VOLUME 30 , NUMBER 5 May 1999

Psi Chi's success since '29 due to energetic members

Psychology's honor society turns 70 in September.

By Jamie Chamberlin
Monitor staff

When Kay Wilson, executive officer of the world's largest psychology honor society, Psi Chi, attends meetings of the Association of College Honor Societies, leaders from other honor societies press her about Psi Chi's secret of success.

"They read our Eye on Psi Chi magazine and are envious," says Wilson. "They wish their members could be as enthusiastic as ours."

Beyond its enthusiasm, though, what has made psychology's 70-year-old honor society successful is a combination of strong member resources, a rich history, enthusiastic student members and support from psychology's leaders, says Harold Takooshian, PhD, Psi Chi's 199899 president.

Students get involved with Psi Chi, he says, because it enables them to gain professional experience, hone their research skills and meet distinguished leaders in psychology. And so many psychologists support the honor society, he adds, because it helped them in their education and careers.

Even so, Psi Chi never stops looking for ways to expand its resources, boost membership and empower more students to take advantage of benefits such as research grants and workshops, says Takooshian.

He hopes that the society's 70th anniversary celebration at Yale University in September will focus attention on Psi Chi's role in launching psychology careers.

"Psi Chi has a glorious history," he says. "Psychologists and students should really be proud of that, and yet so many people don't take advantage of Psi Chi."

Empowering future psychologists

With 945 chapters and nearly 350,000 members, Psi Chi is easily psychology's largest organization--helped, of course, by allowing students selected for membership to become members for life.

Psi Chi's main goal, says Takooshian, is to prepare those psychology students for graduate school and for careers in psychology. It does so with a variety of programs that develop professional skills, offer research experience and provide opportunities to learn more about psychology:

* Professional development. Student sessions held each year at Psi Chi's national and regional meetings explain how to publish research, show what jobs are attainable with a master's degree and describe how to apply to graduate school. These sessions coincide with the APA Annual Convention, the American Psychological Society's (APS) annual meeting and the six regional psychology meetings.

During each meeting, Psi Chi sponsors a distinguished lecture, followed by a conversation hour with the speaker. There are also workshops for chapters on how to enhance activities and boost membership.

* Research experience. Psi Chi helps students navigate the research process from funding to publication and offers numerous grants for undergraduate and graduate student research. (See chart for a full list of Psi Chi awards, or visit Psi Chi's web site at www.psichi.org).

Students present their research projects in poster and paper sessions at the national and regional meetings. Psi Chi then honors the top 78 research projects presented at these regional meetings, along with the top eight projects presented at the APA and APS annual conventions. Students can also submit their research for publication in Psi Chi's Journal of Undergraduate Research.

* Service and leadership opportunities. To unite its 945 chapters, Psi Chi's National Council selects a national service project each year. This year, there are two--chapters are collecting food and clothing and providing services for a local shelter and raising money for UNICEF. Students also gain leadership skills by serving as Psi Chi officers and by organizing chapter workshops on topics such as careers or GRE preparation.

* News and information. Psi Chi's quarterly magazine, Eye on Psi Chi, includes articles about chapter projects, careers and cutting-edge psychological research. Psi Chi's national web site also offers a meeting calendar, award and membership information, and recently added online discussion groups for students.

A rich history

Psi Chi traces its roots to 1927, when two students, Edwin Newman and Frederick Lewis at the University of Kansas, sent letters to every college and university in the country, prompting meetings about a fraternal organization for psychology.

Psi Chi's charter was signed on Sept. 4, 1929, at Yale, during the Ninth International Congress of Psychology, but it wasn't until the 1950s that Psi Chi really became a strong resource for students.

In 1951, Psi Chi offered its first student research award, and in 1958, APA's Council of Representatives voted to make Psi Chi APA's first affiliate organization. With the union, Psi Chi members could subscribe to APA journals for reduced rates and APA allotted time for Psi Chi at its annual convention.

Under the direction of Ruth Hubbard Cousins, who served as the honor society's executive director for 33 years, Psi Chi established more grants and awards and offered workshops at conventions and regional meetings, says John Hogan, PhD, Psi Chi's historian and a professor of psychology at St. John's University in New York. In 1964, Cousins led Psi Chi's change from a fraternal organization to an honor society.

Cousins also established the tradition of having psychology's leading researchers address conventions and regional meetings under the auspices of Psi Chi. Those speakers have included Rollo May, Neal Miller, Carl Rogers, Otto Klineberg and B.F. Skinner.

"During the 70 years that APA and Psi Chi have been partners, thousands of outstanding students have had their interest in psychology nourished and encouraged by Psi Chi, " says Raymond D. Fowler, APA's chief executive officer. "I salute Psi Chi as a highly valued sister organization, and look forward to many more years of fruitful collaboration."

Psi Chi turns 70

At APA's 1999 Annual Convention in Boston, a panel led by Hogan and Michael Wertheimer, PhD, a past president of Psi Chi, will discuss the organization's history. In the meantime, Psi Chi is also restoring a photo of the delegates at the 1929 international meeting and will present it to Yale at the honor society's anniversary celebration on Sept. 4.

Psi Chi president Takooshian hopes the event will encourage more schools to launch Psi Chi chapters.

"I often hear from students about how much Psi Chi has helped them," says Takooshian, "Psi Chi really touches people's lives."

For more information about becoming a member or setting up a Psi Chi chapter, contact its national office at 407 East 5th Street, Suite B, Chattanooga, TN 37403-1823, (423) 756-2044, fax: (423) 265-1529, e-mail: psichi@psichi.org.