2015 SPSSI CONGRESSIONAL LUNCH SEMINAR SERIES

SPSSI sponsored four Congressional Lunch Seminars in 2015. These one-hour seminars provided congressional staffers, policy professionals, and the public with knowledge of the research behind some of today’s most pressing social issues. The seminar topics grew out of the policy priorities outlined for the year by SPSSI’s Policy Committee, and together, the four seminars illustrate the breadth of research being conducted by SPSSI members that can be used to inform public policy.

Racial disparities are endemic in the criminal justice system, and at the root of these disparities are psychological processes that are part of normal human cognition.

In April of 2015, Dr. Jack Glaser of the University of California, Berkeley, delivered a Congressional Lunch Seminar on the causes and consequences of biased policing. The seminar was held in conjunction with the office of Congressman Jim McGovern. Drawing on his own research and that of the broader field, Dr. Glaser explained that the implicit association of blacks with criminality is one of the strongest and most widespread stereotypes in the United States, and evidence shows that police are not immune to this stereotype. He noted that, unfortunately, it is not yet clear what policies will alleviate these disparities. Simply banning profiling does not appear to have much effect; nor have training programs been shown to work. What is clear, Dr. Glaser noted, is that police cannot just ignore race and ethnicity. It is preferable to acknowledge the salience of these continuing divides and move toward an active “intent to not discriminate” standard based on data-driven accountability. Click here to learn more about this seminar. 

While many Americans understand that climate change is occurring, they have only a vague sense of what is happening and what can be done about it.

In May of 2015, SPSSI continued its Congressional Lunch Seminar series with Dr. Janet Swim of Pennsylvania State University, who spoke to policymakers about how to effectively communicate about one of the most pressing issues of our time: climate change. In an event sponsored by Senator Bernie Sanders, Dr. Swim argued that increasing knowledge—disseminated through organizations like the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation—is important to creating and sustaining a more confident public that is willing to discuss climate change and support climate change-related policies. She also talked about the importance of “framing” the discussion—showing that an emphasis on responsibility and stewardship of natural resources is most helpful in affecting climate change attitudes and behaviors. Finally, Dr. Swim discussed how we can encourage climate-friendly behaviors by altering our physical and social contexts, for example, by creating bike lanes or by installing solar panels on buildings. These kinds of “nudges” can help people to make pro-environment decisions. Click here to read more about this seminar. 

Immigrants continue to make a great contribution to our society but experience a number of challenges as they resettle in the United States.

Dr. Dina Birman of the University of Miami spoke at SPSSI's September 2015 Congressional Lunch Seminar, which was held in conjunction with the office of Congressman Jim McGovern. During her talk, Dr. Birman provided a broad overview of immigration today and spoke of the contribution psychology can make in understanding processes of acculturation and developing appropriate mental health and educational interventions. Dr. Birman also highlighted four policy recommendations that might alleviate needless pain and improve the life chances of immigrants: Customs and Border Protection should close family detention facilities that imprison mothers with young children; The U.S. should stop separating families by deporting parents of U.S. citizen children; The U.S. should develop policies that, at a minimum, do not penalize schools that serve immigrant children; and federal and State governments should support and develop culturally sensitive mental health services. Click here to watch Dr. Birman's seminar and click here to read more about it. 

Unwanted sexual contact has become almost normative for young women on campus.

In November of 2015, SPSSI hosted Dr. Jacquelyn W. White of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in another Congressional Lunch Seminar organized in conjunction with the office of Congressman McGovern. Dr. White's presentation focused on what we know about campus sexual assault, how prevention strategies can reduce its incidence and must be a central focus of our efforts, and what types of intervention and treatment strategies show promise and should be used to complement prevention. Her presentation also focused on the need for campuses to use valid and reliable campus climate surveys to better understand and respond to the needs of their students, staff, and faculty. Click here to learn more about this seminar. 

In 2016, SPSSI will be rolling out a new Congressional Lunch series focusing on a range of policy-relevant research topics. We will continue to partner with the office of Congressman Jim McGovern and other policymakers to make sure that the psychological study of social issues has a voice on Capitol Hill.