After graduating from the University of London, David applied for a job as a psychologist with the Royal Air Force, but to his astonishment was appointed as an Army Psychologist. Learning to command, drive and fire a Chieftain tank was quite challenging, but after being told why there was a spare driver’s seat in the back it dawned on David what the core business of the Army was, and that this was probably not the career for him.
Moving back to an academic environment, he was appointed Research Worker at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience in south London, investigating animal behaviour and developing two new strains of rat, bred to be analagous to human personality types with a view to using them to test new psychotropic drugs. Halfway through his six years at the Institute, he took time out in India to find himself, but got lost and returned to the UK after six months, only part of which he remembers. Becoming less interested in his research and its unlikely benefit to patients, and more interested in teaching after lecturing to enthusiastic part-time students at the University of London, David then moved to the North-East of England as a founder member of the Department of Psychology at Sunderland Polytechnic, now the University of Sunderland.
He quickly gained a reputation as an entertaining lecturer at a time when lecturers were supposed to be somewhat aloof and serious, and his courses became very popular, particularly those dealing with mental health issues. His short spell as a stand-up comedian possibly helped him learn how to hold the attention of an audience and deal with hecklers.
Eventually, he was appointed Head of Department, overseeing substantial growth in student numbers with 400 seat lecture theatres regularly packed with psychology students. As HoD, his philosophy was that good lecturers have to be good entertainers as well as experts in their field – students need to be motivated and enthused by their subject, and the job of the lecturer is to motivate and enthuse them, not dish out information readily found in books.
At the time of his retirement, his department was rated the best in the country by the Sunday Times for teaching excellence, perhaps reflecting his philosophy. His citation for the prestigious award of the title Professor Emeritus noted that “for many students, the most enduring and positive memories of their time as psychology students at this university are of his lectures”.
Throughout his career, David has been a passionate believer in making Psychology more accessible to a wider audience, and has lectured internationally to a wide variety of groups from voluntary organisations to the University of the Third Age as well as to cruise ship audiences where he continues to attract full houses. He has also written a weekly column on Psychology for a regional newspaper in the north-east of England as well as hosting a live phone-in on local radio. He no longer does stand-up, and now lives in rural tranquillity in Normandy, France, from where during lockdown he edited a friend’s book on the A6 murder.
In his spare time, David is an enthusiastic but somewhat dangerous golfer, and has completely failed to master a wide variety of musical instruments from clarinet to bass guitar via banjo and even theremin. However, as an experienced and innovative presenter, David retains his reputation as a captivating and enthusiastic speaker who unfailingly involves, stimulates and entertains his audiences.
thehairypsychologist 