PPO Update for BSA - Featuring Homeland Security Activities

President Zimbardo Meets With National Security Council Staff
In the wake of September 11th, the Science Directorate and Science PPO have been proactive in developing collaborative relationships with federal agencies and panels tasked with addressing terrorism issues, to ensure the involvement of behavioral scientists with expertise in these areas. On June 11th, APA President Philip G. Zimbardo joined Senior Scientist Susan Brandon and PPO's Heather Kelly for an initial meeting with two senior staff members in the National Security Council's (NSC's) Office of Combating Terrorism. NSC staff were well-versed in and very supportive of behavioral research and its relevance to national security issues, and asked APA to: provide lists of researchers and "one-pagers" on work germane to counter-terrorism efforts; facilitate interactions between NSC staff, U.S. psychologists and those in other countries with specific expertise; and collaborate on a small conference focusing on communications issues related to terrorism.

Congress Takes Steps to Create Department of Homeland Security
When one provision of the President's plan called for transferring certain public health preparedness functions to the new department from the Department of Health and Human Services, APA joined over two dozen other public health organizations in protesting the transfer because of the likelihood that it would lead to inefficiencies and distract from the on-going efforts to prevent and treat chronic health conditions. The letter can be viewed at: http://www.apa.org/ppo/issues/securitycltnltr.html.

In addition, APA staff worked closely with the Consortium of Social Science Associations, the office of Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA), and House Science Committee staff to outline the role of behavioral and social science research in the new department. Although, the House bill did not include specific language on behavioral research. The House Select Committee on Homeland Security did include Rep. Baird's mental health provision in its version that can be viewed at: http://www.house.gov/baird/prhomesec.htm.

APA Hosts Meeting With FBI Behavioral Science Unit
On October 1st, the Science Policy Office hosted a meeting between leaders of the behavioral and social science research community and the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit (BSU). The planning dinner was convened as a follow-up to a successful half-day colloquium entitled, "The Role of Human Factors in Homeland Security" at the annual meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) in Baltimore. The overall purpose of these and other meetings APA has held in conjunction with FBI Academy staff is to help facilitate their interaction with a range of behavioral scientists to help guide the FBI as it begins re-orienting to a domestic terrorism agenda. A full summary of the meeting can be viewed at:
http://www.apa.org/ppo/issues/fbimeeting.html.

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APA President Sternberg Visits the CIA
On December 12, APA Senior Scientist Susan Brandon and Science Policy Director Geoff Mumford arranged for Robert Sternberg, PhD, President-Elect of APA, to provide a presentation on intelligence and cognitive assessment to a group of psychologists from the Intelligence Community who are directly involved in operations. As most of our readers know Dr. Sternberg, is the IBM Professor of Psychology and Education, Department of Psychology, Yale University and Director, Center for the Psychology of Abilities, Competencies, and Expertise (PACE). Dr. Sternberg addressed cross-cultural assessment issues and summarized his research on successful intelligence. The Central Intelligence Agency hosted the presentation. To view Dr. Sternberg's Powerpoint presentation see: http://www2.apa.org/ppo/psych.ppt.

APA Staff Invited To "Teach" At The FBI Academy
Since the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and the anthrax incidents in the autumn of 2001, APA Science/Science Public Policy has been gathering and offering the resources of psychological science to counter-terrorism efforts across the United States. Staff in these offices have attended workshops and meetings, held conferences and Congressional briefings, and created resource files that describe the multitude of psychological researchers whose expertise is germane to such efforts. It has been heartening to see how generous our community is with its time, energy and skills.

The challenge is to share this expertise with those who might make use of it. How can "first responders" make their problems and concerns known to psychological researchers and theorists? How can such researchers translate their findings into the kind of concrete, operational tactics that police, medics and fire fighters are likely to need on a daily basis?

Geoffrey Mumford, Director APA Science Policy, and Susan Brandon, APA Science Senior Scientist, have begun a project that offers a unique opportunity to listen to the concerns and questions of police from across the United States. They have been invited by FBI Agents and faculty from the FBI's National Academy in Quantico VA to visit several ongoing classes and discuss behavioral science with the Academy students. The National Academy, currently in its 211th session, was instituted "to support, promote and enhance the personal and professional development of experienced law enforcement officers by providing relevant education and training and to increase their information networks in order to prepare them for increasingly complex and dynamic leadership roles in the law enforcement community" (FBI National Academy General Instructions, Feb. 27 2002). There are about 500 law enforcement personnel who take courses at the National Academy during an 11-week semester; three such sessions are held each year.

