Browse the online program to view session details, scheduling, and speakers.

Opening Presidential Plenary Panel Session

Thursday, 28 May 2026, 19:00 – 20:15 (7:00 pm – 8:15 pm)

The Future of Psychological Science and APS: A Plenary Discussion

Both the field of psychological science and APS are in flux. In this session, the panelists will confront the profound upheavals reshaping our discipline and outline a strategic vision for the future. James W. Pennebaker (APS President) will provide a candid overview of the challenges facing the field. Mary Czerwinski, a cognitive psychologist who spent her career at Microsoft Research, will challenge us to rethink professional training to better prepare scientists for the thriving ecosystem of careers beyond academia. Finally, Rachael Jack, a computational neurocognitive psychologist and the new editor of Advances in Psychological Science Open, will detail the urgent need—and the accompanying challenges—of truly internationalizing our science. 

See full Presidential Plenary session details here.

Chair:

James W. Pennebaker, APS President, The University of Texas at Austin, USA 

Speakers: 

Adapting to the Shifting Sands of Psychology and APS 

James W. Pennebaker, APS President, The University of Texas at Austin, USA

Mobilizing Psychological Scientists Outside Academe

Mary Czerwinski, APS Board of Directors Strategic Initiatives Liaison, Microsoft Research (ret.) and University of Washington, USA

Going Global

Rachael Jack, APS editor of Advances in Psychological Science Open, University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

Friday Presidential Plenary Panel Session

Friday, 29 May 2026, 19:00 – 20:00 (7:00 pm – 8:00 pm)

The Fall of Civilizations

Businesses, communities, and entire civilizations eventually collapse. What are the factors that can destabilize large groups? Are we seeing early signs of this in the west now? What can we as psychological scientists do about it?

See full Plenary session details here.

Moderator:

James W. Pennebaker, APS President, The University of Texas at Austin, USA

Speakers:

The Long Historical View of Cultural Failure

Ian Morris, Stanford University, USA

How the Dynamics of Minds, Cultures, and Institutions Shapes Collective (In)action

Mirta Galesic, The Complexity Science Hub, Vienna, Austria

Note: We regret that Mirta Galesic is unable to present as planned. We’re pleased to announce that Alex Bentley will be presenting in their place.

Title and Abstract forthcoming

Alex Bentley, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA

Linguistic Markers of Democratic Backsliding and Autocratization

Stephan Lewandowsky, University of Bristol, United Kingdom 

Psychological Science and Society Presidential Plenary Panel Session

Saturday, 30 May 2026, 19:00 – 20:00 (7:00 pm – 8:00 pm)

New Directions in AI and Large Language Models

In the last three years, most of us have felt our scientific world shift. Artificial intelligence and LLMs are changing the ways we think about statistics, predictions, theories, and human understanding. Let’s have a chat about this.

The Psychological Science and Society plenary session is made possible by generous support from the Alan Kraut-Jane Steinberg Family Fund (KSFF). 

See full Plenary session details here.

Moderator: 

James W. Pennebaker, APS President, The University of Texas at Austin, USA

Speakers: 

Collective Behavior of AI Agents: Risks and Opportunities

David Garcia, University of Konstanz, Germany

Shaping the Machines Shaping Ourselves: New Frontiers Across the Psychological Sciences 

Ryan Boyd, University of Texas at Dallas, USA

How AI Sees Us: Psychological and Societal Implications of AI

Nuria Oliver, ELLIS Alicante Foundation, Spain

The Psychological Science and Society plenary session is made possible by generous support from the Alan Kraut-Jane Steinberg Family Fund (KSFF).