The Spring Term saw the first cohort of Shiplake Psychologists take a trip to see Derren Brown in his new stage show ‘Infamous’. Head of Psychology Mr Ebbage thought very highly of the trip, but had to keep the details quiet: 'We cannot say too much about what happened as the audience were sworn to secrecy but what we can say is that it was a hugely entertaining show with Derren at his best in terms of magic, sleight of hand and psychological trickery. He wowed us with feats of reading body language and his ability to tell audience members things about themselves which would be impossible to guess.'
The best part for Mr Ebbage is that the Headmaster's scepticism of the academic merit of the trip was quickly quashed upon the group's return to College. ‘It all sounds well and good but surely it was just a jolly?’ Mr Davies asked one of the Year 12 students.
‘No Sir, many psychological principals were explored such as the use of placebo drugs when treating mental health disorders, mnemonic devices used to improve memory and the importance of scientific rigour when exploring paranormal claims’. The reply shows that the psychology students are either very loyal or brainwashed!
