2013-2014 Highlights
The Next 25 years
APS celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. We marked this milestone with a record number of convention attendees, the first registered replication report project, worldwide media coverage, and much more. Here is a glimpse of what APS has been up to in 2013 and what’s in store for 2014.
Building a Better Psychological Science
Recent initiatives in psychological science such as facilitating replication and ensuring sound methodologies have sparked a lively dialogue among researchers, publishers and the general public. In an effort to continue the important conversation on replicability, APS published a special replicability issue of Perspectives on Psychological Science, a special section devoted exclusively to the advancement of psychological science in the July 2013 issue of PPS, and hosted an extended theme program, “Building A Better Psychological Science” during the 25th APS Annual Convention. PPS will soon begin publishing a new article type, the Registered Replication Report, which will consist of multi-lab, high-quality replications of important psychology experiments along with comments by the authors of the original studies. Notably, the labs participating in the first Registered Replication Report of Schooler, Engstler-Schooler’s verbal overshadowing effect study (1990) come from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Australia, Czech Republic, New Zealand, and Poland.
APS goes to the White House
In May, APS, the National Institute on Aging, the White House Council of Economic Advisors and the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy co-sponsored a collaborative workshop to discuss the role of psychological science and behavioral economics in service of public policy. Distinguished APS members were invited to the White House to contribute their research and perspective regarding key challenges when applying behavioral insights to policy. As a result, federal authorities want to assemble a panel of experts in behavioral science and experimental design to test interventions and policies that work better, cost less, and help people achieve goals ranging from weight loss to securing employment.
Advancing Modern Clinical Science
This year saw the publication of the first issues of APS’s ground-breaking new journal, Clinical Psychological Science, which reflects and supports the modern era of clinical science in psychology. Under the leadership of founding editor Alan Kazdin, and his distinguished team of associate editors, the journal began taking submissions in April 2012 and published its first articles online in September for the inaugural January 2013 issue. To date, the journal has reached 170 submissions. CPS follows the successful footsteps of APS’s other prestigious journals: Psychological Science, Current Directions in Psychological Science, Perspectives on Psychological Science, and Psychological Science in the Public Interest.
Psychological Science in the News
From social media to traditional media, APS continues to engage top-tier media outlets. Our research regularly makes headlines around the world, including The New York Times, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, CNN, BBC, National Public Radio, major television networks, The Huffington Post, and many more to ensure research from APS journals and members are disseminated accurately and regularly. In addition, APS’s social media remains an integral part of public outreach and has experienced steady growth this year through Twitter and Facebook initiatives.
Improving Psychology Entries in Wikipedia
Through the APS Wikipedia Initiative, APS Members are leading the effort to improve the quality of psychology entries in Wikipedia, including developing and improving Wikipedia articles as student writing assignments. More than 2,000 individuals have participated and provided the most up to date and accurate information that fully represents the theories, methods, and findings in psychological science, and participants have edited more than 1,600 psychology articles. APS continues to encourage members to get involved with the project, through individual updates or assignments to students as required coursework.
A Network for Postdocs
The APS Postdoc Exchange connects psychology researchers around the world with a free network for researchers to list postdoctoral opportunities. With over 250 listings, the Postdoc Exchange is a great example of how APS is connecting the global scientific community.
International Community
In addition to the Postdoc Exchange and the Global Observer, a monthly email featuring research summaries and commentary that bridges geographic and scientific boundaries within psychological science and with other disciplines, APS is partnering with European societies to promote international connections across psychological science. This year APS is co-sponsoring a preconference event at the 18th Annual Meeting of European Society for Cognitive Psychology and co-sponsoring a symposium, Understanding Environmental and Genetic Influences on Neurocognitive Development at the XVIth European Conference on Developmental Psychology, respectively. And as a result of a larger international presence, the inaugural International Convention of Psychological Science (ICPS) will be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 2015, which will feature boundary-crossing research by the most distinguished scientists working in the field today.
Student Caucus
The APS Student Caucus (APSSC) provides student affiliates with resources and networking opportunities to support students as they develop their careers. The Student Caucus publishes a regular feature in the monthly Observer magazine, offers a mentor-matching program, and provides students with an online funding resource with opportunities around the world for graduate and undergraduate students. APSSC research competitions recognize excellence in student research presented at the APS Annual Convention. Student affiliates also have numerous opportunities to get involved with APS, from contributing an article to the Student Notebook to becoming an APS Campus Representative. There are now 8,100 APS student members (75 percent graduate student members, 25 percent undergraduate student members), representing more than 52 countries around the world.
Teaching
One of APS’s founding principles is a dedication to supporting the teaching of psychological science. In support of these efforts, APS provides teachers of psychology access to the latest research and news in scientific psychology as well as teaching resources and videos for the classroom. The APS Fund for Teaching and Public Understanding of Psychological Science gives small grants to support projects advancing the teaching of psychology. APS and the Society for the Teaching of Psychology co-host a Teaching Institute in conjunction with the APS Annual Convention, in addition to providing annual support for the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology. C. Nathan DeWall and David G. Myers have teamed up to create a new series of Observer columns aimed at integrating cutting-edge psychological science into the classroom.
Awards
The awards and honors presented annually by APS recognize outstanding achievements in the field of psychological science throughout an individual’s career. APS awards recognize sustained contributions to the field (Fellows), transformative early career contributions (Janet Taylor Spence Award Winners), a lifetime of contributions to applied psychological research (James McKeen Cattell Fellows), and a lifetime of significant contributions to the basic science of psychology (William James Fellows). 2013 featured a new award recognizing individuals for a distinguished record of mentoring students who go on to have productive and influential research careers (Mentor Award). Additionally, as part of APS’s 25th anniversary celebration, the Board of Directors honored 25 distinguished scientists who have had a profound impact on the field of psychological science over the past quarter century.
APS and Clinical Science Accreditation
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a funding bill covering the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for 2014 that includes instructions for the VA structure dealing with health to move quickly to recognize the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS). This kind of recognition of an outside organization in a Congressional order is unusual and is a testament to the growing stature of PCSAS in clinical training as a way for improving public health.
26th APS Annual Convention
The 26th APS Annual Convention features the latest research and methodologies in psychological science in the wonderful city of San Francisco, California, May 22-25, 2014. The Convention will feature Keynote Speaker Mahzarin R. Banaji and many other distinguished scientists including, Dante Cicchetti, Diane F. Halpern, Robert W. Levenson, Nora Newcombe, Keith Rayner, Terry E. Robinson, Neal Schmitt, Carol A. Tavris, and many more. The Call for Submissions will open October 1, 2013.
