The maturing of psychology

By Raymond D. Fowler, PhD
APA Chief Executive Officer

Is it just me, or are psychologists getting older? I?m old enough to remember the post-World War II years when so many young people coming from the military were attracted to psychology that we were, for a long time, a profession of young people. An elderly English professor once wondered, 'What happens to old psychologists? I?ve never seen one.' And our dean once asked me, 'Is there anyone over there old enough to vote?'

Changing demographics

Not so, today. Looking over the APA demographics, I was astonished to realize that the number of APA members in the dues exempt category, only 4,000 ten years ago, has increased to 10,000?about 13 percent of the membership?and is expected to soar to 20,000 in the next decade. As psychology has become a mature profession, so have many of our members. The members of our first boom generation, the 50s and 60s, are now mostly in their 60s and 70s. APA?s demographics have begun to reflect those of the United States, where 13 percent of the population is 65 or older. The average age of an APA member, only 42 in 1972, is now 50.7.

In the early years of APA?s history, most of our presidents and officers were relatively young?in their 30s and 40s. In recent years, they have been in their 50s and 60s. G. Stanley Hall represented both trends: He was around 42 when he became APA?s first president, and was almost 80 when he was elected APA?s 33rd president.

Within the APA membership, practitioners?average age 49.3?are just slightly younger than the members who focus on research and teaching (51.7.) Men, who constituted most of the first population boom, average 52.8 years. Women, who are rapidly overtaking men in numbers, especially among practitioners, are a bit younger at 48. If the increase in women members continues, and there is no reason to believe it will not, the number of women is expected to equal the number of men around the end of this decade.

It is interesting to note that despite the 'graying' of APA?s full members, we are simultaneously experiencing a dramatic surge in the number of young graduate students who are joining the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS). With almost 30,000 APAGS members, there is a strong potential for steady growth in the number of younger psychologists, most of whom join the association soon after completing their doctoral degrees. We seem to be growing both younger and older at the same time. And we anticipate that as more of these students move into full membership, they will stabilize the mean age of the membership and replace the members who will retire in the next 10 to 15 years.

Models of aging well

Like others in our society, psychologists are living longer than ever before, and the quality of life in the later years continues to improve. As researchers and practitioners, psychologists have been at the forefront of advances in health care and lifestyle changes that contribute not only to greater longevity but also to greater health and productivity for older people. And psychologists practice what they know and what they teach. In a society in which a third of adults still smoke, hardly any psychologists do. Many psychologists exercise regularly, eat wisely and model good health practices to their students, clients and families. As a consequence, most psychologists reach retirement age with many healthy years ahead. I know psychologists who are 80 or older who still make important contributions to APA and its divisions and to state associations.

When psychologists retire, they seldom leave the field completely, but they often modify their careers. I retired from 30 years on a university faculty, so being APA?s CEO is a second career for me. I suggested that the Monitor contact others who have retired and moved on to other careers. Their stories, which begin on page 42 , should be an inspiration even to readers who are decades away from retirement.

Getting old, goes the old cliché, isn?t so bad if you compare it with the alternative. Many psychologists are making their later years some of their best years and helping others to do so, as well. A lifetime of helping others isn?t easy to give up, and many APA members have found ways to keep on giving.