The General Psychologist
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American Psychology Association (APA) Society for General Psychology - Division 1 The General Psychologist American Psychology Association (APA) Society for General Psychology Volume 49, Issue 1 October 1st, 2014 Inside this issue Fifty years later: What have we President’s Column .................... 3 Incoming Board Members .......... 5 learnt from the Report from Program Chair ........ 9 1964 Kitty Geno- Origins of Division 1.................... 10 vese tragedy? 2014 Awards .............................. 15 William James Lecture ................ 19 What is the moral legacy of the Catherine "Kitty" 2014 Conference Highlights ...... 22 Genovese murder, 50 2014 Program Sessions .............. 27 years later? It was back 2014 Conversation Hour............. 29 on March 13, 1964 at 3 am that petite 28-year-old Kitty repeatedly In Memoriam: Rivka B. Meir ...... 31 screamed for her life when she was brutally attacked on her way APA Council Report .................... 33 home, but none of the reported 38 neighbors who heard Kitty's screams so much as phoned the police, as the psychopath brutally sliced Kitty to death in two attacks over an excruciating half-hour. Special points of interest The neighbors' inaction was so inexplicable that New York Times Edi- tor A.M. Rosenthal was moved to write his classic book, Thirty-eight Becoming a Member (p. 8) witnesses, which transformed Kitty's tragedy from an unreported Becoming a Fellow (p. 13) incident to a front-page headline around the world--that still impacts Award Coordinator’s Report (p. our society a half-century later. 14) Trivia quiz! (p. 18) In his book, Rosenthal asked a series of behavioral scientists to explain why people do or do not help a victim and, sadly, he found none could offer an evidence-based answer. How ironic that this same question was answered separately by a non-scientist. When the killer was apprehended, and Chief of Detectives Albert Seedman asked him how he dared to attack a woman in front of so many wit- nesses, the psychopath calmly replied, "I knew they wouldn't do any- thing, people never do" (Seedman & Hellman, 1974, p. 100). Fifty years later: What have we learnt from the 1964 Kitty Genovese tragedy? Though Ms. Genovese surely felt in the behavioral sciences. Thanks horribly alone and unheard that to Thirty-eight witnesses, Kitty's final night, it is hard to overesti- tragedy is now part of our popular mate the immense and diverse culture, as even those not yet born impacts her unanswered cries in 1964 know of the "38 witnesses" have had on western society: the and the "Kitty Genovese syn- national 9-1-1 phone system, vic- drome." Any social psychology tim services, rape prevention, com- textbook is incomplete if it omits munity self-help groups, Guardian the "bystander effect" and the Gen- Angels, Good Samaritan and duty- ovese tragedy. to-aid legislation, anti-stalking pro- grams and, of course, new research “Any social psychology textbook is incomplete if it omits the "bystander effect" and the Genovese tragedy.” Now, looking back 50 years later, looking at us in that 1964 Times "mug- Raymond Zack in Alameda, CA in we see at least four ironies about this shot" photo. 2011. Genovese tragedy, and its moral impli- 2. Common yet unique. Thanks Axel Casian in Turlock, CA in 2008. cations for society today. to Thirty-eight witnesses in 1964, we Shanda Sharer in Madison, IN in 1. Known yet unknown. As the quickly learnt that the Genovese trage- 2009. Times has often reported, Kitty has dy was not unique, but probably occurs Bonnie Bush in Manhattan in 1978. become an icon recognized around the daily--people injured in front of inac- Andrew Mormille in Brooklyn NY world, and her name is cited each time tive witnesses. Behavioral science has in 1965. a person is not helped by inactive on- identified and probed examples of the Baby Wang Yue in Foshan, China in lookers. Moreover, for years, journal- "Kitty Genovese syndrome"--like the 2011. ists and scientists have meticulously infamous 1984 "New Bedford bar-room James Patrick Bulger, age 2, in Liv- examined those final minutes of Kitty's rape," or the needless death of home- erpool, UK in 1992. life. Yet at the same time so much is less hero Hugo Tale-Yax in Jamaica, NY unknown, and new facts continually in 2010, and other tragedies of by- emerge about her tragedy. In March of stander inaction across places and 2014, two new volumes by Kevin Cook years: and Catherine Pelonero examine the Esmin Green at Kings County Me- same case and reveal dramatically dif- morial Hospital in Brooklyn in ferent conclusions about her death. 