VOLUME 30 , NUMBER 5 May 1999

'Mind, brain and behavior' is a focus of science programming

The 1999 "Focus on Science" at APA's 1999 Annual Convention is packed with exceptional programs. Three days of symposia, invited addresses and other science-oriented sessions and events will be among the highlights of this year's convention.

With sessions devoted to mind, brain and behavior, as well as the confluence of social and health psychology, APA's Divisions have come together to make this the most interesting convention yet.

Programming for students, four extended poster sessions and a night of improvisation all help to make the three days of "Focus on Science"--Friday, Aug. 20-Sunday, Aug. 22--unforgettable.

Plenary pleasure

Harvard University professor Edward O. Wilson is the plenary speaker for "Focus on Science." His talk, Saturday, Aug. 21, is titled "Consilience: psychology at the crossroads."

Special division programming

APA divisions are co-sponsoring science programs. They are:

* The "Mind, Brain and Behavior" symposium series, co-sponsored by APA Div. 3 (Experimental) and Div. 6 (Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative). The series features sessions on animal cognition, contemporary learning theory, language, neural mechanisms of learning and memory, motivated behavior, memory illusions, attention and vision, cognitive development and developmental psychobiology of human and other animals (the last session co-sponsored by CARE, APA Committee on Animal Research and Experimentation). The Symposium Series is supported in part by Boston College and State University of New York/UUP Professional Development Quality of Working Life Committee.

* "Interface of social, personality and health psychology," shared programming of Div. 8 (Society of Personality and Social Psychology) and Div. 38 (Health). Topics range from birth (maternal stress and birth outcomes, expectations and reproductive-health events) to death (end-of-life decision-making, depression and mortality, and bereavement) with optimism, resilience, growth, burnout and religion in between. Additional symposia examine current research on psychophysiology and emotion and adjustment to chronic illness.

Highlights include invited addresses by Peter H. Ditto, PhD, Kent State University (end-of-life decision making), Christine Dunkel-Schetter, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles (maternal stress and birth outcomes), Peter Salovey, PhD, Yale University (cancer prevention), Michael Scheier, PhD, Carnegie Mellon University (optimism, coping, and well-being), Richard Schulz, PhD, University of Pittsburgh (depression and mortality in older people), and Ralf Schwarzer, PhD, University of Berlin (social cognition and health behavior change), as well as two shared poster sessions and two joint social hours.

For new academics

A two-day workshop for untenured professors and new academics will provide insight on managing an academic job. The program is divided into two parts--morning lectures and smaller in-depth afternoon sessions that allow time for involved questions.

"The academic career: a beginner's manual" will discuss coping with a new academic post, obtaining research funding and learning how an academic department operates. It also covers the procedures on getting tenure, the problems of academic couples, retirement planning and how to work effectively with graduate students.

Members interested in participating in the workshop or offering programming suggestions are encouraged to contact the program's organizer, Emanuel Donchin, PhD, at edonchin@psych.uiuc.edu.

Expanded poster sessions

More than 450 posters will be on display on Friday and Saturday of the meeting, in extended, thematically organized sessions.

Four sessions encompassing 13 themes will allow attendees to view some of the most interesting research in scientific psychology. Science-related poster sessions will be presented in three-hour blocks instead of the typical one-hour sessions to provide more time for in-depth discussion and encourage breakout discussions. Some of the themes include applied psychology, psychology and the workplace, motivation and emotion, psychopharmacology and substance abuse and--new for this year's sessions--social cognition. Several federal research agencies will have representatives at the sessions with posters describing past, present and future funding opportunities.

For students

The APA Science Student Council will host three programs that can help students plan careers in psychological science:

* "Distinguished scientists meet with students to discuss critical issues in psychological science" is a two-hour program that brings together three leading psychologists with varied research backgrounds for a discussion with students: Lynn Liben, PhD, Pennsylvania State University (developmental/cognitive psychology); Jerry Kagan, PhD, Harvard University (developmental psychology); and Sam Turner, PhD, University of Maryland (clinical psychology). The discussants will address questions generated by the Science Student Council. This program is co-sponsored by the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students.

* "Obtaining grants: information for graduate students, postdocs and young faculty" is a two-hour discussion that will address where and how to apply for research and training grants, featuring Robin Barr, PhD, of the National Institute on Aging; Steve Breckler, PhD , of the National Science Foundation; and Anita Miller Sostek, PhD, of the National Institutes of Health. The discussants will provide an overview of funding programs, a description of eligibility requirements and application deadlines and a short description of the criteria used to evaluate submissions. This session is co-sponsored by APA's Board of Scientific Affairs.

* "Null hypothesis statistical testing: implications for psychological science and evaluation" is a two-hour symposium that will address the debate on the status and future direction of statistical inference testing (NHST). The focus of the debate involves the fate of null-hypothesis significance testing. Participants include Mark Appelbaum, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego; Lisa Harlow, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Rhode Island; and Keith Markus, PhD, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. Steve West, PhD, Arizona State University, will serve as the discussant. The symposium will provide a fundamental understanding of the NHST debate and highlight how education and training can play a significant role in accomplishing change in psychology. One goal of the symposium will be to consider strategies that might be taken on the graduate (and undergraduate) educational level to produce a better understanding of these issues. This program is co-sponsored by Div. 5 (Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics).

Testing and assessment

APA's Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessment will address "Challenges and innovations in psychological testing and assessment," a two-hour symposium that will tackle a number of controversial issues.

Animal research

"Using the CARE video: collegiate and high school models" is the topic for a one-hour symposium sponsored by the Committee on Animal Research and Ethics.

Invited addresses and awards

Psychologist Robert Adler, PhD, director of the Center for Psychoneuroimmunology Research in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center, will present the annual Neal Miller Lecture, sponsored by BSA, titled "Psychoneuroimmunolo-gy: past, present and future."

BSA is also sponsoring the Master Lecture series, which spotlights some the most impressive research in psychological science. This year's Master Lecturers are Tiffany M. Field, PhD (health and behavioral medicine), professor of psychology at the University of Miami School of Medicine; Klaus A. Miczek, PhD (biopsychology animal and human), professor of psychology at Tufts University; Daniel L. Schacter, PhD (cognition and human learning), professor of psychology at Harvard University; Robert J. Sternberg, PhD (personality and individual differences), professor of psychology at Yale University; and Beth Sulzer-Azaroff, PhD (applied psychology), professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts.

The top awards in psychological science will also be presented at the convention. APA's Scientific Awards program honors scientists who have made significant contributions to psychological science and investigators who have made early career contributions to the field.

The Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award addresses will be presented by Elliot Aronson, PhD, William Greenough, PhD, and Allan Wagner, PhD. The Distinguished Scientific Early Career Award addresses will be presented by Gretchen Chapman, PhD, Steven Luck, PhD, C. Neil Macrae, PhD, Niels Waller, PhD, Monica Biernat, PhD, and Thomas Michael D'Zmura, PhD.

Just for fun

A large social hour for all science division participants will be held Friday afternoon of the meeting.

In addition, this year the APA Science Directorate is sponsoring "A night of improv," a free evening filled with fun and excitement. Cognitive psychologist Daniel Goldstein, PhD, of the Max Planck Institute, has studied improv and its relationship to psychology for years. The evening will include a brief discussion by Goldstein followed by an improv performance by SitcomBoston. The event is free to anyone interested in attending. The event will take place Friday evening of the meeting.

Need more information?

For more information on Focus on Science Programming, contact the APA Science Directorate at the APA address, (202) 336-6000, or visit the Focus on Science section of APA's Web Site at www.apa.org/science/fos99.html.

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