Brain, The: A Secret History (3 Parts)

Alternative title

Into the Mind

Synopsis

A three-part series in which Dr Michael Mosley explores the brutal history of experimental psychology.
Part 1: MIND CONTROL - The first programme is concerned with how psychology has been applied in terms of attempting to control behaviour. There is some fascinating archive footage of Pavlov’s dogs and his lesser known, very disturbing, research on children. Milgram’s research is covered and one of his former participants talks candidly in interview. In addition, a gay man has electrodes implanted in his head in an attempt to change his sexuality and Dr Mosley takes a hallucinogenic drug as part of a controlled experiment to try to understand how its mind-bending properties can change the brain.

Part 2: EMOTIONS - Experiments on the human mind have led to profound insights into how our brain works - but have also involved great cruelty and posed some terrible ethical dilemmas. This episode explores how psychologists have struggled to understand emotion. There is archive footage of Watson’s Little Albert and Dr Mosley traces what happened to him afterwards - a question that students often ask. Harlow’s study of attachment is dealt with, as well as his controversial research involving induced depression in monkeys.

PART 3: BROKEN BRAINS - The concluding programme in the series looks at how experiments on abnormal brains have revealed the workings of the normal brain. Michael Mosley meets remarkable individuals like Karen, who suffered from a rare condition - alien hand syndrome - which meant that one of her hands constantly attacked her. And Julia, who seems to have recovered from her stroke - until experiments reveal she is unable to recall the name of any object. Dr Mosley explores the case of the amnesiac known for years only by his initials, HM, who became one of the most studied individuals in the history of psychology and whose extraordinary case opened a window on how memory works.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Year of release

2011

Year of production

2011

Notes

Broadcast in 3 weekly parts on BBC4 beginning 6/1/2011

Subjects

Psychology

Keywords

abnormal psychology; behaviour modification; brain; emotions; experimental psychology; memory

Credits

Contributor

Michael Mosley

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£69.95 (CS set); £44.00 each part (U)

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

50 minutes each part

Year

2011

Sections

Title

Mind Control

Duration

50 mins

Title

Emotions

Duration

50 mins

Title

Broken Brains

Duration

50 mins

Distributor

Name

Cool Psychology Stuff Ltd

Email

info@coolpsychologystuff.co.uk

Web

http://www.coolpsychologystuff.co.uk/index.asp External site opens in new window

Phone

01702 554498

Address

c/o Robert Merlin
55 Homestead Gardens
Hadleigh
Essex
SS7 2AB

Notes

A company specialising in resources for the teaching of psychology. Formed in 2008, there is an extensive range of educational DVDs from sources including Classroom Video, as well as feature films that are relevant to the discipline. Sale.

Name

Uniview Worldwide

Email

sales@uniview.co.uk

Web

http://www.uniview.co.uk External site opens in new window

Phone

0151 648 9988

Address

PO Box 20
Hoylake
Wirral
CH48 7HY

Notes

NB. Uniview ceased trading at the end of July 2016. Some of the products previously distributed by them are available from Short Cuts TV: http://www.shortcutstv.com/