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?
Integrate indigenous psychological conventions with the principles of scientific psychology. APA can and should have a central role in bridging the divide between emic and etic psychological science in a respectful way.
Develop a mechanism for APA- sanctioned international internships. This will require persistent negotiations among accrediting bodies, educational institutions and international NGOs, as well as content development.
Foster international training accreditation. I refer both to training in international psychology at U.S. institutions and to training for U.S. students at international institutions.
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?
Organizational renewal requires evaluating existing structures and practices and a willingness to let go of those that are no longer effective or relevant. We need to examine APA's mission and every level of our organization to identify those aspects that are still relevant.
We have to focus on what we need to offer the next generation and to take a hard look at what incentives they have to join us. We should ask the question not from the perspective of what we needed in 1977 or 1997, but from that of students just starting high school and college today.
