As of July 2024, Psi Alpha International Honor Society for High School Psychologyopens in new window is thrilled to have 105 chapters! The chapters have expanded internationally from the United States to Malaysia, Germany, and Vietnam. Psi Alpha currently has 5,156 members and is continuing to grow monthly. As a result of this growth, the team has welcomed two new interns to assist in research and media projects, with efforts aimed at improving students’ educational journey through psychology.
The organization recently offered scholarships and awards for members and advisors. The Psi Alpha Outstanding Psychology Student Scholarship is an annual scholarship that is offered to one student who excels academically and possesses leadership qualities in their chapter or outside in other ways. To receive this scholarship, students are asked to submit an essay that outlines their academic successes, service, and other information about their outstanding qualities, as well as a letter of support from a reliable reference who can attest to their leadership abilities. Additional scholarships are offered to an outstanding Psi Alpha advisor and to an individual chapter demonstrating outstanding service to their school or community.
The Psi Alpha research team continues to contribute to the world of psychology. Nevin Enering, Psi Alpha’s research and programs coordinator, and research intern Jacob Lindberg, are working alongside others on new research incentives. Enering provides some valuable insight into their recent project, saying, “Psi Alpha, along with Dr. Douglas Bernstein of the University of South Florida, is currently undertaking a research project focused on discovering the beliefs of high school psychology teachers regarding several misconceptions about human behavior and mental processes.”
He continues, “As high school psychology continues to grow, high school teachers become an important demographic to study as they are often a student’s first source in learning about psychological science. Building upon a study focused on identifying misconceptions in first year psychology students (Bernstein et al., 2023), high school psychology teachers who are Psi Alpha chapter advisors will take a carefully crafted survey aimed at discovering the prevalence of popular misconceptions in psychology. This data may help reveal what misconceptions in psychology require a heavier focus when teaching, while simultaneously assisting the researchers and teachers in creating new methods and tools to debunk these misconceptions.”
Psi Alpha is active on both Instagramopens in new window and Facebookopens in new window, posting weekly educational content. A recent series of posts focused on artificial intelligence, describing what exactly it is, how it can be used in psychology, related apprehensions, and proper APA formatted citations. Psi Alpha recognizes monthly awareness initiatives, such as National Make a Difference to Children Month, Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, National Stress Awareness Month, and Black History Month. Bringing awareness to such topics is aligned with Psi Alpha’s mission to enhance the understanding of psychology through nationally recognized awareness initiatives. Currently, Psi Alpha is spotlighting APA’s 54 divisions, highlighting each division’s mission and details about membership. And, keep a lookout for birthday celebrations of famous psychologists and information about their contributions. Information on Psi Alpha’s scholarships and important updates is also available on our social media platforms as well as the quarterly newsletter.
Abigail Dunn is a media intern for the Psi Alpha International Honor Society for High School Psychology. She recently graduated from Stark State College with her Associate of Arts in psychology and is continuing her education at Kent State University, studying psychology. Abigail enjoys reading and spending as much time as possible enjoying nature.
