Should universities seek truth? with Doug Elliffe - The Shape of Dialogue #38

Douglas Mark Elliffe is a New Zealand academic and Professor of Psychology at the University of Auckland, where he has been affiliated since 1979 as a student and later as faculty.

He completed his PhD in Psychology at the university, with a thesis titled "Multiple-schedule performance in closed economies," and joined the academic staff in 1992 to help establish the Psychology programme at the Tāmaki campus.

Elliffe's research specialises in the experimental analysis of behaviour, focusing on learning and choice in animals and humans, with a particular interest in reconceptualising reinforcement as a signal guiding future behaviour rather than merely strengthening past actions.

He has authored over 84 publications, garnering more than 2,000 citations.

Throughout his career, he has held key leadership roles, including Head of the School of Psychology from 2010 to 2013 and Deputy Dean of Science since 2016.

In 2021, Elliffe co-authored the now-famous Listener Letter, "In Defence of Science", which argued that Māori indigenous knowledge, while valuable, is not equivalent to science. Professor Elliffe decided to resign from the acting dean position amid the backlash within his department to the "In Defence of Science" letter.

Climbing Mount Improbable by Richard Dawkins

https://www.richarddawkins.com/books/book/climbing-mount-improbable-

https://the-shape-of-dialogue.captivate.fm

Thanks to Guy Quartermain for the videography - https://www.keyframe.co.nz/

Music: Bach B Minor Mass

Performed by

The Monteverdi ChoirThe English Baroque SoloistsJohn Eliot Gardiner

https://music.apple.com/nz/album/j-s-bach-mass-in-b-minor-bwv-232/1053521016