Candidates for APA President
As the largest psychological organization in the world, APA should take the lead in making psychology an influential presence. How would you go about realizing this goal?
APA must expand its Public Education Campaigns, Congressional Fellowship Programs and "media footprint" as a science and profession. We must:
Go beyond "pop-press" images of psychology and communicate that psychological principles underlie all domains of the human condition;
Demonstrate how psychologists should advise leaders on crucial issues like foreign policy, economics, global warming, public health, quality-of-life, longevity, safety (Healthy People 2010), education, workplace performance;
Assure policy-makers understand: effect-sizes for psychological treatments equal those in medicine; newest scientific findings inform practice; investment in research and service yields high returns.
APA should produce NPR or CNN-like news segments highlighting "Psychology and Living."
Our declining membership in the association (pronounced in some divisions) has been attributed to the aging of our members, declining birthrates, inability to attract members of color and so forth. What implications does this have for the association and how would you address its potential impact?
APA's ability to positively influence society is compromised if membership declines. To attract and retain members, I will convene a workgroup including members and nonmembers in science, practice, education, public service, governance and staff to design programs, based on APA's recent membership summit, that:
Better communicate membership value including how a unified voice builds/secures our future.
Establish new membership benefits.
Provide practical support for practice, academic, research careers.
Reach out to potential members from the entire "Family of Psychology."
Personalize APA, our convention, Web site.
Build bridges to other psychology organizations.
Encourage psychology's educators to model membership for the next generation.
