Council Policy Manual: M. Scientific Affairs

The APA Policy Manual is a collection of policy actions taken by the APA Council of Representatives. This edition includes actions taken after 1960 and up to but not including August 2001. The texts included in the Manual are the texts of the actual motions passed by Council.

• I. Animal Research
  
• II. Creationism
  
• III. Decade of Behavior
  
• IV. Dianetics
  
• V. Drugs in Research
  
• VI. Facilitated Communication
  
• VII. Free Exchange of Scientific Information
  
• VIII. Freedom in the Conduct of Science
  
• IX. Science Education
  
• X. Social Research
  
• XI. Testing
  
• XII. Tobacco

I. ANIMAL RESEARCH

1. 1981

On the recommendation of the Board of Scientific Affairs, the Education and Training Board, and the Board of Directors, Council voted to adopt the revised "Guidelines for the Use of Animals in School Science Behavior Projects". [Appendix M - I.1]

2. 1986

On the recommendation of the Board of Scientific Affairs, the Board of Professional Affairs, and the Board of Directors, Council adopted as APA policy "Guidelines for Computer-Based Tests and Interpretations".

3. August 1990

On the recommendation of the Board of Directors, Board of Scientific Affairs and the Committee on Animal Research and Ethics, Council voted to endorse the American Association for the Advancement of Science Resolution on the Use of Animals in Research, Testing, and Education. [Appendix M - I.3]

4. February 1993

On the recommendation of the Board of Directors, the Board of Scientific Affairs, and the Committee on Animal Research and Ethics, Council approved the revised Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in the Care and Use of Animals, as amended to reflect Council's concern for cold-blooded as well as warm-blooded laboratory animals. [Appendix M - I.4]

5. August 1998

Council voted to adopt the Committee on Animal Research and Ethics (CAREs) Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Behavioral Projects in Schools. [Appendix M - I.5]

II. CREATIONISM

1. 1982

Principles of evolution are an essential part of the knowledge base of psychology. Any attempt to limit or exclude the teaching of evolution from the science curriculum would deprive psychology students of a significant part of their education.

Currently, groups identifying themselves as "creationists" are proposing legislation to require teaching of "creation science" as part of the science curriculum of public schools. The American Psychological Association, without questioning the right of any individual to hold "creationist" beliefs, views "creationism" as a set of religious doctrines that do not conform to criteria of science. Scientific views are empirically testable, continually open to the process of scrutiny and experimentation that are the essence of science.

The American Psychological Association believes that "creationism" does not meet the criteria of science and should not be taught as part of the public school science curriculum. Further, the American Psychological Association is opposed to any attempts to require by statute or other means the inclusion of "creationism" within the science curriculum of the public schools.

III. DECADE OF BEHAVIOR

1. February 1997

Council voted to adopt the following resolution regarding the Decade of Behavior:

WHEREAS it is necessary to improve public awareness of and support for the many exciting advances in the behavioral and social sciences and their application in addressing many of our nationss most pressing problems;

WHEREAS it will be necessary to bring together government agencies, scientific societies, private foundations and health agencies for the joint sponsorship of public and professional education programs to promote the behavioral and social sciences and their application;

WHEREAS it will be necessary to encourage and support the development of the next generation of behavioral and social scientists and practitioners; and

WHEREAS it will be necessary to increase research funding for the behavioral and social sciences,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the American Psychological Association initiate efforts to have the years 2000-2010 declared the Decade of Behavior by the U.S. Congress, and furthermore that the APA Science Directorate launch the planning activities for the Decade of Behavior in 1998.

IV. DIANETICS

1. 1950

In view of the sweeping generalizations and claims regarding psychology and psychotherapy made by L. Ron Hubbard in his recent book, Dianetics, the American Psychological Association adopts the following resolution:

While suspending judgement concerning the eventual validity of the claims made by the author of Dianetics, the American Psychological Association calls attention to the fact that these claims are not supported by empirical evidence of the sort required for the establishment of scientific generalizations. In the public interest, the Association, in the absence of such evidence, recommends to its members that the use of the techniques peculiar to Dianetics be limited to scientific investigations designed to test the validity of its claims.

