Div. 24 presidential message on COVID-19 and division projects

Dear Colleagues:

I express my warmest greetings to you all. As I write this message, I think of all the good that results from our division—the important theoretical and philosophical contributions being made, the incisive critical thinking, the rich scholarly dialogue, and the collegiality. Div. 24 is filled with a unique group of scholars that have contributed significantly to psychology, and who have taught me much over the years. I cherish my interactions with you. It has been a pleasure to serve with you as a presidential trio member for the past two years.

It can be safely said, I think, that COVID-19 has created great challenges for all. From an APA standpoint, it has necessitated modifications to the annual convention format for this August. This year, our division’s plan—provided by this year’s program committee—is for the virtual sessions that will be provided in place of traditional face to face meetings. I’m hopeful that we can all have an invigorating experience despite the unusual format, and that what we do may actually allow more people to attend than would ordinarily be the case. In hopes of maximizing outreach, changes associated with this year’s convention may possibly lead to greater access to division programming in the future, especially for scholars not able to attend these meetings in person.

Earlier in the year, a COVID-19 Support Group was created within the division to help members stay in touch and provide support during this trying time. The group meets for an hour, every other week, by Zoom. I hope you’ve all been receiving email invitations and can attend, if you feel that you would benefit from being involved, or if you feel that your involvement could help others in some way. The group has been discussing psychological, social, and professional issues in light of COVID-19, and its ripple effects throughout society. The group has also discussed social inequalities and related issues that have arisen during the pandemic.

Our recent 2020 Midwinter Meeting, held Feb. 28-March 1 in San Diegoa, provided an excellent opportunity for intellectual engagement and social interaction. The Midwinter Meeting Committee—Gary Brill, Cacky Mellor, Emese Ilyes, and Chris Schuck—did an outstanding job with all of the arrangements. We were especially fortunate to be favored with keynote addresses by Brent Slife (Presidential Citation), Louis Sass (Distinguished Theoretical and Philosophical Contribution to Psychology), and Margo Okazwa-Rey (Invited Address). Our discussions regarding social justice issues, especially in response to Okazawa-Rey’s presentation on violence, racism, and gender, seem even more meaningful and important now, in light of current events. I was pleased to see a number of presentations focused on the issue of practice in psychology, as this year’s theme is “Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology in the Service of Practice.”

It is my pleasure to announce four new officers serving on the division’s executive committee. Our incoming president-elect is Josh Clegg, our incoming secretary is Stephanie Swales, our incoming treasurer is Joe Ostenson, and our new member-at-large is Bruce Jennings. I’m delighted that these capable individuals are willing to serve in these capacities. Their terms will begin in August. At the same time, I’m grateful to those who have served in these offices up to now and wish to express my deep appreciation for their conscientious efforts. Those individuals are: Past-President Mary Beth Morrisey, past secretary Joe Ostenson, past interim treasurer Gary Senecal, and past member-at-large Basia Ellis.

The Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology is now under the joint editorship of Bruce Jennings and Jim Cresswell, who started handling manuscripts earlier this year. I’m pleased to have our division journal led by these two excellent scholars and wish to thank them for their willingness to take on this significant role. It perhaps goes without saying that I’m also grateful to Brent Slife, our outgoing editor, for his tireless efforts in guiding the journal over the past six years. Under his excellent leadership, the journal has continued to garner a strong international reputation and become an even more successful platform for scholarly work in the subfield of theoretical and philosophical psychology.

I wish to suggest that the skills of the theoretical and philosophical psychologist are needed now more than ever. The critical analyses, theoretical clarity, and new conceptualizations we provide can go a long way toward improving how the field of psychology contributes to the world. I am particularly optimistic about the potential of theoretical and philosophical psychology to identify problematic assumptions or other obstructions to progress that afflict many forms of social and professional practice in contemporary life. A question that I hope we can all consider (or consider more deeply) as we move forward with our work is this: How can my scholarship, teaching, and other forms of practice help improve the world? As I invite you to consider this question, I wish to suggest that in doing so, we may collectively strengthen the Society for Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology as a community of scholars dedicated to the examination of psychology’s underpinnings and practical applications.

As I’ve said previously, please feel free to reach out to me or one of our members-at-large (Gary Brill, Michael Arfken, Bruce Jennings) if you have comments regarding our work as a Society. I hope that the rest of 2020 will be safe and productive for all.