Psychology & PSE

Psychology Cambridge University Essay Prize

in Psychology, we have established a proud tradition of entry into this highly prestigious competition, enjoying notable recent successes, including Rachel Zarouk who won first prize in 2012. She won a cash prize of £300 and her attendance (accompanied by Mrs Sanders) at a celebratory awards dinner. The pair spent the day at Newnham College in the company of Senior Professors of Psychology; photographs of the event are on the website, as is Rachel`s winning essay. This year, Paloma Shakouri received special recognition for her essay on the development of concept formation in children and how this impacts upon their language skills. The competition provides an excellent opportunity for potential Psychology undergraduates to broaden their knowledge of the subject beyond the confines of the A Level specification. Cambridge offers two possible titles in early June and candidates select one of these to research and write-up. Interested students should contact members of staff in the Psychology department for further information.

Overcoming Prejudice

Year 9 listened to a talk by Laurence Clarke about the hurdles, barriers and prejudice that he has to overcome every day of his life because he is permanently wheelchair bound. He and his wife Adele, 34, who both have cerebral palsy, are parents to two able-bodied sons: Tom, eight, and nine-month-old Jamie. As a couple, they refuse to be defined by their impairment, in a society that is still shockingly unused to seeing disabled parents intent on pursuing independent lives. They were recently the subject of a documentary for the BBC’s ‘Beyond Disability’ programme, a series that explores our attitudes to disability in the 21st century. Laurence’s thought provoking story prompted many searching questions from the girls.