SPSSI is Division 9 of the American Psychological Association

SPSSI was founded in 1936. While maintaining its status as an independently incorporated society, SPSSI also became an affiliated organization of the American Psychological  Association (APA) from 1937 to 1945, and Division 9 of the APA from 1945 to the present.

SPSSI actively participates in APA programs including the APA annual convention, the APA Council of Representatives (COR), and the APA Divisions for Social Justice. We urge our members to assign all 10 of their annual votes to SPSSI/Division 9 on the APA COR Apportionment ballot sent by APA each fall.

NEWS:

SPSSI JOINS APA SPEAKER NETWORK

Several SPSSI members have recently joined the APA Speakers Network, a directory of psychologists ready to share their expertise with others. The speakers are all experts on their topics, among the 5% of APA members elected a “fellow” of APA, based on their “unusual and outstanding contributions to psychology.” These include some of the premier psychologists in the USA--many leaders in their field, textbook authors, and at least five past-Presidents of the Association.

Topics span the full range of psychology—science, practice, teaching, consulting, advocacy. Some topics are general—such as stress, aging, sexuality, child-rearing, faith. Others are specific—such as crib death, airport screening, sleep inertia, laterality. Still others are highly practical for students and professionals—such as licensure, careers, teaching, ethics, publishing.

To apply to join the network, please fill out this application.

APA BYLAWS AMENDMENT FOR 2012

An important amendment to APA bylaws will be sent to the APA membership for approval this fall. This bylaws amendment proposes to seat the representatives from the Ethnic Minority Associations (EMPAs) on the APA Council of Representatives. At the present time, one representative from each of the four associations (Asian American Psychological Association at http://www.aapaonline.org/, Association of Black Psychologists at http://www.abpsi.org/, National Latina/o Psychological Association at http://www.nlpa.ws/, and Society of Indian Psychologists at http://aiansip.org/) is granted “observer status” to attend the APA Council meetings; however they are not allowed to vote. The bylaws amendment would give each association the opportunity to elect a representative who would be granted full rights and responsibilities equivalent to all other representatives on APA Council, including voting rights.
 
This past August, APA Council voted to request that one representative from each of the four EMPAs continue to be invited to attend and participate in APA Council meetings for an additional three years. It also voted (by 82% to 18%) to approve forwarding the bylaws amendment to the APA membership for a vote in November 2012. At least two-thirds of the voting membership must approve this bylaws change for it to pass.
 
BACKGROUND
This issue has a much longer history, and in fact, this is the third time that this proposed bylaws change will be brought to APA membership for vote. The EMPAs were originally accorded observer status as an attempt to increase the number of ethnic minority psychologists in APA and in the profession but also to improve the historically tense relationships between APA and members from marginalized groups.  The move to voting rights and full responsibilities for the observers is part of a larger set of joint initiatives involving the EMPAs and APA.
 
The last time that this bylaws amendment was sent to the APA membership it was defeated by a narrow margin (63.29% of the members approved; just less than the required two-thirds).  SPSSI has again adopted an official statement in support of the bylaws change:
 
“Division 9/SPSSI supports changing the APA bylaws to permit one voting seat each on the APA Council of Representatives (COR) for the Asian American Psychological Association, Association of Black Psychologists, National Latina/o Psychological Association, and the Society of Indian Psychologists. These ethnic minority psychological associations have had observer status on APA COR; it is now time to accord them voting rights and responsibilities. SPSSI’s support for the bylaws change is based on the results of research demonstrating the positive effects of diversity on individuals and organizations, and also on SPSSI’s longstanding commitments to social justice and inclusion. SPSSI believes that the work of APA will be enhanced, and that the field of psychology will be better served, by close collaboration between psychological associations and by including a range of perspectives in cooperative work.”

Recent Articles:

Report on APA Council of Representatives
By Allen M Omoto & Maureen O’Connor, Division 9 Council Representatives