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Volume 19, No. 2 DIALOGUE Dialogue — Fall, 2004

The Official Newsletter of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Chris Crandall & Monica Biernat, Co-Editors Short-Term Gains Will Bring Inside the Long-Term Pains at NIMH Current Issue: By Steven Breckler number of those articles have recognized APA Science Directorate support provided by NIMH grants. How News of the Society 2

It seems like everyone is talking about NIMH many of us have NIMH to thank for research lately. Have you heard the news? New assistantships in graduate school, post- doctoral fellowships, starter grants, regular 2005 Convention Update 3 leadership and a major re-organization is creating havoc for NIMH funding of basic research grants, instrumentation grants, or workshop funding? Most of us have been research in social and personality psychology. Letters, Announcements 5, By some accounts, grant support has touched, in one way or another, by NIMH 30 completely evaporated. Others are getting the funding. Society Awards 6, 7, word that NIMH funding will only be 23,29 available for “translational” research. Familiar The fact that NIMH has always provided program officers are gone, and their support for basic research in social and replacements are nowhere in sight. The sky is personality psychology is not simply a matter APA Convention 9 Submissions falling! The sky is falling! of luck or good fortune—it is a matter of legal mandate. Title 42 of the U.S. Code explains the purpose of the NIMH as “the Passings; Comings and 10, Some Historical Perspective Goings 12 Social and personality psychologists have conduct and support of biomedical and behavioral research, health services research, good reason to worry. NIMH has been our Editorial: Allawi, Violence, 11 principle source of federal research funding for research training, and health information and Future Peace many decades. Just take a look at the dissemination with respect to the cause, acknowledgement footnotes for articles diagnosis, treatment, control and prevention Forsyth on IRBism 14 published in JPSP, JESP, and PSPB. For as of mental illness.” The code goes on to say long as any of us can remember, a large (Continued on page 4) Report from the Graduate 16 Student Committee

Insel on What is Going on 17 Major, Leary, & Swim Elected Society Officers at NIMH? The results of the spring received a Ph.D. from Purdue term as Council elections were announced at University in 1978, has been Representative. She will APA Council Report 18 the Executive Committee on the faculty of SUNY- serve along with continuing meeting in Honolulu. The Buffalo, and is currently Representative Ed Diener. President’s Column — 19 new President-Elect is Professor at the University of Dr. Swim received a Ph.D. Hazel Rose Markus Brenda Major, the new California, Santa Barbara. in 1988 from the University Member-At-Large is Mark Mark Leary will serve a three- of Minnesota, and is SISP in Ann Arbor in 2005 21 Leary, and the new APA year term as member-at-large, Professor at the Council Representative is and will serve as chair and Pennsylvania State Janet Swim. member of some of the University. All officers of Story on Funding at NSF 22 standing committees. Dr. the Society begin serving on Brenda Major will serve a Leary received a Ph.D. from the 1st of January, 2005, three-year term, one year the University of Florida in and will attend the Harry Reis’ Parting News 26 each as President-Elect, 1980, and is Professor at Executive Committee as EO of SPSP President, and Past- Wake Forest University. Janet meeting at the SPSP President. Dr. Major Swim will serve a three-year Meeting in New Orleans. ■ Comment on Zajonc’ 28 Dangers of Unanimity Page 2 DIALOGUE SPSP Executive Committee Views Future with Significant Concerns, Hope The Summer Meeting of the SPSP exclusion of all other psychological APA’s Council of Representatives (see Executive Committee convened in processes, concerns, abilities, or p. 18 for a full report). The biggest and Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 1st and disturbances. The proposed agenda is most exciting development is that long- 2nd. After expressions of regret for the every bit as narrow as it sounds; things time Division 8/SPSP member Steve long distance necessary to travel to this are Very Bad. However, there is some Breckler has left his position at NSF to inconvenient location, a large part of indication that other institutes—such as head the APA Science Directorate. Dr. the meeting was given over to the the NCI (National Cancer Institute) and Breckler has been remarkably effective significant changes being implemented NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, & at NSF, and we have high hopes for his an NIMH. The food choices for lunch Blood Institute)—are increasingly influence at APA. Some of the things included vegetarian and seafood, but receptive to grant submissions from that the Science Directorate may the tone of the meeting was entirely social psychologists. address during his tenure are IRB Chicken Little. The important issues, building of infrastructure, difference between the concern of the APA Division 8 Business. Batja creating training workshops, and meeting participants and the children’s Mesquita reported on the Division 8 focusing on education of scientists. Of story is that, indeed, the sky is falling presence at APA. Honolulu is a course, the Science Directorate may (indeed, it has fallen; see Steve difficult location for a variety of have to spend significant time on Breckler’s article on p. 1). reason—the distance from most developments at NIMH. psychologists is great, the cost of the The meeting was convened by flight and hotels is high, and Sharon Brehm for APA President. President Hazel Markus, and the first competition from local attractions is Division 8 formally supports the order of business was the President’s intense. In spite of these difficulties, candidacy of Division 8’s own Sharon Report. Dr. Markus focused on the the attendance at the program was at Brehm for the APA Presidency. Prof. proposed changes in store for the least as good as expected. Sessions Brehm received a Ph.D. from Duke National Institute for Mental Health were well-attended for most everything University in clinical psychology, and (NIMH, which is a semi-autonomous (ranging from modestly good to very has published extensively in social- institute within the National Institute of good). As is typical for APA, personality psychology since then, Health, a federal government agency attendance toward the end of the including a 1981 book on that funds a significant amount of conference became smaller. Some of Psychological Reactance (with Jack research in psychology, and is the the normal difficulties appeared—some Brehm), and a 1985 book on Intimate largest single source of basic and rooms were the wrong size—one Relationships. Her administrative applied research funds in social- session had more than 80 attendees, but experience includes being Dean of Arts personality psychology). was in a room with 870 seats. Another and Sciences at SUNY-Binghamton, routine difficulty was the limited Provost at Ohio University, and The new NIMH Director is Tom Insel, audiovisual support. The cost of Chancellor at Indiana University- who has outlined changes for NIMH computer-driven projectors is still high Bloomington. [for more information on that nearly eviscerates all current enough that most of the sessions did Sharon Brehm, visit social-personality research funding. not have them; overhead transparencies www.brehm4apa.com]. APA members The priorities are to shift from the were still the most common should have received their ballots by wide-ranging basic and applied presentation tool. Despite the good now; return ballots are due to APA by research approach that characterizes the quality of the program, Division 8 November 29. The Executive past several decades, to a more attendance at APA is not as high as it is Committee considered the other four narrowly focused applied research for clinical and applied psychology candidates on the election slate and program specifically aimed at severe divisions. Submission for next year’s concluded that none of them deserved mental illness, largely from a biological APA Convention is described by the our endorsement. model. Insel’s program is close to the Chair of the Convention Committee, program promoted by the National Jud Mills, on p. 9 of this issue. Elections. The spring election results Association of the Mentally Ill were announced. The President-Elect (NAMI), a families-of-the-severely- APA Council. June Tangney and Ed of SPSP is Brenda Major, the new mentally-ill group that is finely focused Diener, the APA Council Member-At-Large is Mark Leary, and on direct, preferably pharmaceutical Representatives from Division 8 the new APA Council Representative treatment of psychoses, to the reported on recent events relevant to (Continued on page 3) DIALOGUEDIALOGUE PagePage 3 3

