Michael Argyle - UK Social Psychologist Biography

John Michael Argyle (August 11, 1925 – September 6, 2002) born in Nottingham, England,  was the only child of Phyllis and George Edgar Argyle, both of whom died when Michael was eleven years old (Coleman 2004). He attended the Nottingham High School for Boys and entered the University of Cambridge to study Mathematics. He spent most of his career at the University of Oxford, and supervised over 50 doctoral students as well as conducting research into a wide range of topics.

Michael's interest in psychology began with his observation of a school friend who was very shy and did not interact successfully in social situations. Wondering if social skills might not be learned in the same way as manual skills led Argyle to research interpersonal behavior.

From 1943 - 1947, He served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) and trained as a navigator in Canada.

In June 1949, Michael married Sonia Kemp and they had four children, Miranda (1952), Nick (1954), Rosalind (1957) and Ophelia (1963). 

In 1950, he graduated with first class honors in experimental psychology and following two years of postgraduate study in Cambridge, he became the first ever lecturer in social psychology at the University of Oxford, where he worked for many years. At the time, Oxford University was, along with the London School of Economics, one of only two universities in the United Kingdom to have a department of social psychology.

In 1966, Michael remained at Oxford, becoming a founding Fellow of Wolfson College and became a Reader in Psychology in 1969, Vice-Regent of Wolfson in 1989, and Emeritus Professor at Oxford Brookes University. 

From 1961 to 1967, Argyle helped to initiate the "British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology" as the first social psychology editor. As one of the co-founders of the British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, Argyle regularly attended social psychology conferences and promoted the field energetically and successfully. 

From Years 1964-1967, 1972-1974, Argyle chaired the social psychology section of the British Psychological Society twice. 

In the 1970s Argyle set up a successful social skills training program at Littlemore Hospital, Oxford, for patients with mental disorders who were unable to behave appropriately in social situations.

Distinguished psychologists and sociologists from all over the world visited the research group he set up at Oxford. He received honorary doctorates from the universities of Oxford (1979), Adelaide and Brussels (1982) and an honorary fellowship of the British Psychological Society (1992). 

In 1990 The International Society of the Study of Personal Relationships gave Argyle a distinguished career contribution award.

Personal Life:

Argyle was a deeply religious man and played an active role in the Anglican church, especially in his later years. He also had a great passion for Scottish country dancing and a love of twentieth-century art. A devoted family man, he shared these passions with his wife and children. When Sonia became ill he supported her throughout her long illness until her death in 1999. Although devastated by the loss of his wife, he remarried in 2000. His second wife, Gillian Thompson, also shared his passion for dancing and swimming and they were actively involved in church life.

Achievements:

In the course of his career Argyle authored or edited 44 books and numerous articles in academic journals. His book, The Psychology of Interpersonal Behaviour first published in 1967 was an international best seller. 

The article, "Eye-contact, distance, and affiliation," co-authored with Janet Dean and published in Sociometry in 1965, became a citation classic in Current Contents, as did his 1975 book co-authored with Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi, The Social Psychology of Religion. He was also the founder and chair of the Social Psychology section of the British Psychological Society.

Argyle made contributions to many fields in psychology, including:

• psychology of religion
• social skills
• nonverbal communication
• the psychology of happiness
• the psychology of social class

In his book, Bodily Communication originally published in 1975, Argyle concluded there are five primary functions of nonverbal bodily behavior in human communication:

• Express emotions
• Express interpersonal attitudes
• To accompany speech in managing the cues of interaction between speakers and listeners
• Self-presentation of one’s personality
• Rituals (greetings)

Argyle died on September 6, 2002, at the age of 77, of injuries suffered in a swimming accident from which he never fully recovered.