Newsletter
Volume 32 | 2009 | Number 1
Dr. Peter Harzem, Behavioral Psychologist, 1929-2008
Peter Harzem, formerly of the University of Bangor, died peacefully at his home in Auburn, Alabama, on May 26, 2008 after a long illness. He was aged 78.
Peter was born in Istanbul, Turkey on Dec. 31, 1929, the only child of Sukru and Saime Harzem. His professional life began in his teens when he became a newspaper reporter in Istanbul. During this time, he also published poetry and short stories. His passion for writing never waned throughout his life, and he was working on another book at the time of his death.
He moved to London in the 1940s shortly after the end of World War II to attend Birkbeck College. After his first year he took work at a hospital as a registered nurse to support himself; eventually becoming a teacher of nursing. A few years later, he received a First Class Honours degree in psychology from the University of London: one of only three from more than 350 graduates to receive this distinction. He was invited to do graduate work at Oxford, but chose to go to the University of Wales Bangor, to be a member of the newly formed Department of Psychology under the headship of Professor Tim Miles. Here he obtained the degree of Ph.D. with the title Temporal Organisation of Behaviour.
One of his earliest achievements at Bangor was to implement an ‘operant studies’ laboratory. In their early years at Bangor, Peter and his colleagues carried out many experiments on rats, and they were able to demonstrate a wide range of behavioral regularities provided experimental conditions were set-up with sufficient care. Later, as in many psychology departments, the emphasis shifted to the study of humans, where the techniques of applied behavior analysis have produced a wide range of fascinating results.
During his time at Bangor, Peter’s research caught the attention of B. F. Skinner. As a result Skinner made several visits to Bangor and delivered a number of lectures. Peter also made the acquaintance of Fergus Lowe, a correspondence that continued even after he had left for the USA.
Although Peter has many publications to his name, it seems likely that he will be remembered chiefly for the inspiration that he provided for others. From the start of his time at Bangor, he guided the research of a large number of individuals, several of whom later became highly distinguished in the field. Among those influenced by Peter is Professor Fergus Lowe, a graduate of Dublin University, who in 1987 succeeded Tim Miles as Head of Department at Bangor. Fergus developed a program that encourages healthy eating habits in children which is now being delivered widely both in Ireland and across the UK. In collaboration with Dr. Pauline Horne, Fergus has also undertaken important work in the field of verbal behavior.
Other Bangor students have included Professor Chris Cullen, who has been at the forefront in using behavior analytic techniques to help those with various forms of learning disability; Dr. Peter Woods who has organized services for the learning disabled in North Wales and is currently Head of Clinical Psychology services in North West Wales; and Dr Peter Higson, who has worked primarily with mentally ill patients in North Wales and was at one stage responsible for setting-up a token economy in the North Wales Hospital. Dr. Higson is now the Director of the Health Care Inspectorate, Wales. Additionally, Bangor graduates, Lawrence Tennant and John Hattersley, trained as clinical psychologists and took behavior analysis into applied settings.
Others who were influenced by Peter Harzem include Bangor students Max Taylor and Graham Davey, both of whom were later appointed to professorships in psychology. Peter also collaborated with Tim Miles on a book entitled Conceptual Issues in Operant Psychology. The book was influenced not only by the writings of B. F. Skinner, but also by those of the Oxford philosopher, Gilbert Ryle. Although the work is uncompromising in its defense of behavior analytic principles, the authors insist that there need be nothing in them which could be regarded as inhumane or ‘soulless.’
Peter always set the highest standards for both himself and others and his influence continued to be felt many years after his departure to North America. Fergus Lowe, Pauline Horne and Neil Dugdale have made many contributions to the field, particularly in the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behaviour and the Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis. More recently, Professor Richard Bentall, who also undertook a Ph.D. in Bangor under the supervision of Fergus, has returned to Bangor as Professor of Clinical Psychology. Richard is a leading expert on psychosis and verbal behavior.
Others influenced by Peter’s legacy included former Bangor students Edmund Sonuga Barke, now a Professor at Southampton University and a current staff member at Bangor and Dr Carl Hughes, now responsible for organizing a Masters’ degree in Applied Behaviour Analysis. Many of the students on this course have been involved in working with children with autistic spectrum disorders.
The work at Bangor has recently been very much strengthened by the research of Professor Judy Hutchings. At an early stage she worked alongside Peter Woods, Peter Higson, and Chris Cullen. Judy’s work at The Incredible Years Centre, Wales, involves teaching behavioral principles to parents of children at risk of developing conduct disorder. The program, which has been funded by the Welsh Office, is internationally known and respected. All these developments were influenced, to a greater or lesser extent, by the stimulation which had been provided many years earlier by Peter Harzem.
Peter moved from Bangor in 1978 to take up a post at Auburn University, Alabama, where he remained until his retirement in 2006. Soon after his arrival he was made Hudson Professor of Psychology and while at Auburn he established the behavioral division of the Psychology Department. He served as Head of this Department for four years. From Auburn he continued to organize conferences in various parts of the world, including Mexico and Spain. It was characteristic of his loyalty to old friends that colleagues from Britain were regularly invited to these conferences.
Peter was twice married. His second wife, Anne, a Bangor graduate who stayed on to complete the degree of Ph.D., was his constant companion over the last 40 years. She survives him along with their daughter, Emma.
Peter Harzem, behavioral psychologist, was born on Dec 31, 1929 and died on May 26, 2008, aged 78.
December 31, 1929 - May 26, 2008