2005 Convention: SPSP Goes to The Big Easy By Lynne Cooper The program committee, chaired by Ed effectively for funds in a climate that Diener, has put together the most many see as increasingly antithetical to The 6th Annual Meeting of the Society varied and extensive SPSP program basic social science research. Staff for Personality and Social Psychology ever. The conference officially opens from the National Institute of Mental will be held in New Orleans January Thursday evening at 5:30, with a Health, the National Science 20-22, 2005. New Orleans, known for special session on the future of social/ Foundation, the National Cancer its fine cuisine, Old World charm, and personality psychology, featuring Institute, and the John Templeton good time living, is an ideal location perspectives from Hazel Markus, Dan Foundation will join us in New for the upcoming meeting. Expect Wegner, and Walter Mischel. Orleans to discuss what they see as the temperate weather (average day time Immediately following this session will best funding opportunities, but also highs in the 50s), and come prepared to be an informal reception, including some potential hurdles, for social/ have fun! light appetizers and a cash bar, as well personality psychologists. Michael as a poster session. Micklin, from the NIH Center for The recently renovated Sheraton New Scientific Review, will also join us to Orleans is the site for this year’s Programming runs from 8:00 a.m. to provide an insider’s perspective on meeting. The Sheraton is located on 7:00 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. preparing a fundable grant proposal. Canal Street, overlooking the You will be able to choose from an Moreover, if you are worried about Mississippi River and Harrah’s Casino array of exciting symposia, workshops, recent developments on Capitol Hill and bordering the French Quarter. This and invited speakers and panels. Some and would like to know how you can world famous area features exquisite highlights include invited addresses by make a difference, then attend APA’s architecture, elegant shops and Margaret Clark, incoming president of Science Advocacy Training Workshop restaurants, jazz clubs, and of course, SPSP, Robert Zajonc, Mark Snyder, where Steve Breckler, Heather Kelly Bourbon Street. The hotel is within Harrison Gough, and Phil Zimbardo. and Karen Studwell will provide you walking distance of the Riverwalk Symposia cover a wide range of with specific guidance on how to Marketplace, the Warehouse Arts contemporary and enduring issues in become involved. district, and other sites of interest social/personality psychology, from the including the Aquarium of the neural basis of social perception to the Finally, we are happy to announce that Americas and IMAX. New Orleans influences of social relationships on this year, thanks to the hard work and International Airport is 16 miles away. health. As always, lunch is provided on efforts of Randy Gordon, the Saturday Find out more about the hotel at http:// both days to allow you to take a night jam session will return to SPSP. leisurely look at posters while catching This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity www.sheratonneworleans.com, or visit the up with friends. to share your talents, as well as learn Convention and Visitor’s Bureau at http://www.neworleanscvb.com/new_site/ about the hidden talents of your This year’s program also includes a colleagues. visitortemp.cfm to learn more about the number of special sessions aimed at city itself. enhancing social/personality For more information or to register for

psychologists’ ability to compete the convention, please visit the convention website at http:// www.taramillerevents.com/spsp05/spsp.htm. Executive Committee, Society and Division benefits when Please encourage your faculty and Continued APA members list Division 8 student colleagues to join us in New membership; APA members who are Orleans for what promises to be (Continued from page 2) also in the Society should list Division another exciting and informative (representing Div. 8) is Janet Swim 8 on their APA membership dues form. gathering of personality and social (see p.1). psychologists. See you all in Budget. The Secretary-Treasurer (Tim N’Awlins! Membership. SPSP had 4117 members Wilson) presented the budget report. at the end of 2003, a record for the The budget has been stable for several The 2005 Convention Committee is Society; we expect to set a new record years, growing slightly larger each Lynne Cooper (Chair), Ed Diener by the end of 2004. For the first time in year, commensurate with the growth of (Program Committee Chair), Tim ■ several years, there has been an the Society. An unusual expense for the Strauman, and Steve Harkins. increase in APA members who are year has been the transfer of the cross-listed with Division 8. The (Continued on page 25) Page 4 DIALOGUE