Mumford and Brandon already met with one class on November 22. They invited Deborah Frisch, PhD, a decision scientist from the National Science Foundation, also to attend the class. Dr. Frisch started the class off with a scenario about the Washington sniper incidents that illustrated human decision-making behaviors. The discussion then was opened up to more general concerns. Some of the questions posed were:

How to predict panic in populations under assault, and how to normalize community behavior in a crisis.

How to understand the terrorist mindset so as to be able to predict the selection of terrorist targets.

Why some cops leak information to media knowing that it may harm an investigation.

The negative impact of media in high profile law enforcement investigations.

How to communicate information that the public wants during a crisis in a way that cannot be used to the detriment of the investigation.

How to articulate the needs of the police to focus limited resources on likely suspects without appearing to apply profiling techniques.

How to deal with police anxiety, which sometimes make it difficult for police to serve as a calming influence for the public.

The American cultural preoccupation with assigning blame.

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On January 21, Brandon and Mumford arranged another meeting to include Bryan Vila, PhD, the Director of the Crime Control and Prevention Research Division at the National Institute of Justice out to the FBI Academy yesterday to talk about future collaborations with the Behavioral Sciences Unit. BSU had invited APA member Ellen Scrivner, PhD (a detailee from the Dept. of Justice working on counter-terrorism). Dr. Vila has an interesting background as a former Marine, a police officer in South Central LA, head of Micronesia's Bureau of Investigation, and an emergency preparedness coordinator for the Dept. of Interior. He has a doctorate in human ecology and worked as an academic at UC Irvine and the University of Wyoming before taking his present position.

One goal of the meeting was to discuss possibilities for a follow-up to last February's conference and Dr. Vila has authored a draft proposal seeking NIJ funds for a follow-on conference this summer. Dr. Brandon has left APA for a position with the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) but will continue collaborating with APA in these activities.

Longer-range ideas include the possibility of following a model the FBI uses with chaplains to connect more psychologists to field office operations. The goal would be link each of the 56 FBI field offices across the US with a point-person-psychologist in the event the local office has an issue that a psychologist(s) could help with. Because of the range of issues psychologists might be expected to cover...we suggested that it might be best to consider trying to put together some sort of local advisory team (to the extent that's possible in a given geographic area) that might consist of practitioners and scientists/academicians.

Meeting with Transportation Security Administration
Geoff Mumford and APA member Peter Hancock, PhD, (Provost Distinguished Research Professor, University of Central Florida) met with Paul Paulski, the Chief of Staff of TSA's new Chief Technology Officer on January 15th. The meeting was an effort to set the stage for his appearance at the National Research Council's Committee on Human Factors (CoHF) the following day. CoHF had scheduled presentations from Jim Griffin, PhD, Assistant Director of Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Tom Sanquist, PhD, a psychologist doing maritime security research for Batelle in Seattle.

During the NRC meeting Mumford suggested that the Committee help TSA think about broadening the scope of their advisory committee (following a suggestion Kurt Salzinger delivered in writing to the TSA Undersecretary last February) and to propose a study to help TSA define a research agenda.

Behind Every Good Workforce is a Psychologist
Everyone is probably aware that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been responsible for federalizing the airport screener workforce, but it's unlikely many know that APA member Elizabeth Kolmstetter, PhD, was in charge of the effort. On January 29th, Dianne Maranto, APA's Director for Psychology in the Workplace, and Geoff Mumford, PhD, Director of Science Policy, met with Dr. Kolmstetter, an I/O psychologist who is now the Director of Standards, Testing & Accreditation for TSA. For the past year she has been responsible for establishing the selection, training and certification of airport security screeners and will be developing such systems in the future for air marshals, Federal Flight Deck Officers (armed pilots), and for security personnel in relation to other modes of transportation.

Dr. Kolmstetter's office is within Training and Quality Performance but they apparently have a close working relationship with the human factors research group at what used to be the Howard Hughes Technical Center in NJ, (now in effect the intramural research laboratory for TSA). Its not clear at this point exactly how TSA will meld the research and development needs within Training and Quality Performance with the programs directed by the Office of Science and Technology. However, as noted in the January 15th, item above, APA and various human factors groups will be working to facilitate those connections because research is critical to the development of screening tests and integral to the job design and development of selection and training programs for the baggage screeners. While there are no immediate plans to establish a scientific advisory group to provide oversight for the Training & Performance area, there may be a future need to establish one in the area of certification.

