How do we present evidence to get the best results in our arguments? Simply laying it all out for the world to see is not enough. But hiding parts of it is also just as compromised. This program begins by clearly illustrating the meaning and significance of evidence and the presentation of evidence in numbers, percentages, rates and over time. The case against zoos is used to give viewers the opportunity to evaluate and question how evidence is being used to support the arguments being made. Dr. Roy van den Brink Budgen then provides his analysis of the case study.
Subjects: Psychology
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Mental Health: The Basics
A person’s overall mental health can be difficult to define. How we feel and the factors influencing our emotions and moods are explored in this upbeat, animation-driven program. Viewers will be introduced to the causes and symptoms of mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, and the many ways in which people cope with these challenges. The concept of stigma is examined, including how we might change perspectives on those suffering from mental illness. This excellent program offers a perfect introduction to this complex area of personal well-being.
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Understanding Postnatal Depression
This informative, engaging program looks at postnatal depression, a condition that can affect mothers, and occasionally fathers, soon after the birth of a child. It details what postnatal depression is, the symptoms, and how it differs from other mood changes associated with the parents of newborns. We speak with mothers who have experienced postnatal depression, as well as Psychiatrist Dr Kristine Mecuri, Post and Ante Natal Depression Association’s (PANDA) CEO Belinda Horton, and Beyond Blue’s Nicole Highett. This program explores contributing factors, treatments available and includes an in-depth case study of a mother who experienced postnatal depression. Ideal for those in health care, psychology, medicine and midwifery, this program seeks to dispel myths and misconceptions around the illness.
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Credibility
What is credibility, and why is it so important? This program begins with an exploration of the concept of credibility and illustrates the key criteria of motive, bias, vested interest, neutrality, ability to perceive and expertise. A reconstruction of a famous murder case from the 1920s is then used to provide the material for viewers to evaluate the credibility of the evidence that was used. Finally, critical thinking author and former chief examiner Dr. Roy van den Brink Budgen provides his analysis of the case study and follow up support material. A very credible resource about credibility.
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Assumptions
It’s very natural to make assumptions. In some ways they save time and help us make effective decisions. But the problem is that assumption can sometimes be very wrong. This program starts with a number of accessible examples to illustrate what we mean by assumptions and how finding them can help to illuminate arguments. Viewers are then asked to test their critical thinking skills by looking for the assumptions in a location-based film and studio discussion on the rise in binge drinking amongst girls. And with Dr. Roy van den Brink Budgen expertise, gives his analysis of the case study and provides follow up support material.
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Rosenhan’s Experiment
David Rosenhan’s famous experiment in 1973, where a group of pseudopatients were admitted to psychiatric hospitals after feigning auditory hallucinations, challenged the whole basis of psychiatric diagnosis and care. This program examines the context of the study, the pseudopatients’experience of being sane in insane places, how critics evaluated the study, and the continuing implications for the diagnosis and treatment of the mentally ill in contemporary society. Featuring interviews with experts, clear insights into the critical structures and history of psychiatry, and an engagingly complete overview of the issues surrounding the experiment, this is a revealing look at psychiatry today.
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Offender Profiling
Forensic psychology is the application of psychology to law. The TV and film profiler is a popular character, single-handedly solving the crime with their expert knowledge. The reality however is very different. In this program we discover what a forensic psychologist actually does to put together a profile of an offender. Using the leading case of the Railway Murders in the UK, the origins of profiling are explored, comparing the ‘top down’ approach pioneered by the FBI in the United States, and the European statistical, or ‘bottom up’ approach. It concludes with practical uses of profiling, potential benefits and drawbacks, and the emergence of a new evidence-based approach.
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Elizabeth Loftus: Eyewitness Testimony
In deciding the fate of someone accused of a crime, the most important testimony often comes from people who saw the crime – or a fragment of it – happen. Eyewitnesses often add a devastating credibility and clarity to a very confused moment in time. But today we realise that eyewitness reports can be tainted by subjectivity. This outstanding program explores the groundbreaking research of psychologist Elizabeth Loftus, as she takes us through her discoveries on eyewitness evidence, focusing particularly on her seminal study with John Palmer, ‘Reconstruction of Automobile Destruction’. The program explores the context of the study, the experiments, evaluation and implications.
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Let’s Talk About It
Director Deepa Mehta captures faces and voices of domestic violence in the documentary “Let’s Talk About It” by bringing for the first time intimate conversations between parents and children. Deepa Metha sums says: “Children are our greatest teachers and I hope this film helps to fuel meaningful action and commitment to stop the cycle of family abuse and give voice to every child and parent living in the unspoken despair of an abusive home.”
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Cry for Help
This primetime special features first-person stories from adolescents who are confronting depression, anxiety and mental illness. From depressed, suicidal teens to parents unaware of what may be troubling their own children to those on the front lines of prevention and care, CRY FOR HELP provides a rare and important look at mental illness among young adults.