Breckler on Long-Term Pains at NIMH, Continued

(Continued from page 1) research is at the heart of the new reach maturity for 20 or 30 years. The that the research program “shall include organization at NIMH. The newly newly planted trees are carefully support for biomedical and behavioral focused goal of NIMH is to “facilitate cultivated and cared for, because the neuroscience and shall be designed to translation of basic science discoveries farmers know that this is the only further the treatment and prevention of into new interventions.” This is great way to ensure future productivity. mental illness, the promotion of mental news. It is an important development, Each season brings one new crop of health, and the study of the and we should all feel a sense of pride trees ready to harvest, but most of the psychological, social and legal factors that our collective research efforts have farmers’ energy and attention is that influence behavior.” finally matured to the point of being focused on the 20 or 30 crops still translatable and put into action in growing—the ones that ensure future Legislators demonstrated considerable relieving the burden of mental illness. harvests. wisdom and foresight in the way they articulated the purpose of the NIMH in It is gratifying to know that some of the Perhaps NIMH should think of its Title 42. They recognized that treating foundation on which we have been responsibility in much the same way and preventing mental illness depends laboring for so many years is now as the tree farmer. It is appropriate— on a deep understanding of ready to support the considerable even expected—that some resources fundamental behavioral, cognitive, and weight of translational research. be invested in exploiting the mature emotional processes. Given the recent But let’s not get carried away. There is trees, the ones that are ready to bring amendment to cut off funding from two plenty of work still to do—the to market. In the case of NIMH, to basic behavioral research grants— foundation is only partially completed. invest some money in translational whether motivated by election year This point seems to be lost on NIMH research. It would not be prudent, politics or fiscal discipline—scientists and its new Director, Thomas Insel however, to raze the entire crop—for have an even greater responsibility to who recently told The Scientist NIMH to invest all of its resources in reassure members of Congress that magazine, “We are looking for areas translational research. I have no basic research in disciplines such as where people can complete a study and doubt that this would produce an personality and social psychology will go on—not just add a brick to the wall, enormous short term windfall, but ultimately provide a solid and reliable but start a new wall and finish it.” At what a terrible price to pay—with foundation on which to build new and the risk of pushing this metaphor too little or no investment in future effective approaches to treatment and far, it is worth pointing out that brick maturing research, there will quickly intervention. NIMH bears the chief walls are only as good as the cease to be any future knowledge to responsibility for building that foundation on which they rest. translate. foundation. NIMH has not yet completed its To be fair, the new organization at New Construction foundation. As it begins to spread its NIMH does continue to provide a The leadership at NIMH clearly sees wings and embrace translational home for basic behavioral research. the value in building a strong research, the Institute must not forget Yet, the relative priorities seem to be foundation. Indeed, the NIH website that it still has considerable work to do way out of proportion. Most of the explains that “investments made over in finishing what it started. resources appear to be destined for the past 50 years in basic brain and translational research, with only behavioral science have positioned The Forest and the Trees meager investments in basic research. NIMH to exploit recent advances in I like the building metaphor, but I think I think NIMH is better advised to take neuroscience, molecular genetics, another one better captures a a cue from the tree farmer, and behavioral science and brain imaging” productive approach for NIMH. Pine devote relatively more of its and “to translate new knowledge about trees are grown and harvested for their resources to basic research. fundamental processes into lumber and for pulp in making paper. It Otherwise, NIMH is pursuing a researchable clinical questions.” By takes a long time for a pine tree to strategy of short-term gains that will investing in basic research over a long reach useful maturity. Once it is cut carry long-term pains. period of time, NIMH can properly down, a product can be produced claim credit for producing the almost immediately. But the tree is A Narrowing Mission knowledge that is now ripe for gone. To sustain the unceasing appetite The current mission statement of translation. for wood and paper, tree farmers are NIMH states that the Institute aims to very careful to replace every harvested “reduce the burden of mental illness The idea of exploiting basic behavioral crop with a new crop—one that will not (Continued on page 7) DIALOGUE Page 5

of social cognition? In R. Jackendoff, Letters to the Editors Languages of the Mind: Essays on Mental Representation (pp. 69-81). Dear Monica and Christian: job you are doing with Dialogue! Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. This is in reference to the p.7 Jackendoff is a linguist and cognitive accounting of PSPB and PSPR editors —Ladd Wheeler and Peggy Clark scientist at Brandeis University, very in the Spring Dialogue. June 22, 2004 much influenced by the arguments of You might at some point wish to Chomsky and Fodor that the mind can mention for historical accuracy that Chris, Monica, be construed as a collection of "mental although the Personality and Social I really enjoyed the contributions to the modules" each responsible for Psychology Review was indeed started Undervalued Classics column in the performing some cognitive task in 1997, it was a direct outgrowth of latest SPSP Dialogue. The following (broadly construed). While most the annual Review of Personality and two papers are not exactly undervalued cognitive scientists have focused on Social Psychology, published 1980- classics, because I don't think that "input-output" modules associated with 1995. The Editors were: many social psychologists ever knew language and perception, Jackendoff Ladd Wheeler, 1980-83 about them in the first place. But lays out the arguments that one or Phil Shaver, 1983-86 people should have known, and if they mental modules are specifically Clyde Hendrick, 1986-90. didn't know part of the fault is mine, so devoted to social cognition. As with Margaret Clark, 1990-95 please let me take your series on other modularity arguments, the Undervalued Classics as the implication is that each of these mental It was the custom for the previous opportunity to correct an error of modules is associated with a specific Editor to overlap one year with the omission. brain module or system—hence the subsequent Editor. connection to social neuropsychology In our papers encouraging personality (we preferred "neuropsychology" to By 1995, Sage Publications was and social psychologists to take an neuroscience" on the ground that demanding control of the content, interest in neuropsychological evidence psychology is primarily concerned wanting each volume to be thematic (SESP 1993, JEP:General 1996, and with mind and behavior, while and to appeal to audiences in addition PSPR 1998), Stan Klein and I neuroscience is concerned with—well, to social and personality psychologists. unaccountably neglected to cite two neurons): Jackendoff, R. (1994). Social Peggy Clark suggested that we publish articles by Ray Jackendoff that organization. In R. Jackendoff, it as a journal (rather than annual influenced our thinking (I heard Ray Patterns in the Mind: Language and volume) for personality and social give a colloquium based on the 1992 Human Nature (pp. 204-222). New psychologists. paper at Arizona sometime before I left York: Basic Books. in 1994). Neither paper made it into the And so the Personality and Social Foundations in Social Neuroscience In this paper, Jackendoff extends the Psychology Review rose out of the volume recently edited by John analysis to consider precisely what ashes of the Review of Personality and Cacioppo et al. (MIT Press, 2001), aspects of social cognition might be so Social Psychology. either, so I don't feel so bad, but they universal as to be plausibly are so interesting that they ought to be modularized. Based in part on the work Best regards, and thanks for the terrific more widely read. of Alan Fiske, he argues that there are Jackendoff, R. (1992). Is there a faculty specialized modules for face and voice perception, and for processing information about kinship, group membership, and dominance. The Dialogue’s First Limerick proposal for a face module anticipates “The More We Read It, the More We Like It,” the current controversy over the nature of the "fusiform face area", and there is Say Editors. a discussion about the "theory of mind" in humans and nonhuman By William Ickes and Gordon Bear animals that foreshadows more recent interest in mindreading in children "Repeated exposure," said Zajonc, (and chimpanzees) and mindblindness "Makes liking increase," in defajonc in people with autism. of maxims that said contempt comes instead. Thanks for listening. Thus witness the triumph of scajonc. —John Kihlstrom June 25, 2004 ■ Page 6 DIALOGUE

