A highlight of this year's APA convention is the "Up close and personal" session with Yale psychologist Alan E. Kazdin, PhD, well known for his extensive research on children — and his sense of humor.
"This is a must-attend event," says Richard M. Suinn, PhD, professor emeritus of counseling psychology at Colorado State University. "Kazdin is a distinguished scholar whose talks and writing are highly informative, down-to-earth and always entertaining."
Kazdin is the John M. Musser Professor of Psychology and Child Psychiatry at Yale University and directs the Yale Parenting Center. His more than 700 publications include 49 books that focus on interventions for children and adolescents, cognitive-behavioral treatment, methodology and research design, clinical assessment, parenting and child rearing, and interpersonal violence.
"This will be largely a question-and-answer session, rather than solo pontification," says Kazdin, who warns that if there are no questions, he will "read riveting passages from his dissertation."
Expect lots of questions, though. Kazdin is perhaps best known for his groundbreaking research on the treatment of aggressive and antisocial behavior in children and is one of the nation's leading experts on interventions for children and adolescents, cognitive-behavioral treatment, parenting and interpersonal violence, and his unrequited love of methodology. He has appeared on "Good Morning America," "The Today Show," "ABC News," "20/20" and "Dr. Phil." (Although none of his books has been made into a movie or Broadway show, he notes, he remains "cautiously pessimistic.")
Kazdin is editor of Clinical Psychological Science, and has served as editor of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Psychological Assessment, Behavior Therapy, Current Directions in Psychological Science and Clinical Psychology Science and Practice.
Kazdin also served as APA president in 2008 and has received countless awards, including APA's Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Psychology Award and Distinguished Scientific Award for the Applications of Psychology and the James McKeen Cattell Award from the Association for Psychological Science. His research has been supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, the William T. Grant Foundation, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Rivendell Foundation of America, the Leon Lowenstein Foundation and Yale University.
During the APA convention session, Kazdin will discuss his research and future lines of research that will improve extensions of treatment to people in need of services. He will be available for book signing after the session.
Watch Kazdin's latest YouTube video on bullyingopens in new window.