By attending APA events, participants acknowledge and assume the inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 and other communicable illnesses that may result from the actions, omissions, or negligence of other participants, visitors, vendors, presenters, or third parties. Participants agree not to attend any APA event if they feel ill for any reason, believe their attendance may jeopardize the health of others, or are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, and further agree to cease participation immediately if such symptoms arise while onsite. APA may adopt, modify, or discontinue health and safety protocols at any time, in its sole discretion, considering applicable laws, venue rules, and guidance from public health authorities. Participants are expected to comply with all APA health and safety requirements, and failure to do so may result in denial or revocation of access to APA events, forfeiture of registration or other fees, and/or restrictions on attendance at future APA events. Participants are responsible for reviewing APA communications and event materials for current health and safety requirements and updates.
By participating in an APA meeting or event, I voluntarily waive and release any and all claims against APA, its officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates, vendors, presenters, and speakers arising out of or relating to my attendance or participation. I understand that APA events involve inherent risks, and I assume full responsibility for my own safety and well-being.
APA is committed to promoting a safe and secure environment at its meetings and events and works in coordination with venue personnel to help safeguard all participants. Attendees are urged to promptly report any concerning, unsafe, or inappropriate conduct to APA staff so that appropriate action may be taken.
During APA networking or social events, alcoholic beverages may be available. APA expects participants to drink responsibly. APA and venue staff, including the meeting host and any co-sponsor, reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to request proof of age or other identification before serving alcoholic beverages, to refuse service of alcoholic beverages for any reason, and, if necessary, to require a participant to leave the event.
The American Psychological Association’s Meeting Code of Conduct (for Virtual and In-Person APA Events)
The American Psychological Association (APA) is committed to fostering a welcoming and collegial community at APA events to ensure that all participants may participate in a safe and productive environment. Individuals should exercise consideration and respect at all APA meetings, events and social gatherings related to or in conjunction with APA functions, including receptions and dinners. The purpose of the code is to protect participants in APA sponsored or co-sponsored events from harm.
This policy applies to all APA event participants and APA staff. A non-exhaustive list includes meeting attendees, guests, vendors, exhibitors, sponsors, and presenters.
Examples of unacceptable behavior include but are not limited to:
- Promoting or participating in harassment, bullying, discrimination, or intimidation on-site, online, and/or on social media.
- Physical, verbal, written, or other forms of abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, staff member, service provider, or other guest.
- A non-exhaustive list of examples of abuse includes verbal conduct related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, national origin, socioeconomic class or other protected categories under an anti-discrimination law; inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces or in presentations.
- Threatening or stalking in-person or online.
- Blocking, preventing, or otherwise restricting any registered attendee from accessing or participating in any APA sanctioned session(s), meeting(s), or event(s) held at the Convention Center or at any APA contracted hotel or venue, including, without limitation, by closing, locking, or otherwise securing the doors or points of ingress or egress to any meeting room or event space, except as may be required by applicable law, regulation, venue security protocol, or written APA policy.
- Disrupting, disallowing or interfering with the participation by others.
- Share session access links, login credentials, or meeting codes with unregistered individuals.
- Record, capture, or screenshot virtual sessions without prior written consent from APA.
- Engage in disruptive or unprofessional conduct in virtual interactions, including chat, video, and messaging functions.
In addition, meeting attendees may not:
- Engage in conduct that could harm another’s privacy or professional reputation, including:
- Defamation.
- Criminal offenses.
- Conflict of Interest.
- Post, display, or distribute fliers, signage, or other materials in any location without the prior written consent of APA. This restriction applies to all APA-contracted and APA-utilized spaces, including but not limited to meeting and session rooms, pre-function areas, restrooms, guest rooms, lobbies, corridors, escalators, elevators and elevator doors, and any hotel or convention center furniture and fixtures. If such materials are posted, APA may remove such messages and take steps to prevent such policy violations in the future.
- Record presentations without written consent of APA.
- Promote or sell products/services, including those offered by speakers, vendors, industry partners, or consultants, except as approved to do so in APA-designated exhibit space (virtual or physical).
- Deny access to sessions to others. All meetings held during APA conventions/events are open to all registered participants unless APA has authorized them to be designated as closed. Meetings hosted by Affiliates (including divisions, state psychological associations, and other affiliated groups) that are intended to be closed must display APA-authorized signage (provided by the APA staff event planning team) indicating the meeting is private. Affiliate meetings that are closed without such signage must be held off official premises and outside of official Convention Center and APA contracted hotels. Meetings hosted by APA—including board, committee, and governance meetings—may be open or closed at APA's discretion without signage. APA reserves the right not to share information about closed meetings in APA official agendas, including any event app.
If an individual engages in prohibited or otherwise unacceptable behavior at an APA meeting or event, APA may take any action it deems appropriate in its sole discretion, including, but not limited to, immediate removal from the meeting or event without refund or restriction; prohibition of attendance at future APA events; referral of the matter to the APA Ethics Office or Ethics Committee; notification of the individual’s employer or relevant licensing or credentialing bodies; contact with event security or law enforcement authorities; and any other remedial or protective measures deemed necessary by APA. APA retains the discretion to take immediate action when warranted by the circumstances, to impose interim measures during the review or investigation of any report or complaint, and to initiate, continue, or complete such review or investigation after the conclusion of the meeting or event when appropriate.
Individuals who witness or experience inappropriate conduct should report such conduct onsite to the APA Registration Staff. Any person submitting a written or oral complaint to APA about another’s conduct must act in good faith and have reasonable grounds for believing the action indicates a violation of this Policy. Any allegations that an individual makes that prove to have been made maliciously or knowingly false will be considered a serious offense by APA and in such cases, APA reserves the right to take actions it deems appropriate. Retaliation against an individual who has filed a complaint is strictly prohibited.