Salvatore Maddi Wins Henry A. Murray Award His work on hardiness as a measure By Nicole Barenbaum The Committee paid special note of of existential courage is his attention to a number of vital interdisciplinary, combines "tough" The Murray Award committee has issues in personality, but especially and "tender" approaches to chosen Salvatore R. Maddi as the for the need for vigorous theorizing personality, and has inspired a great 2004 recipient of the award. Dr. in personality psychology. deal of promising research. Maddi is Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Irvine. Several former Murray award The members of the Murray Award recipients recommended Professor Committee were June Tangney, The committee recognizes Maddi for this award, including, Dan Ogilvie, Jim Anderson, and the Professor Maddi's important Ravenna Helson, Suzanne Ouellette Chair was Nicole Barnenbaum. contributions to the "grand theory" and M. Brewster Smith. The tradition in personality psychology. committee uniformly agreed, See the call for nominations for the This tradition is exemplified by his finding that Professor Maddi's work 2005 Henry A. Murray Award in classic text, Personality Theories: A was a strong example of several of the article below. ■ Comparative Analysis (1st edition, the criteria of the Murray Award. 1968; 6th edition, 1996).

Call for Nominations for the Henry A. Murray Award

Nominations are being sought for bringing together a variety of Chair, Henry A. Murray Award the Henry A. Murray Award for disciplines, theoretical viewpoints, Committee, Department of distinguished contributions to the and research techniques. Psychology, Rutgers University, 53 study of individual lives and whole (b) Conceptual tools that lend Avenue E, Piscataway, NJ 08854 persons. The Award, established in themselves to the integration of the (email: [email protected]; 1978, is made annually to recognize tough and tender in personality phone: 732-445-3105). and encourage those working in the research. demanding and difficult tradition (c) A theoretical outlook that Nominations should include three pioneered by Professor Murray. The recognizes intrapsychic structure letters of recommendation that awardee receives $1,000 and is and the thematic unity of individual describe how the candidate meets asked to present a Murray Award lives in the midst of phenotypic the award criteria, a copy of the address at the meeting of the APA diversity. nominee’s CV, and no more than 5 the following year. reprints of his/her work selected for (d) Interest in imagination and in their relevance to Award's criteria. Salvatore Maddi, the biography, literature, and myth as Nominations are due by May 1, psychological data. 2004 Henry A. Murray 2005. Award winner, will be (e) Interest in the biological, social, and cultural contexts of personality. Salvatore Maddi, the most recent honored at the 2005 APA (f) A style of intellectual leadership Murray Award winner (see article meeting. that has contributed to outstanding above) , will be honored at the work that exhibits several of these American Psychological

characteristics. Association meeting in August of The Murray tradition may be 2005. Other recent winners include characterized as follows: Seymour Epstein, David Winter, Nominating materials should be ■ (a) Receptiveness to the value of sent to Professor Daniel M. Ogilvie, and Carol Ryff. DIALOGUE Page 7 Mark Snyder Wins 2004 Donald T. Campbell Award By David Dunning self-monitoring inspired an situation interface provided a astonishing range of work. His more meta-theoretical approach to The 2004 Donald T. Campbell elegant proposals about the person/ how personalities and situations Award Committee recommended, situation debate, mapping the ways interact to produce social and the Executive Committee of the in which people influence their behavior. His work on Society approved Mark Snyder of situations as well as are influenced volunteerism does not focus on a University of Minnesota, as this by them, provided a fresh direction specific variable influencing pro- year’s Donald T. Campbell award for resolving one of psychology’s social behavior, but rather on how recipient. enduring questions. His research on a more general functional behavioral confirmation processes approach can be exploited to The committee was gratified to demonstrated in elegant detail how provide fundamental insights into discover that recommending a name social expectancies lead to the self- human action. was a difficult task, requiring us to perpetuating nature of social choose among several eminent stereotypes. His more recent efforts The committee also noted his scholars with astonishing records of have turned to volunteerism; in other contributions to the field. productivity, innovation, impact, doing so, he has reintroduced social Mark Snyder has served as and service to the field. psychology to the value of President of the SPSP, and on the functional approaches to social board of the American We chose Mark Snyder because his behavior. Psychological Society. He has many theoretical and empirical served on many award contributions have had a broad and Snyder’s work is characterized by committees, editorial boards, lasting impact on social its depth and breadth of thought. search committees, and grant psychology, personality His work on any topic often review boards. psychology, and beyond. His work contains not a specific theory but is methodologically rich, diverse, rather a more wide-ranging meta- The 2004 Campbell Award and rigorous. By all criteria, Mark theoretical framework for the study Committee consisted of Nalini Snyder is a distinguished scholar. of human behavior. For example, Ambady, Robert Cialdini, and ■ His ground-breaking research on his scholarship on the person/ David Dunning, Chair.

Breckler on NIMH, Cont. should be reminded that its intentioned. It is high time that NIMH responsibility is much broader. invest more resources in translational research. But the pendulum must not (Continued from page 4) This is an important point, because I be allowed to swing too far in the other and behavioral disorders.” This does suspect that most (not all) of the direction, as many signs suggest it is. indeed reflect the legislative mandate personality and social psychology Program officers who are able to to “further the treatment and research funded in the past by NIMH represent the interests and expertise of prevention of mental illness”. But that has focused on understanding personality and social psychology are is only one part of the mandate. NIMH psychological and social factors that found in far fewer numbers among the is also charged with responsibility for influence behavior, often with the staff at NIMH. Social and personality supporting research aimed at ultimate goal of learning how to psychologists are reporting in alarming promoting positive mental health, and promote positive mental health. It is numbers that their grant applications research on the psychological, social, this facet of the legislative intent that are being returned unreviewed. and legal factors that influence NIMH, through its actions and its re- Descriptions of funding priorities are behavior. It would appear that NIMH organization, threatens to diminish or noticeably silent when it comes to has elected to focus on only a portion even eliminate. research on psychological and social of its legislative mandate—the portion factors that influence behavior. Every having to do with mental illness. What Can We Do? indication suggests that too few new Without diminishing the importance of Thomas Insel is careful to justify his trees are being planted by NIMH. this facet of the mandate, NIMH course of action. His goals and motivations are honorable and well- (Continued on page 8) Page 8 DIALOGUE