2008. And what do we know about the first Angel Arce Torres in Hartford, CT 28 years of Kitty's life? In a nation full in 2008. of talented authors, it is simply inexpli- Jayna Murray in Bethesda, MD in cable that it took 50 years to see the 2011. first biography in 2014, of this mysteri- Ilan Halimi in Paris, France in Continued on page 34... ous young woman with the soulful eyes 2006. 2 President’s Column Joan C. Chrisler, Ph.D. It is a pleasure to assume the presi- suite program and the successful events dency of the Society for General Psycholo- held there. Thanks also to Emilio Ulloa, gy, but I do so with some trepidation as who served as our treasurer this year. He well. I am following in the footsteps of resigned for personal reasons, but has some very famous psychologists – and been working graciously to ensure a some colleagues whom I respect and ad- smooth transition. Thanks to Eric mire. I hope to live up to the high stand- Charles, who served as our ECP repre- ards they set! sentative, a post he claims he has been trying to resign from for 2 years. We Committee Chair; Emily Dow, student Let us begin at the beginning – with have relieved him of those duties, but we representative; John Hogan, historian; the changing of the guard. On behalf of all won’t let him go away entirely (see be- Gerianne Alexander, editor of our journal, members of Division 1, I extend sincere low). Finally, we will miss our past-past the Review of General Psychology; Dana thanks to the outgoing members of our president, Dean Keith Simonton, who Dunn and Nicole Hamilton, coordinators leadership group. Janet Sigal was an en- completed his presidential cycle by chair- of our mentoring program. All of us are ergetic and dedicated president, and I ing the Staats Award Committee this year. at your service, and we welcome ques- enjoyed working closely with her over I hope he will take my phone calls! tions and suggestions about the division. the past year. She devoted a lot of her We also welcome volunteers who would time to rebuilding the Division’s Execu- like to be active in the Division; all com- tive Committee, which had a number of mittees need members, you know. open positions, and she chose well when she made her appointments. Jan also Now, let us look ahead. Although it successfully launched her presidential Our program theme for 2015 is may seem like only yesterday that we initiative – a mentoring program for Divi- “Unified in Our Diversity: were in Washington for the 2014 APA sion 1, which she placed in the capable Multiple Perspectives on convention, it is time to plan for the 2015 hands of Dana Dunn and Nicole Hamilton. convention in Toronto. You have already Psychological Science and Thanks also to Gina Brelsford, our won- received an email message (on page 9) derful secretary (and prior to that our Practice.” from our program chair to remind you of wonderful newsletter editor!), who has the due dates and to encourage you to finished her term and plans to pursue volunteer to review proposals. Our pro- other projects. But don’t think you have gram theme for this year is “Unified in seen the last of us, Gina; we will want you Our Diversity: Multiple Perspectives on back some day! Thanks to Josephine Tan, I welcome all of the new members Psychological Science and Practice.” Sym- Member-at-Large and Awards Coordina- of the Executive Committee, and I look posium proposals that address a topic tor. Her (usually) gentle prompts kept all forward to working with you all. Anita from multiple perspectives are especially of the award committee chairs on track, Wells is our new secretary, Deborah John- welcome, but any high-quality proposal of and her attention to detail means that son our new treasurer, Nancy Baker our interest to general psychologists certainly Division 1 has the most up-to-date web- president-elect, Mindy Erchull, our new will be acceptable. site and handbook of any division. We member-at-large, Clare Porac our new appreciate all of her efforts. Thanks to council rep, Alicia Trotman our newslet- Rosie Philips Bingham, our Council Rep, ter editor, Maria del Pilar Grazioso our who has completed her term of office. 2015 program chair, Jocelyn Turner- Rosie is a leader on the floor of Council; Musa our awards coordinator, and Avis when she goes to the microphone to Jackson our webmaster. They are all on speak, everyone listens. We are so lucky the job already (except for Clare, whose to have had someone of her stature as our term begins in January), and all are off to representative. Thanks to our newsletter a strong start. Just look at this newsletter editor Marissa Harrison and our 2014 for supporting evidence! program chair Grant Rich for their work. Thanks to our continuing members Those are big jobs with tight deadlines, of the Executive Committee, who are all which they handled with aplomb.