SPSSI Communications Committee Updates—SPSSI Blog Highlight!

Ashley Votruba, Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln;
Communications Committee Chair

For many of us, the new year is a time of transition and an opportunity to think about new goals. As chair of the communication committee and editor of the SPSSI blog, I would like to encourage SPSSI members to consider submitting a blog post. It is a great way to (1) promote science communication to a broader, public audience and (2) explicitly discuss the relevance of your work for public policy.

The SPSSI blog—Sound Science, Sound Policy—is hosted by Psychology Today at  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sound-science-sound-policy. The blog features short articles written by SPSSI members about how their areas of research and expertise connect with public concern and public policy. Some posts are written by authors who discuss the implications of their recently published research, often connecting that work to current social issues. Others use the blog to comment on current events, using their expertise to interpret an area of scientific literature research, drawing connections between that research and the current events. Both formats are welcome and encouraged!

The blog also covers a wide range of topics, across different areas of psychology and policy. For example, in 2022, Sasha Zableski and Robert Cramer wrote a piece that offered recommendations for crisis support lines in preparation for the implementation of the “988” line: Crisis Support Lines: What are We Missing?. Another blog, by Abigail Folberg, wrote about a recent publication examining the nuanced impact of gender stereotypes on career interests: How Gender Stereotypes Influence Career Interests.

Other blogs consider the implications of psychology for law and legal process. For example, a recent blog by Jennifer Robbennolt, Jessica Bregant, and Verity Winship examined the Fox/Dominion case, considering the public perceptions of civil litigation settlements: Responsibility, "Winning," and Apologies in Civil Settlement.

Posts published in our blog have reached thousands of readers and the committee is dedicated to continue expanding the number of posts published and the reach of this important work. If you are interested in contributing to the blog, please email me at ashley.votruba@unl.edu.

Contributors from all career stages are welcome, including early career professionals and senior graduate student. And, we especially welcome BIPOC and other underrepresented scholars. Whether or not you have experience with science communication writing, I am happy to work with you to create an excellent blog post!

Finally, as the communication committee chair, I would also like to acknowledge the Communication Committee members who have contributed over the last year, including Dionne Stephens, Courtney Bonam, Sarah Herrmann, and Alyssa Zucker. The committee has continued to work hard to pursue its objectives, emphasizing science communication. For those who may be interested, here is a link for more information about what the committee does: Communications Committee.

The work our committee does would not be possible without input from SPSSI members. Please reach out if you have any feedback on SPSSI related communication. I look forward to hearing from our community!

Ashley Votruba (Chair) – Ashley.votruba@unl.edu

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