Call for Nominations

The Publications Committee and the Executive Committee of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc., has opened nominations for the editorship of Personality and Social Psychology Review. The editor’s term will be for 4 years (with a mutual option to renew for 2 additional years); receipt of manuscripts will begin on or about January 1, 2006. The editor’s stature in the field should be commensurate with PSPR’s high quality and impact; the editor typically holds the rank of professor. Nominations, which may include self-nominations, should be in the form of a statement of one page or less. All inquiries or nominations should be submitted via email ([email protected]) or regular mail:

Richard W. Robins Department of Psychology University of California, Davis One Shields Ave. Davis, CA 95616-8686

Review of nominations will begin as nominations are received, with initial deliberations for recommendations to the Executive Committee beginning November 1, 2004.

Breckler on NIMH, Cont. research is relevant to the mission of This one is tough, and requires a little the Institute. I have talked with a altruistic behavior: Continue submitting number of colleagues who feel that this your proposals to NIMH. We must not (Continued from page 7) should not be necessary. After all, let the proposal load dwindle, because APA has been working hard to make NIMH has appreciated the importance that would simply reinforce and justify our concerns known. Norman of our research for so many years, why NIMH’s actions. It is perfectly Anderson (APA CEO) and I met must we now stop to explain it? Let’s appropriate to submit the same or privately with Thomas Insel about consider ourselves fortunate for past similar proposals to other funding these issues, and the APA Science indulgences, and apply ourselves more agencies, so you need not cut off other Directorate has taken every opportunity vigorously to future education and potential sources of funding. Proposal to address Insel and the NIMH Council advocacy. pressure is an important factor in at their public meetings. We have made determining funding priorities at our concerns known to those in the Make your opinions known. Contact the agencies such as NIH and NSF, so media—a good example is the recent leadership at NIMH and NIH, and don’t give up. short piece in Science magazine. We explain as persuasively as you can why have also been working with our they are pursuing a flawed course of Many of us serve on NIH review panels partners in advocacy, most notably the action. Contact your congressional and study sections. We must maintain Federation for Behavioral, representative or your state’s senators, our presence on those panels. Part of Psychological, and Cognitive Sciences. and explain why the changes at NIMH the NIMH strategy has been to skirt

are producing unfortunate around the priority scores generated by So what else can we do? I am a little consequences for you at home. Write peer reviewers, sometimes funding worried about social and personality letters or opinion columns for proposals with lower ratings because psychologists who are so quickly newspapers, magazines, and they fit better with new institute playing the role of victim. Rather than newsletters to get the word out. Speak priorities. This flexibility has always feeling sorry for ourselves, we can up! But do it in a thoughtful and existed at NIH, but it can only be devote some attention and energy to at persuasive manner. The APA Science pushed so far without completely least the following things: Public Policy Office can provide dismissing peer review. Good

substantial guidance and help in these behavioral science proposals must We can do a much better job in making efforts. Make it a habit to visit our continue to receive high marks from the case for the value and importance public policy website regularly at review, as a way of signaling that high- of basic behavioral research. And if we http://www.apa.org/ppo/scippo.html, and quality science is available for funding. are seeking funding from NIMH, we please contact us at APA for assistance. It is also important that high review can do better in explaining why our (Continued on page 23) DIALOGUE Page 9

Submissions Guidelines for the 2005 APA Convention By Judson Mills supported. For poster proposals, Audiotape cassette recorder for

you must enter all information from playback only. LCD projectors (on The 2005 APA Convention will be beginning to end, review your a limited basis). Overhead projector held Thursday, August 18 through work, and then submit it. For for transparencies; 35mm slide Sunday, August 21 in Washington, symposium proposals, a login ID projectors will not be provided. If DC. Most meetings will be in the and password are required. Your additional equipment is required Washington Convention Center. login ID will allow you to begin a for a presentation, APA will bill the Information and forms for symposium proposal, save your presenter at cost. If presenters registration and housing will work as you complete each screen request equipment other than that appear on the APA Web site: of data, and optionally return later listed (e.g., a videotape playback www.apa.org/convention. to finish the submission. One login unit and one monitor, $185, or [if ID can submit multiple symposia not provided by APA] an LCD The following information proposals. When a proposal has computer projector, stand, and concerning submissions to the been submitted successfully, you cabling, $356), they must be program comes from the Call for will see a screen acknowledging prepared to cover any expenses Programs. Proposals for your submission with a proposal incurred. In an effort to respond to presentations will be considered if ID. Print that screen and save the participants who require received by December 3, 2004. proposal ID for future reference. If PowerPoint and videotape playback (Note: Only posters and you do not receive a proposal ID at equipment for their presentations, symposiums will be considered for the end of your submission, retry. APA will set aside several rooms the program of SPSP, which is where this equipment will be APA Division 8). A nonmember of Titles of presentations must not provided. Sessions for which an APA may submit a proposal if an exceed 10 words. Poster proposals LCD projector or 1/2” VHS video APA member is a coauthor of the require a 500- to 1,000-word equipment is required will be presentation or sponsors the summary that should include a scheduled insofar as possible in proposal. All chairpersons of statement of the problem, subjects these rooms. When submitting your sessions must be APA members. used, procedure, results, and proposals for consideration, All program participants (members, conclusions. Symposium proposals indicate whether you plan to use nonmembers, and students) are require a 300-word general PowerPoint (with or without expected to register for the meeting summary AND a 300-word sound) or video equipment. If and pay registration fees. summary of each presenters’ sessions using PowerPoint or video Individuals are limited to two contribution. Discussants’ cannot be accommodated in these participations in the program. comments need not be submitted. rooms, presenters will be asked to Participation refers to the actual All arrangements for the proposed take responsibility for rental presentation of a paper in a poster symposium, including written charges as noted above. The session or in a symposium, but acceptance by each participant, Convention Office must receive all does not include being a must be complete when the requests for equipment from symposium chair who does not symposium is submitted. Symposia presenters by June 15. Requests for present or being a symposium may be planned for 50 minutes or equipment received after June 15 discussant. ALL PROPOSALS for 1 hour and 50 minutes. will be provided only at the MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA expense of the presenter.