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Countering Terrorism: Integration of Practice and Theory-Report Available
The report of the February 28, 2002 conference held at the FBI Academy, called "Countering Terrorism: Integration of Practice and Theory," is available online at http://www.apa.org/ppo/issues/ct.pdf. This report will also be on the FBI and Solomon Asch Center websites. The FBI will distribute the report among its offices and personnel.

Briefing Papers on Research Psychology and Counter-Terrorism
A list of one-page briefing items describing how various research programs in psychology might be germane to counter-terrorism, or to understanding terrorism, is continually updated and is available online at http://www.apa.org/ppo/issues/svignetteterror2.html. These have been made available to the Office of Science & Technology Policy. We also have used them in other situations where an argument about the applicability of such research to counter-terrorism needs to be made, for example, to members and committee staff at the National Academy of Sciences and personnel in the Office of Homeland Security.

Congressional Briefings Sponsored by Decade of Behavior
Science Public Policy Office and Science arranged for two congressional briefings.
April 24, 2002: The Human Response to Disaster. Speakers were Baruch Fischhoff ("What's worth knowing - and saying - about terrorism?"), Douglas Richardson ("Geographical dimensions of terrorism: Implications for Public Policy"), Eduardo Salas ("Responding to Crises: The science of team performance"), and Kathleen Tierney ("Social science and disaster research perspectives on the September 11 attacks: Building on Our knowledge to make our communities safer").

June 18, 2002: Reactions to Terrorism: Attitudes and Anxieties. Speakers were Michael Traugott ("Six months later: American attitudes and beliefs changed by 9/11"), Len Lecci & Dale Cohen ("Anthrax fears: Determinants of perceived health risks"), and Mansoor Moaddel ("The impact of 9/11 on value orientations of the Islamic Public in Egypt").

Nominations to National Academy Project
Names of psychological scientists and mental health practitioners were provided for consideration as committee members or consultants for the National Academy Institute of Medicine, Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Health project, "Responding to the Psychological Consequences of Terrorism." Only one of our suggestions was included on the committee membership (Gerard A. Jacobs, Director of the Disaster Mental Health Institute and a Professor of Psychology at the University of South Dakota). However, the first public meeting of the committee (October 7, 2002) included speakers from our list to serve as consultants (Elizabeth Todd-Bazemore, Associate Professor, Clinical Psychology Training Program, and faculty member of the Disaster Mental Health Institute at the University of South Dakota, and Roxanne Silver, Professor of Psychology and Social Behavior at the University of California at Irvine).

National Center on Disaster Psychology & Terrorism
Science is serving as a partner and liaison with a group in California who are creating a "National Center on Disaster Psychology & Terrorism" as a joint venture of Stanford University Psychology Department, Stanford Psychiatry, the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, and the Palo Alto Veterans Administration. Key players are Larry Beutler, Bruce Bongar, and Phil Zimbardo. A start-up meeting was held October 4-5, 2002 in Palo Alto, that was attended by representatives of each of these institutions as well as a variety of others, including James Breckenridge from Palo Alto VA; John Clizbe and Susan Hamilton, American Red Cross; Richard Gist from the University of Missouri; Larry Jacobs from the University of South Dakota; Larry James from Walter Reed Army Medical Center; John Kalafat from Rutgers University; Brett Litz from Boston VA; Clark McCauley from the University of Pennsylvania; Douglas Paton from Massey University in New Zealand, Dori Reismann from the CDC; Lee Ross and Alan Schatzberg from Stanford University; Roxanne Silver from UC Irvine; Phil Zimbardo, two men from the CIA and one from the FBI Academy, and Susan Brandon from APA Science.

The topics addressed were what is known, what needs to be known, and how can we fund research in a variety of areas related to disasters and terrorism: Theory and History of Disaster Psychology and Terrorism; What is Terrorism? Weapons of Mass Destruction: Immediate and Long-Term Consequences; Disaster Psychology: Conceptual Issues, Theories, and Definitions; Assessment; and Intervention. Because the primary focus of two of the three key faculty integral to the creation of the Center is clinical practice, it was our goal to (a) broaden the research basis of the Center to include other topics relevant to preparedness, response, mitigation, prevention aspects of terrorism, and (b) invite people that we know in the FBI and CIA and Solomon Asch Center, so as to connect the Center to other institutions and groups with similar needs and goals, as well as broaden the scope of its concerns.
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