Candidates for APA President
How would you justify "basic behavioral research" to a policy-maker who is not convinced that it is good use of public funds?
Those who we elect to be our representatives, and as such entrust to be the guardians of public funds, must weigh the balance of competing public need in their decision-making. Fortunately, because of the combined educational efforts of the APA Science and Practice Directorates there is support among policy-makers for research in behavior. However, the importance of basic versus applied research is often misunderstood. I might explain that without the foundation of basic research in perception, human factors psychologists would not know the most productive way to research how many alarms a pilot can attend to at once.
What concrete steps would you take to promote unity between psychologists who think of themselves as scientists and those who think of themselves as practitioners?
There is only one psychology. I believe that there are a few in academia and practice who seem to have a need to maintain the sophomoric and, for some, the narcissistic myth that they alone represent the one true religion. The vast majority of us endorse and appreciate the diversity and contributions of all psychologists to the betterment of the human condition. We advocate for each other even when it is not in our own narrow self-interest. I would appoint these enlightened colleagues to work together on boards and committees to serve as healthy models for the very few.