THE APA ONLINE CALL FOR APA encourages participants to use PROGRAMS located at: http:// handouts to present graphic Again, the deadline for submissions apacustomout.apa.org/ConvCall/. materials. If the use of audiovisual for posters and symposia is Dec. 3 This web site will guide you equipment is absolutely necessary, (at midnight), all submissions must through the submission process for APA will provide only one of the be sponsored by an APA member, your poster and/or symposium following pieces of equipment for and all submissions must be made proposal. Only Internet Explorer any single presentation (no via the APA website: http:// 5.0+ and Netscape 6.0+ are projectionists will be provided): apacustomout.apa.org/ConvCall/. ■ Page 10 DIALOGUE

and crudeness among fraternity men, In the early 1980’s, Kübler-Ross higher rates of both marriage and turned to providing care and support Passings divorce, incarceration rates, lower for babies born with HIV infection, This continues our section of very brief levels of career achievement, and a at a time when little other care was obituaries of psychologists of interest to wide range of antisocial behavior. provided. members of SPSP. If you wish to contribute Dabbs also showed that testosterone an obituary, or bring our attention to people we have overlooked, please e-mail the levels are influenced by social factors As a result of Kübler-Ross’ work, a editors, and we will be happy to include such as success at chess or other large number of psychology courses them. —The Editors indicators of prestige. on Death and Dying were created in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Many colleges and universities still teach this often James Dabbs, Jr. Elizabeth Kübler-Ross popular course, and a death and August 2004 August 2004 dying curriculum is required for many health professionals.. James “Jim” Dabbs, Jr. received a Elizabeth Kübler-Ross was a Swiss- Ph.D. from Yale University in 1962. born psychiatrist who received an He served in the U.S. Army as an M.D. from the University of Zurich Douglas N. Jackson intelligence officer, and held research in 1958. She is best know for her September 2004 positions at Yale University and the book On Death and Dying (1969), New University of Michigan. He joined York: Publisher, which suggested Douglas Jackson received a Ph.D. the faculty of Georgia State that each dying person goes through from Purdue University in 1955, and University in 1970, and spent the rest five stage of coping with death: spent most of his career at the of his academic career there until his denial, anger, bargaining, depression, University of Western Ontario. retirement in June, 2004. and finally acceptance, Jackson’s work was primarily in the measuresment of personality, Dabbs was best known for his The research evidence for the skills,and abilities. research on the role of testosterone invariance of the stage model of in social behavior, and published coping with dying did not In the 1950’s and 1960’s, personality about 40 articles in scientific journals accumulate substantially beyond trait scales and inventories were on the relationship between Kübler-Ross’ own interviews, and under substantial attack from several androgens and human behavior. This the stress and coping literatures have quarters about their content vailidity. work culminated in a well-received not been exactly kind to the scientific One controversial issue was the book Heroes, Rogues and Lovers: aspecte of the stage model. Later question of response sets, patterns of Testosterone and Behavior (2001), New investigations in near-reath reliable response to items that are York: McGraw-Hill, with his wife experience and evidence of life unrelated to the the “true variance” Mary Dabbs. beyond the grave were also met with or manifest content of the item, for substantial resistance form the example, the tendency to respond in Dabbs demonstrated that high levels medical and psychological a socially desirable manner. Jackson of testosterone, as measured in communities. and his colleauges focused on saliva, was an excellent predictor of a acquiescence—a bias toward saying wide range of behavior long believed Despite the failure of the stage “yes” to personality and atittude to be primarily based in personality, model in a research context, the items. Jackson and his colleagues attitudes, or other social phenomena. legacy of Kübler-Ross in the humane showed that this was a powerful A higher level of testosterone is treatment of dying people is tendency, accounting for substantial associated with including phony- unmatched; she profoundly changed variance in such measures as the looking smiles, dressing more the way health care professionals MMPI. Along with other researchers attractively by women, rough tactics view the dying person. It was shortly such as Jack Block, Jackson showed in domestic disputes, planful as after her book was published that the that response set tendencies were opposed to spontaneous homicides, American hospice movement took associated with important, greater apparent confidence when hold . Palliative and psychological interpretable variance with meeting with strangers, moodiness in care of dying people is now widely psychological meaning, rather than children, being a trial lawyer as (although not universally) available. being mere nuisance variables. ■ opposed non-trial lawyer, aggression DIALOGUE Page 11

Allawi's “Violent Past:” A Signal of Future Peace? legitimacy is the extent to which there with military occupation, car By Ryan Beasley and is a perceived "fit" between what the bombings, sabotage, assassinations, nation is like and what the leader is like Chris Crandall kidnappings and beheadings. Their (Crandall & Beasley, 2001). A contemporary world is economically The rumors of savagery began shortly legitimate leader properly represents and morally suspect, violent, and after interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad the group, and has the moral stature to dangerous. A proper and legitimate Allawi took office. The prime minister fit the office. A legitimate church leader must share these characteristics, had shot car thieves, chopped off a leader should lead a pure and blameless and if Allawi does not fit this hand during an interrogation, executed life, but a legitimate leader of a description, the rumors can make it so. suspects in a Baghdad jail. The details criminal enterprise should be were vivid and gruesome, but the dangerously ruthless. A leader who is Reports suggest the most common response of many Iraqis has been perceived to be similar to the nation response to the rumors is not to believe positive. Voices in the Western media can use this legitimacy to wield them, but rather to wish they were true. immediately questioned Allawi's fitness influence. This is not bloodthirstiness; in fact it is for office—how was such a violent quite the opposite. The rumors of strongman chosen for leadership into We have studied the "moral match" violence are a sign of support for freedom and democracy? If the rumors between the leader and his country. Allawi, an indication that the were doubted (and they are dubious), When our participants were given a population hopes for him to succeed, why are such ugly anecdotes so eagerly choice between hypothetical leaders of that he has the necessary qualifications reproduced? good or bad moral character, they to rule an unruly country. preferred the leader of good character.

