Convergence: Connecting Levels of Analysis in Psychological Science
In the past, our field harbored distinct, and often competing, schools of thought that tackled different problems and produced findings that often appeared to diverge. Today, investigators attack shared problems at complementary levels of analysis and produce results that converge. Studies of people in a social world; mental systems of cognition and emotion; and biological mechanisms of the genome and the nervous system interconnect and yield an integrated psychological science. The APS 23rd Annual Convention displays, and celebrates, these advances in our field.

APS Award Address

Childhood Trauma and Memory

Friday, May 25, 2012, 4:00 PM - 4:50 PM
Sheraton Ballroom III

Gail S. Goodman
University of California, Davis

The topic of child abuse, especially child sexual abuse, incites great emotion. So, too, does the problem of false accusations. Yet as scientists we have an obligation to tackle both issues —- despite the complexities involved -- with objectivity, compassion, and a sense of social responsibility. In this talk, I describe some of the latest scientific findings on such areas of study as trauma and memory, false memory, child forensic interviewing, and adults’ abilities to ascertain the truth when children testify.

Gail Goodman is a recipient of a 2012 Association for Psychological Science (APS) James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award.