Petra Boynton
@petraboynton.bsky.social
2.7K followers 3.1K following 3.6K posts
#Safety and #wellbeing advocate and creator of the #PEEPSS Model. Social Psychologist. #Methodologist. Sometime #AgonyAunt. Advice giving as praxis. Critical #MentalHealth. Lives by the sea. Come for a #ResearchTip, maybe ask a question, stay for cat pics
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petraboynton.bsky.social
A while ago a delivery driver noticed I had 'Dr' in my title when he delivered a parcel and was very complimentary about it.

For some reason I replied 'yes, but I'm a terrible doctor really'.

Which now means whenever he's on our route he greets me with a cheerful 'Hello, Terrible Doctor'.
Reposted by Petra Boynton
profellenstu.bsky.social
A great intro to @uofgussp.bsky.social's Dr Jane Cullingworth's new @evidencepolicy.bsky.social article.
evidencepolicy.bsky.social
New on the Evidence & Policy Blog:

'Against unanimity: the perils of negotiating collective policy recommendations across a diverse third sector' by Jane Cullingworth

evidenceandpolicyblog.co.uk/2025/10/15/a...

@bupjournals.bsky.social @djmallinson.bsky.social
petraboynton.bsky.social
Very, very true.

I'd add to that there's the expectation, driven by individualism again, that other people have to act first, or have ideas, or must give you permission to do something.

Aspiration - and community - building don't have to be curated or instructed.
Reposted by Petra Boynton
justinhancock.bsky.social
Eg Since CGPT (and enshittification of Google search) visits to BISH have been down. Page rank is lower so BISH is getting served less. So it's out to destroy advice websites (that are free and ad free). But there's another issue and that is:
petraboynton.bsky.social
I have many worries about AI and 'advice' giving, but two pressing ones are how much useful information from advice columns, books, charities etc has been consumed and ruined to churn out harmful crap.

And how clearly advice giving has never been valued and continues to be devalued. Destroyed, even
petraboynton.bsky.social
Absolutely. I try and hold onto it. It's very easy to get distracted and forget about key principles and values.
petraboynton.bsky.social
This sounds just like my grandfather. Both my grandparents understood aspiration. Not just for themselves, or their family, but for all the children in their community.
robertsaunders.bsky.social
In 2010, an interviewer told Neil Kinnock that the Labour Party "never used to understand aspiration".

Kinnock gave an absolutely brilliant answer that should be learned by heart by every Labour MP. (0.42 to 1.22)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGhP...
Neil Kinnock goes berserk
YouTube video by Vadrigar
www.youtube.com
petraboynton.bsky.social
If you've ever been to one of my talks or training sessions on advice giving you'll know I set real life problems to solve. And that most people dive in, project ideas, or have very strong opinions. They miss key clues and forget their role. AI does something similar, but in a more worrying way.
petraboynton.bsky.social
When we focus on this the key reason people are turning to AI for help or that AI advice (or 'therapy') is being promoted is underlying systemic harms, dangers and difficulties aren't going away.

But it's cheaper and quicker to offload 'support' while doing nothing about why said help's needed.
petraboynton.bsky.social
When I teach people how to use advice giving strategies they almost all start from a place of, if not cynicism, then the idea this is common sense or easy.

It's something all can learn, as mentioned above, but it's a craft.

AI cannot replace it, because humans are precious.
petraboynton.bsky.social
I have many worries about AI and 'advice' giving, but two pressing ones are how much useful information from advice columns, books, charities etc has been consumed and ruined to churn out harmful crap.

And how clearly advice giving has never been valued and continues to be devalued. Destroyed, even
petraboynton.bsky.social
Don't know how many times I need to say it but advice giving and harm prevention are important, specialist skills. All of us can learn them, but automating 'help' via the massive environment-destroying plagiarism generator is not the answer and remains a danger.

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
ChatGPT ‘upgrade’ giving more harmful answers than previously, tests find
Campaigners ‘deeply concerned’ about response to prompts about suicide, self-harm and eating disorders
www.theguardian.com
Reposted by Petra Boynton
elainagmamaril.bsky.social
I’m excited to announce the first two webinars in the WAARC series “Dreaming Up A Disability-Inclusive Workplace”.

29 Oct: Intersecting Identities and Disabled Joy with Amelia Lander-Cavallo
lnkd.in/e7v9dNkf

26 Nov: Complicated Pride: Disability, Neurodiversity and Ambivalence
lnkd.in/e3y32vkg
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
lnkd.in
Reposted by Petra Boynton
lselibrary.bsky.social
New online: The Gay Liberation Front (GLF) collection is now available on LSE Digital Library! We’ve digitised and published the GLF Diaries and the GLF newspaper Come Together. Further series from the archives will be added as digitisation continues.
1/2
digital.library.lse.ac.uk/collections/...
Cover image of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) Diary, December 21-30, 1972. A purple and green poster-style image featuring text and a leafy plant design.
Reposted by Petra Boynton
lauramkoenig.bsky.social
Call for Papers: Special Issue “Focus on Planetary Health and Sustainability: Health Psychology Matters” in the European Journal of Health Psychology @ejhp93.bsky.social
Submit your abstract by 30 November 2025. Full papers will be due 15 March 2026.
More info: econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/10.1027/...
Reposted by Petra Boynton
themountaingoats.bsky.social
one of the realest tributes to Prince anybody did after he died. Somebody major needs to get on TV and do for “The Charade” what D’Angelo did here

youtu.be/FeV7A6VWjL8?...
D'Angelo ft. Princess Sometimes It Snows in April
YouTube video by samuel
youtu.be
petraboynton.bsky.social
Does my kitchen table count? My house often doubles as a research institute, retreat and hotel so I'm sure it could be a lab at a push.
Reposted by Petra Boynton
mirandakeeling.com
Who should I follow on here for mindfulness, art, funny stuff, calm stuff, interesting or beautiful things - you know, the stuff that makes you feel better?
petraboynton.bsky.social
ResearchGate really wants me to be working in a lab. Every time I go on there it asks me if that's where I work and every time the answer is no.

I was working in a park earlier, shame they don't have a category for that.
Reposted by Petra Boynton
supportpen.bsky.social
🙋It’s #AdvocacyAwarenessWeek

Advocates play an invaluable role in our network. They help enable people who are not usually heard to engage with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), England’s health and adult social care regulator.

Learn more: www.choicesupport.org.uk/public-engag...
#AAW25
petraboynton.bsky.social
Or if we consider the number who fail to get over a 3 at English GCSE, which is a sizeable number annually.

The proposal is utterly ridiculous for so many reasons, but I'm guessing that's the point.
petraboynton.bsky.social
Per most recent figures (still waiting for this year) around 35% UK pupils can expect to get below a grade 3 in their English GCSE www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/education-sk...

We consistently fail young people in basic education and care, yet expect impossible standards elsewhere?
petraboynton.bsky.social
I wasn't taught how to do it during my undergraduate or postgraduate degrees. Fumbled through, but it was only when I came to health research and everything shifted up a notch I realised I needed to find ways to do better.

I've found approaching it like housekeeping instead of analysis helps loads
petraboynton.bsky.social
I love having lots of data to wade through, but equally on bigger projects when information's coming in at different times and in varied formats I can get easily overwhelmed. I have to really focus and once I'm in the zone I enjoy it a lot.

My fear of missing something equals very tidy datasets.