Association for Psychological Science

Formation

APS was created out of recognition that (a) the needs and interests of scientific and academic psychologists are distinct from those of members of the professional [Page 49]community primarily engaged in clinical practice and (b) there was a strong need for a society that would advance the interests of the discipline in ways that more specialized organizations were not intended to do. An interim group, the Assembly for Scientific and Applied Psychology, had sought to reform the American Psychological Association from within, but its efforts were rejected by a membership-wide vote of the APA. APS then became the official embodiment of the reform effort, and the new organization was launched on August 12, 1988.

Publications

APS publishes four journals:

• 1.
  Psychological Science publishes authoritative articles of interest across all of scientific psychology's subdisciplines.
• 2.
  Current Directions in Psychological Science offers concise invited reviews spanning all of scientific psychology and its applications.
• 3.
  Psychological Science in the Public Interest provides definitive assessments by panels of distinguished researchers on topics for which psychological science has the potential to inform and improve the well-being of society.
• 4.
  APS's newest journal, Perspectives on Psychological Science, features longer integrative reviews and a variety of eclectic articles.

APS also publishes the monthly Observer, featuring news and opinion pieces; a Current Directions Readers series in conjunction with Prentice Hall; a Festschrift series in conjunction with LEA Press; and self-published books on the teaching of psychology.

Annual Convention

APS holds a meeting in late spring each year to show case the best of scientific psychology. The program features presentations by the field's most distinguished researchers and educators in a variety of formats, including invited addresses and symposia, submitted symposia, “hottopic” talks, and posters. The convention also includes workshops on specialized topics.

APS Fund for the Teaching and Public Understanding of Psychological Science

In 2004, the David and Carol Myers Foundation pledged $1 million to APS for the creation of an endowed fund that aims “to enhance the teaching and public understanding of psychological science for students and the lay public, in the United States, Canada, and worldwide.”

Achievement Awards

APS recognizes exceptional contributions to scientific psychology with two annual awards: the APS William James Fellow Award (for significant intellectual contributions to the basic science of psychology) and the James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award (for outstanding contributions to the area of applied psychological research).

APS Student Caucus

Students are an important and active component of APS. The APS Student Caucus is the representative body of the society's student affiliates. The Student Caucus organizes research competitions, convention programs, and a variety of membership activities aimed at professional development and enhanced education in psychological science.

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