In early 2026, following the revision of APS’s bylaws in late 2025, the Board of Directors adopted the following mission statement and guiding pillars to address the changing realities facing psychological science and to reflect the Association’s priorities moving forward. Read more in “Focusing the APS Mission for the Future.”
Our Mission
To be the home of integrative and rigorous psychological science that connects people, methods, and careers for public good across the world.
Our Guiding Pillars
Foster rigorous, innovative, and integrative science.
Promote the public value and application of psychological science.
Advocate for the discipline and strengthen scientific literacy.
Support diverse careers for the next generation of scientists and educators and grow the global psychological science workforce.
Strategic Plan, 2022
In 2021, the APS Board of Directors initiated a strategic planning process to identify how APS can best serve our members and the science of psychology. Catalyzing and Communicating Psychological Science: Building an Inclusive, Connected, and Meaningful Global Science synthesizes what we learned and articulates the strategic vision that has guided our efforts since 2022.
What Is Psychological Science?
Psychological Science encompasses a remarkable diversity of topics and subdisciplines—from social to clinical psychology, from cognitive to behavioral science, from neuroscience to environmental or industrial and organizational psychology, among many others. Psychological scientists can be found in many career paths, with some taking more traditional academic paths and others translating psychological science to different applications, others become involved with advocating for the use of psychological science in policymaking, and others pursue research in non-academic settings.
What is common to our members is the drive to better understand and improve the human condition, using scientific and rigorous methods and, at the same time, embracing the most modern techniques, tools, and technologies. Our members study all facets of behavior and cognition, from neurons to neighborhoods, and even in different species, from humans to birds. Their common goal is to provide a richer understanding of the individuals, the world, and the interaction between individuals and the world through their research, teaching, and application of psychological science. And, since its beginning, APS has been committed to serve this goal by advocating for science as a matter of policy and promoting the integration of the full range of scientific perspectives across our diverse field, and with other scientific disciplines.
Psychological scientists have influenced the scientific progresses in other fields too. Psychological science is not isolated, instead, it can develop through interaction with other sciences and it can contribute to scientific advances in other fields too. APS Past President John Cacioppo (2007) described psychological science as a hub discipline, “with a great deal to offer (and learn from) other scientific disciplines.”
History of APS
Our story begins in 1988 with 400 dedicated psychological scientists and a mission to restore the public image of psychology as a science.
Today, APS has a global membership and remains committed to combining traditional scientific values of rigor and transparency with innovative methods and practices in the conduct and application of research.
The APS Convention brings together thousands of psychological scientists and students annually. And, throughout the year, APS shares your science in seven of the most influential journals in the field.
APS is also committed to the training and support of a new generation of psychological scientists and engagement of the scientific community through virtual events and webinars.
