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Graham Wagstaff

Em P Graham Wagstaff
BA PhD

Emeritus Professor
Psychology
Part of
Institute of Population Health
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

Contact

Gwf@liverpool.ac.uk

Professional Activities

In addition to my professional memberships and editorial roles (see below) my other external activities have included the following:

1. In the early 1980s I pioneered one of the first cognitive interviewing procedures for use by the police. 2. In October 1983 I was influential in the report of the BSECH to the Home Office regarding guidelines for issue to the police on 'The use of hypnosis by the police in the investigation of crime'. 3. As a result of my research record, in 1987 I was asked to stand as expert witness in a trial at Maidstone Crown Court that made legal history. It was the first time that the issue of 'hypnotising' witnesses to help them remember had been debated in an English court. 4. In 1995 I was advisor to the panel of the Home Office Review of the Hypnotism Act 1952. 5. In 2000 I was invited by the British Psychological Society to contribute to their formal statement on the nature and applications of hypnosis. 5. In 2008, with Professor L.J. Alison, following an invitation I visited Singapore to advise and give workshops to the combined police, fire and customs services (Home Team) of Singapore. 6. In relation to my research work I have appeared on Granada, Central, Yorkshire, H.T.V., Anglia and B.B.C.2 television on various occasions, and have been interviewed by the B.B.C. World Service, B.B.C. Radio 4, B.B.C. Radio Wales, B.B.C. Radio Merseyside, and B.B.C. Radio 5 on various occasions. My appearances have included a radio debate on hypnosis on Radio 4, and a substantial input into Television programmes such as 'Heart of the matter' and 'Equinox'.

My work and experience in the area of hypnosis, in particular, has led to my regular and continuing involvement as an expert, including court appearances, in numerous legal cases where hypnosis has been implicated. However, I have also been actively involved in a number of local clinical projects including, the psychological treatment of patients with social skills difficulties, the treatment of ataxia and aphonia, determining the psychological variables associated with screening for breast cancer, predicting psychological reactions to facial surgery, assessing psychological characteristics of patients with certain visual deficits, and assessment of knowledge of and attitudes towards AIDS, and the attitudes and personality characteristics of surgeons.

Over the years I have acted as an academic referee for a numerous journals including, Nature, the Journal of Experimental Psychology, the Journal of Applied Psychology, the British Journal of Psychology, the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, the British Journal of Social Psychology, Legal and Criminological Psychology, Memory, the Journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology, New Scientist, Psychology, Crime and Law, and the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis and Applied Cognitive Psychology. I have also refereed numerous grant proposals for grant awarding bodies including the ESRC, the Welcome Trust and the Leverhulme Foundation.

Conference Roles

  • The role of the iIIRG in facilitating academic-practitioner co-operation (with Jacqueline Wheatcroft)., Keynote/Plenary by Invitation (The International Investigative Interviewing Research Group; 6th Annual Conference. Masstricht, Holland, 2013)
  • Hypnotic automatism reconsidered: Are hypnotized people responsible for their actions?, Keynote/Plenary by Invitation (Royal Society of Medicine Section of Hypnosis & Psychosomatic Medicine, and Scientific and Medical Network, 2010)
  • Is hypnosis a special brain state?, Keynote/Plenary by Invitation (Edinburgh Science Festival, 2006)
  • What constitutes a hypnotic intervention? , Keynote/Plenary by Invitation (British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis, 2005)

Editorships

  • Psychology of Consciousness; Theory, Research, and Practice. (Associate Editor, 2013 - present)
  • Psychology, Society and Education. (Associate Editor, 2008 - present)
  • Revista Internacional de Psicologia y Terapia Psicologica (Associate Editor, 2001 - present)
  • International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (Associate Editor, 2000 - present)
  • Experimentelle und Klinische Hypnose (Associate Editor, 1997 - present)
  • Contemporary Hypnosis and Integrative Therapy (UK Associate Editor, 1997 - present)

Examination Roles

  • University of Huddersfield, PhD (2016)
  • University of Huddersfield, MSc Investigative Psychology Revalidation review. University of Huddersfield. (2013)
  • University of Huddersfield, PhD (2011)
  • University College London (University of London), DClinPsych (2011)
  • University College London (University of London), DClinPsych (2010)
  • University College London (University of London), DClinPsych (2009)
  • University College London (University of London), MSc (PGT, 2005)

Organisations I have been associated with

  • Singapore Combined Emergency Services (anti terrorism unit) (2008 - present)
  • Various UK police forces (1980 - present)

Professional Body Memberships

  • International Investigative Interviewing Research Group. (Member, 2008 - present)
  • Behavioral and Brain Sciences (Associate Member, 1990 - present)
  • British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis (Member, 1980 - present)

Other Administrative or Committee Roles

  • 2008-2011: Director of Centre for Investigative Psychology.
  • 2002-2005. Director of Undergraduate Studies: School of Psychology
  • 1998-1999 Director of Undergraduate Studies: School of Psychology
  • 1996-2002 Elected Member of Senate.
  • 1978-1979: Acting Director of Social Studies. 1979-1981: Director of Social Studies (Now Combined Honours)