree. Even though the work can be very challenging, it can also be great fun and rewarding. I must say that I quite like working under the sorts of pressure that involvement in productions can generate; I find it stimulating, and it gives me satisfaction to know that I have made a real contribution to the wellbeing of contributors. I hope that sharing our experience can encourage members to think about getting involved.
Find out more about the Directory of Media Production Psychologists