V. DRUGS IN RESEARCH

1. 1987

Council approved the revised "Guidelines for the Use of Drugs in Research by Psychologists". [Appendix M - V.1]

VI. FACILITATED COMMUNICATION

1. August 1994

On the recommendation of the Board of Directors, Council voted the following resolution on facilitated communication:

VII. FREE EXCHANGE OF SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION

1. 1965

It is a tradition of science that its research findings belong in the public domain. Scientists do undertake research of a confidential nature for reasons which may be economic, military, social, or purely personal. However, until such research has been reported in meetings or published in scientific journals it is not, properly speaking, scientific knowledge.

It is a responsibility of the American Psychological Association to ensure that all reported or published psychological findings be fully and freely available to the public.

2. February 1985

WHEREAS the welfare and the strength of the United States are dependent on the vigor of its scientific activity; and

WHEREAS restriction of the free flow of scientific information within the United States and between nations inhibits the progress of science, and

WHEREAS governmental actions restricting the dissemination of unclassified scientific information threaten our scientific preeminence; and

VIII. FREEDOM IN THE CONDUCT OF SCIENCE

1. August 1999

WHEREAS the federal government has the authority to classify information shown to be essential to national security;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the American Psychological Association

ASSERTS it conviction that all unclassified scientific information should be disseminated freely, and

DECLARES its profound opposition to all attempts to interfere with the free exchange of unclassified scientific information at meetings of scientific societies and in scientific journals. [Appendix M - VIII.1]

IX. SCIENCE EDUCATION

1. 1983

WHEREAS education in all branches of science--behavioral, biological, physical, and social--is basic to understanding the modern world, and

WHEREAS education in all branches of science is necessary for informed participation in a democratic society and for productive work in a modern industrial nation, and

WHEREAS there is growing evidence of decline in support of and commitment to precollege science education in the United States while other industrial nations are placing heavy emphasis on science education at all levels,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the American Psychological Association urges that all public and private schools in the United States provide, within a balanced curriculum, a strong and uninterrupted program of science education which shall include regular instruction in all aspects of science for all pupils from kindergarten through twelfth grade.

X. SOCIAL RESEARCH

1. 1981

While the American Psychological Association recognizes the appropriate and legitimate role of the political process in determining priorities for research on problems that require the expenditure of public funds, we object to policies that a priori favor one theoretical approach over another, or that selectively suppress certain scientific approaches that happen to be at odds with the prior opinions or ideology of political officials.

The selective reduction of support for "social research" by the current Administration appears to be a case in which ideological considerations are inappropriately influencing the scientific process. Current policies of the Administration (e.g., in the mental health area) presume that certain research approaches are more valuable than others. There is no evidence to support such a premise. In fact, scientific evidence suggests that many mental health and other social problems are best understood and dealt with by looking at the joint impact of biological, behavioral, and social processes. Clearly, policies such as these are inimical both to productive scientific inquiry and to the ultimate solution of many critical social problems in our nation. We strongly oppose such policies that include selective reductions that bias the development of scientific research in all areas including social research. (1981)

At its August 1993 meeting, Council voted to sunset the CSR and to rescind Association Rule 140.6 Committee on Standards in Research.

XI. TESTING

1. 1966 (Amended 1967)

Council voted to adopt the following statement on "Automated Test Scoring and Interpretation Practices" as a standard for members of the APA and for organizations by whom members are employed:

The advent of sophisticated computer technology and recent psychological research has made it feasible and desirable for consulting and service organizations to offer computer-based scoring and interpretation services for diverse psychological measurement instruments. Since these services will be rendered to clients with varying degrees of training in psychological measurement and since improper use of such interpretations could be detrimental to the well-being of individuals, it is considered proper for the American Psychological Association to establish various conditions which must be met before such services should be offered to clients.

Any organization offering the services described above should, in order to protect the public welfare, have on its staff or as an active consultant (a) in a state having legal certification or licensure, a psychologist qualified to practice under the laws of that state, (b) in a state having nonstatutory certification, a psychologist holding the highest ranked certificate in that state, or (c) in jurisdictions having neither of the above a Diplomate of the American Board of Examiners in Professional Psychology.