Western reporters have dutifully tried However, an elected leader of bad Allawi's legitimacy as a leader is to verify the truth of these rumors. But moral character (cheated on his wives, substantially enhanced by these rumors, focusing on fact-checking misses how used illegal business practices, and so much so that counter-rumors exist these stories illuminate present day practiced dishonesty) was thought to be suggesting Allawi spread the tales Iraq. The rumors tell us less about what a more legitimate leader in a lawless himself. Allawi has denied the kind of man Mr. Allawi is than about and ungovernable country than in a violence. "It's a rumor by our enemies" the psychological processes that Iraqis peaceable and well-behaved country. he's said, which has done little to stop have gone through facing disruptive Legitimacy depends on a good fit the rumors’ spread along the Arab social and political change. between country and leader; countries street. Both the rumors and their denial that are dangerous and unpredictable— build legitimacy to separate One interpretation is that Iraqis, with like the current Iraq—need a leader constituencies. If these rumors are their decades of dictatorship, know who displays the same characteristics. being spread by Allawi’s enemies, they only strong, aggressive leadership; they are incapable of following a leader who are friendly enemies indeed. The rumors about Allawi bear a is not forceful or violent. Another surprising resemblance to the Reference explanation is that a cultural history of legitimacy of another leader and Crandall, C.S. & Beasley, R.K. (2001). barbarism and brutal suppression has crisis—the impeachment of President left Iraqi society with no vision of The perceptual basis of legitimacy of Bill Clinton. In surveys, we found that governmental leaders, the justice stability or justice without quick and Americans supported the impeachment bloody retribution. These conclusions system, and prejudice: Psychological of President Clinton to the extent that balance, attribution, and the perception are inconsistent with the nature of these they had a vision of America as pure of essence. In J. Jost and B. Major rumors, each of which ends with a and perfect. Because President Clinton (Eds.). The psychology of legitimacy: simple moral: a proclamation of did not fit their sense of the country, Emerging perspectives on ideology, justice, and strength, dogged determination, and they supported his removal. Americans intergroup relations (pp. 77-102). New hint of hope for the future. who had a morally complex view of the York: Cambridge University Press. nation, accepting the good with bad in These tales play a useful role of our history, did not favor impeachment. Note: Since the time that this op-ed piece was developing support for Mr. Allawi’s written (a few months ago), Iraqi public opinion leadership. They confer legitimacy on The rumors about Allawi are the mirror toward Allawi has changed. The Prime his leadership, and promote his ability image of Clinton's impeachment. Iraqis Minister endorsed the controversial invasion of to lead Iraq away from the past of both are fully aware of the violence of their Falluja, his popularity has decreased, and the Saddam Hussein and the occupation. country, of the disarray of the rumors of his savagery in defense if Iraqi justice ■ One important component of a leader's economic and social system; they live have ceased. Page 12 DIALOGUE

Comings and Goings Where have your colleagues moved? Below is an alphabetical list of recent job moves that social/personality psychologists have made. This list is surely not complete, but we’ve included everything that was sent to us. All moves happened this fall except where otherwise noted; year and location of Ph.D. appear in parentheses:

Bruce D. Bartholow (2000, University of Missouri-Columbia) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to the University of Missouri-Columbia

Jennifer Beer (2002, UC - Berkeley) to the University of California at Davis

Wendy Berry Mendes (2002, UC-Santa Barbara) from a post-doc at UC-San Francisco to Harvard University

Zachary Birchmeier (2004, Miami University) to Miami University

Steven Breckler (1983, Ohio State University) from the National Science Foundation to the American Psychological Association

Noel T. Brewer (2002, Rutgers University) from Rutgers University to the University of North Carolina.

Margaret Bull Kovera (1994, University of Minnesota) from Florida International University to John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York

Brad J. Bushman, Ph.D. (1989, University of Missouri) from Iowa State University to the University of Michigan

Catherine C. Byrne (2002, University of Nevada-Reno) from the Solomon Asch Center for the Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict (University of Pennsylvania) to the University of California, Santa Cruz

Kathleen Catanese (2004, Case Western Reserve University) to Saint Leo University

Emily Chan (2003, University of Michigan) to Colorado College

Charlene Christie (2004, SUNY University at Albany) to Indiana University-Purdue University at Columbus

Cathy Cozzarelli, (1991, SUNY Buffalo) from Kansas State University and the Children's Defense Fund, to the US Agency for International Development (USAID)

Alex Czopp (2004, University of Kentucky) to University of Toledo

Linda J. Demaine (1999, Arizona State University; J.D. 1993) to the College of Law and Department of Psychology, Arizona State University

Stephan Desrochers (2001, University of Nevada-Reno) from Claremont McKenna College to the University of Maine at Farmington

Sally Dickerson (2004, UCLA) to the University of California, Irvine

Elizabeth Dunn (2004, University of Virginia) to University of British Columbia (via a post-doc at University of New South Wales)

Scott Eidelman (2004, University of Kansas) to the University of Maine

Amani El-Alayli (2002, Michigan State University) from the University of Florida to Eastern Washington University (2003)

Steven M. Elias (2001, Colorado State University) from Western Carolina University to Auburn University Montgomery

Christian End (2002, Miami University) from University of Missouri-Rolla to Xavier University

Nicholas Epley (2001, Cornell University) from Harvard University to the University of Chicago (January, 2005)

Heidi Eyre (2004, University of Kentucky) to Delta State University, Cleveland, MS

Grainne Fitzsimons (2004, New York University) to Stanford University, Graduate School of Business

R. Chris Fraley (1999, University of California, Davis) from University of Illinois at Chicago to University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign

Mike Furr (2000, University of California - Riverside) from Appalachian State University to Wake Forest University

Bertram Gawronski (2001, Humboldt-University Berlin, Germany) from a post-doc at Northwestern University to the University of Western Ontario

Phillip Goff (2004, Stanford University) to Penn State

Wind Goodfriend (2004, Purdue University) to Boise State University

Heidi Grant (2001, Columbia University) from a post-doc at NYU to Lehigh University

Amy Hackney (2003, Saint Louis University) to Georgia Southern University DIALOGUE Page 13

Eddie Harmon-Jones (1995, University of Arizona) from University of Wisconsin-Madison to Texas A&M University

