Event overview
Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit Invited Speaker Series, 2016/17
Abstract
In the 1950s, Communist ‘brainwashing’ was seen as a serious threat to Western civilisation — a way to control human thought and behaviour that could undermine personal freedom and democratic society. Where did this idea come from, what does it entail, and why did respected scientists see brainwashing as a window into the workings of the human mind? I will discuss how psychologists, psychiatrists and other scientific experts studied ‘brainwashing’ in the 1950s and ‘60s, and how their findings relate to films and television shows that depict mind control. While behavioural scientists sought to debunk the fantastical image of brainwashing, their research had unintended effects on popular understanding and government policy.
Biography
Marcia Holmes is an historian and post-doctoral researcher on the Hidden Persuaders project, a research group funded by the Wellcome Trust that studies the history of brainwashing and the 'psy' sciences during the Cold War. Dr. Holmes’s research brings together histories of psychology, the military, and technology to assess how concepts of human mind and behaviour were shaped by the twentieth century’s expanding military-industrial complex. In 2014 she completed her PhD at the University of Chicago in Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science.
Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit Invited Speaker Series, 2016/17
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Sep 2016 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm |
Accessibility
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