Such services will be offered only to individuals or organizations for use under the active supervision of qualified professional personnel with appropriate training. The qualified person must be either a staff member or a responsible, active consultant to the individual or organization receiving such services.

Organizations offering scoring services must maintain an active quality control program to assure the accuracy and correctness of all reported scores.

Organizations offering interpretation services must be able to demonstrate that the computer programs, or algorithms on which the interpretations rest, are based on appropriate research to establish the validity of the programs and procedures used in arriving at interpretations.

The public offering of an automated test interpretation service will be considered as a professional-to-professional consultation. In this the formal responsibility of the consultant is to the consultee but his ultimate and overriding responsibility is to the client.

The organization offering services is responsible that their reports adequately interpret the test materials. They should not misinterpret nor overinterpret the data nor omit important interpretations that the consultee would reasonably expect to be included.

The organization offering services is responsible that their report be interpretable by the consultee. The technical level of the report should be understandable and not misleading to the consultee. The professional consultee is responsible for integrating the report into his client relationship. Where technical interpretations could be misleading, the organization offering service would be responsible either not to accept the referral, to modify the form of their report, or to avoid otherwise its misinterpretation.

2. 1979

Council voted to accept the Final Report of the Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessment to the Council on the Use of Tests with Members of Minority Groups and the Disadvantaged. [Appendix M - XI.2]

3. August 1999

On the recommendation of the Board of Directors, the Board of Scientific Affairs and the Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessments, Council voted to endorse the Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education. [Appendix M - XI.3]

4. February 1996

On the recommendation of the Board of Directors, the Board of Scientific Affairs, and the Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessment, Council voted to adopt the "Statement on the Disclosure of Test Data." [Appendix M - XI.4]

5. August 1999

Council voted to approve the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing.

XII. TOBACCO

1. February 1994

On the recommendation of the Board of Directors, the Board of Scientific Affairs, and the Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest, Council approved the following resolution concerning cigarette smoking:

WHEREAS tobacco is a legally available consumer product that is demonstrably harmful to health when used as intended;

WHEREAS tobacco is an established risk factor for morbidity and mortality;

WHEREAS more than one million teenagers begin smoking each year, a rate of approximately 3000 per day which has not declined appreciably over the last decade (1), and 90 percent of young smokers report that they become regular smokers before age 18 (2);

WHEREAS psychological scientists study human and animal behavior, and our research domain encompasses the full spectrum of issues related to tobacco use, including: how people decide whether or not to use tobacco products and what are the different factors that enter into that decision (such as cultural factors, minors' access to tobacco products, tobacco industry advertising, cost); psychopharmacological aspects of nicotine, i.e., understanding modes of addiction and what changes it causes in the central nervous system; identifying ways to prevent people from engaging in risk-taking behaviors such as tobacco use; identifying effective community interventions for bringing about widespread changes in behavior; and treating tobacco addiction individually and within the community; and

WHEREAS psychological scientists have contributed substantially to the body of research knowledge in these areas;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the American Psychological Association supports the tobacco and smoking objectives set forth in, "Healthy People 2000-National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives for the Nation," and intends to encourage federal, state and local policies to minimize recruitment to, and facilitate abstinence from, the use of tobacco, including but are not limited to: 1) restricting illegal access of youth to tobacco products by supporting a range of direct and indirect mechanisms to discourage use and restrict access; and 2) fostering research on behavioral, psychological, pharmacological, and toxicological components of addiction, smoking prevention and intervention, and smoking cessation methods.

Council Policy Manual: Table of Contents | Introduction | A. Elections | B. Awards | C. Membership | D. Human Resources | E. Ethics | F. Board of Directors | G. Divisions and State and Provincial Associations | H. Organization of APA | I. Publications and Communcations | J. Convention Affairs | K. Educational Affairs | L. Professional Affairs | M. Scientific Affairs | N. Public Interest - Part 1 | N. Public Interest - Part 2 | N. Public Interest - Part 3 | N. Public Interest - Part 4 | N. Public Interest - Part 5 | O. Ethnic Minority Affairs | P. International Affairs | Q. Central Office | R. Financial Affairs