Candidates for APA President
Given that there is only so much that an incoming APA president can do during his or her 12-month presidency, state and then discuss the one issue about which you feel passionate and that, therefore, you will pursue with vigor if you are elected.
I will pursue more effective communication with legislators and the public, who need to understand that psychology is a science. This will help us obtain increased funding for psychological scientific research, insurance parity for mental and physical health, prescription privileges for qualified psychologists, and public policies that are informed by psychological theories and research. We need lawmakers who value what we do because of the evidentiary basis of our discipline. Unfortunately, turf wars have divided APA, keeping us from making progress on these important issues. An emphasis on psychological science will enhance our income and improve our image in the media.
In your opinion, what are the most important contributions of psychology to the education process?
Psychology's primary contribution to education lies in applications from social, motivational, developmental and cognitive psychology that improve teaching and learning throughout the life span. But, we can do more. Psychologists need to take the lead in designing valid, meaningful and fair assessments under the new Education Act, and we need to be educating the users of our assessments so they are utilized in ways that are appropriate and fair. We need to increase efforts to infuse psychology in high school curricula and provide millions of students with psychological information that can save lives and enhance the quality of life.