APA will promptly investigate all reports of harassment, discrimination, and other misconduct. All investigations/actions will be handled as confidentially as practicable in accordance with applicable legal requirements with the guidance of APA’s General Counsel or their designee.
The APA Interim Policy on Generative AI for the Submission of Convention (and Event) Related Materials was developed to ensure transparency in the submission process. This policy, which may be updated to reflect technological advancements, is crucial for all presenters to understand. The current version of this policy will always be available on the convention/event website.
NOTE: For this policy, AI refers to generative Large Language Model AI tools and does not include grammar-checking software, citation software, or plagiarism detectors.
- Generative AI Utilization: Generative AI models may assist presenters in creating APA convention/event presentations or materials but cannot compose the entire session content. The unique creative contributions and experiential insights of human experts are irreplaceable and integral to the unique offerings of APA.
- Quality Assurance Affirmation: By submitting your materials to APA, you affirm that you have read, understood, and are comporting with the policy. This includes but is not limited to ensuring that content produced by AI is accurate, such as cited publications and presenter resumes. Additionally, presenters are responsible for securing any necessary copyrights.
- AI Disclosure Requirement: Use of AI in material(s) development must be disclosed, detailing AI’s usage and extent of contribution, both on the presenters’ submission form (check the box yes in response to the question, “Was AI used in developing this submission? And if so, how?”), and appropriately cited (How to cite ChatGPT (apa.org))
- AI Output Documentation: Upon request from APA, presenters may need to provide the complete AI-generated content as supplementary documentation for review. Accordingly, presenters are encouraged to keep all AI supporting materials, so they are available upon request. Failure to provide such documentation, if asked, may preclude the content or presentation from being included at APA 2026 or other APA events.
- AI Live Translation: APA will be using a third-party tool to provide live translation during the conventions/events. The translations provided are for informational purposes only and may not be completely accurate. We do not accept any liability for errors or omissions in the translations.
As with all APA convention/event program content, if materials cited or other information included do not exist, APA will reject them. APA will then determine the next steps based on APA’s policies and procedures, the specific facts and circumstances, and the APA staff's professional judgment.
APA holds the copyright to the official meeting program and all associated sessions. By agreeing to speak or present at this meeting, presenters agree to comply with the meeting’s recording and intellectual property policies. Audio and video equipment supplied by the association or venue is to be used only for the presentation of content and not for recording discussions, papers, or other presentations.
APA reserves the right to photograph, audio record, and/or video record any portion of the meeting, including sessions and events. Any other photography, filming, taping, recording, or reproduction of meeting content in any medium (including the use of tripod-based or fixed-position equipment) without prior written consent from the association is strictly prohibited. As an exception, non-flash photography and audio or video recording of a short portion of a session using hand-held devices for strictly personal, social, or noncommercial use are permitted, provided they are not disruptive to the session or participants and subject to the permission of the speaker or presenter.
The research findings, viewpoints, and comments expressed by presenters in session descriptions, presentations, or other meeting materials are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the official policies or positions of the American Psychological Association (APA). Similarly, the content of videos, media, or other materials displayed during sessions or workshops reflects the perspectives of their creators and not those of APA.
This meeting may include sessions developed by APA divisions or affiliated organizations, each operating with its own governance and review processes. These sessions reflect the breadth and diversity of psychology’s many disciplines and perspectives. While APA provides overarching guidance regarding meeting structure and professional standards, individual contributors bear sole responsibility for the content of their presentations. APA does not endorse, review, or censor the personal, professional, or political views expressed in any presentation or associated materials.
Contextual Statement
As psychologists, we seek to embrace and practice the ethical principle of “respecting the dignity and worth of all people” and create a climate of respect and inclusion throughout the APA community. In 2017, Council adopted a Civility Statement in response to challenges within APA during the time of deliberation over psychologists’ roles in torture during the Bush administration (Plante 2017). Although the goal was to facilitate productive dialogue during that time on Council, prioritizing civility as defined in the 2017 statement above other considerations may stifle critically important discussions. In addition, civility has historically been used to marginalize certain perspectives. As such, CLT recommends that the following principles be referred to as the “Council Dialogue Principles.” In addition, CLT recommends that Council members consult with the Ombudsperson to share observations and concerns and ensure that robust deliberation of issues can take place in contexts where perspectives may differ substantially.
Council Dialogue Principles
- Think carefully before speaking
- Differentiate and articulate facts from opinions
- Focus on the common good
- Disagree with others respectfully
- Be open to others without hostility
- Respect diverse views and groups
- Offer a spirit of collegiality
- Offer productive and corrective feedback to those who behave in demeaning, insulting, disrespectful, and discriminatory ways
- Uphold a welcoming environment for all
- Focus corrective feedback on one’s best and most desirable behavior
- Champion equity and inclusion
- Acknowledge and address unconscious biases
- Practice empathy and cultural sensitivity
- Be mindful of power dynamics
Operational Definitions of Counterproductive Dialogue Behavior
- Interrupting and talking over others who have the floor
- Overgeneralizing and offering dispositional character criticisms and attributions
- Using language that is perceived as being aggressive, condescending, or demeaning
- Speaking too often or for too long
- Engaging in disrespectful non-verbal behaviors (e.g., eye rolling, loud sighs)
- Offering false praise or disingenuous comments (e.g., “With all due respect but...”)
- Resisting change or new ideas without consideration
- Perpetuating stereotypes
- Failing to apologize or acknowledge mistakes
- Displaying favoritism or exclusionary behavior