P.J. Henry (2001, UCLA) from a post-doc at UC-Santa Barbara to DePaul University

Sarah A. Hill (2000, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada) from Canadian Forces Leadership Institute (Kingston) to Directorate of Strategic Human Resources, National Defence Headquarters (Ottawa)

Michael Inzlicht (2001, Brown University) from New York University to Wilfrid Laurier University

Aarti Iyer (2004, University of California, Santa Cruz) to a three-year post-doctoral research fellow position at the University of Exeter (England)

Marty Kaplan (1965, University of Iowa) from Northern Illinois University to Directorship of Osher Institute of Lifelong Learning, California State University Channel Islands

Emiko Kashima (1989, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) from Swinburne University of Technology to La Trobe University

Jon A. Krosnick (1986, University of Michigan) from Ohio State University to Stanford University

Geoffrey Leonardelli (2002, Ohio State University) from Northwestern University (Kellogg School of Management) to the University of Toronto (Rotman School of Management)

Antony Manstead (1978, University of Sussex), from the University of Amsterdam to Cardiff University.

Dawn McQuiston-Surrett (2003, University of Texas at El Paso) to Arizona State University West (Fall 2003

Matthias R. Mehl (2004, University of Texas) to the University of Arizona

Stacey L. Nairn (2004, University of Calgary) to the University of Prince Edward Island

Christie Napa Scollon (2004, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) to Texas Christian University

Clayton Neighbors (2000, University of Houston) from North Dakota State University to the University of Washington (Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences)

Michael A. Olson (2003, Indiana University) from Ohio State University to the University of Tennessee

Jennifer Overbeck (2001, University of Colorado-Boulder) from a post-doc at Stanford University to the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business

Susannah B. F. Paletz (2003, UC Berkeley) to NASA Ames Research Center

Cynthia L. Pickett (1999, Ohio State University) from the University of Chicago to the University of California at Davis

Christine Rini (2001, UCLA) from the Ruttenberg Cancer Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, to Hofstra University

S. Ann Ropp (2003, University of California Santa Cruz) to the University of Alaska Southeast

Donald A. Saucier (2001, University of Vermont) from the University of Kentucky to Kansas State University

Jeff Sherman (1994, UC - Santa Barbara) from Northwestern University to U of California at Davis

Donna Shestowsky (2003, Stanford University) from Northwestern University (School of Management and School of Law) to University of California - Davis, School of Law

Jeff Simpson (1986, University of Minnesota) from Texas A&M University to the University of Minnesota

Deborah A. Small (2004, Carnegie Mellon University) to the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Russell Spears (1985, University of Exeter), from the University of Amsterdam to Cardiff University. Sanjay Srivastava (2002, University of California, Berkeley) to the University of Oregon

Jennifer Steele (2003, Harvard University) to York University (in 2005)

Michael Tagler (2003, Kansas State University) from DePauw University to Nebraska Wesleyan University

Stephanie J. Tobin (2004, Ohio State University) to the University of Houston

Michele M. Tugade, (2001, University of Michigan) from a post-doc at Boston College to Vassar College

John Updegraff (2002, UCLA) from a postdoc at University of California, Irvine, to Kent State University

Kip Williams (1981, Ohio State University) from Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia) to Purdue University

Michael J. A. Wohl (2003, University of Alberta) to Carleton University, Ottawa

Virgil Zeigler-Hill (2004, University of Oklahoma) to the University of Southern Mississippi ■ Page 14 DIALOGUE

IRBism: Prejudice Against Institutional Review Boards By Donelson Forsyth was triggered by two specific incidents researchers before the shutdown did not in which subjects in studies conducted have the drive to restart their research Alexander Pope, who opined that "the on the medical campus of the programs. And some faculty changed proper study of man is man," did not university complained to OHRP. No their areas of research and their have to convince an Institutional one was physically injured in the methods, recognizing that procedures Review Board (IRB) of the wisdom of research, but OHRP was displeased by they had used in the past would be too his words. Just this week I was told that virtually all aspects of our regulatory hard to move through the IRB process. I could not use the question "What city system: our IRB was not correctly does your romantic partner live in?" to constituted, panel members were not Students also suffered as a check if the subject was in a long- trained in IRB regulations, the outcome consequences of the death penalty. distant relationship (made the partner of studies were not being monitored, Some departments waived the too identifiable). Earlier in the year a and most behavioral sciences studies requirement for data-based reviewer objected to asking students were being reviewed by a shadow IRB dissertations for 2 years, and many about their mother and father's rather than the university-level IRB. students had to receive additional parenting style (reports on the behavior The costs of this shut-down in terms of funding for that period. The number of of unconsented third parties). When I science, education, and health-care new students admitted into programs said I would recruit participants from were extraordinary. All research was reduced for 2 admissions cycles classes, the reviewer wanted to know stopped, completely. Patients in clinical since funds were being used to support the precise wording of the speech that trials could not be given their students whose research was blocked would be used in the recruitment, and treatments for several weeks. Their by the IRB crisis. Many students also warned that ad libs would not be treatment could be resumed when made use of data collected by faculty tolerated. I comply with these requests, researchers received approval on a on large grants for their theses and feeling very much like a subject in case-by-case basis. Grant-supported dissertations rather than collecting their Milgram's obedience study pushing the and industry-sponsored research own data. lever down one more time. ceased, along with all locally funded research, including student theses and This disaster also triggered a But my university's IRB, despite its dissertations. To jumpstart these studies substantial change in our local IRB. It persistent intrusion into the research the university contracted with an took nearly a year for the university to process, is better than the IRB I had in external, pay-by-the-study, IRB, and build an IRB system that met standards the 1990s. That IRB rarely quibbled for a year researchers submitted their set by the federal government. The with the research methods I used, for it protocols to this group. These reviews number of staff members who worked concentrated its attention on the work took several months to complete, and in in the IRB office increased ten-fold, as being done on the medical campus of many cases only studies that were part did paperwork and time commitments my university. I was sometimes of multisite projects were green- to the task. Web sites were built, forms upsetting people for a couple of lighted. Since medical grants received generated, submission guidelines minutes by telling them they failed on a priority in that review, and the review hammered out, and training workshops bogus test of social sensitivity, but was very expensive, very few were put in place for all investigators. people were dying in the studies behavioral studies were reviewed. Now we have four IRB panels that conducted by medical researchers; the review every study—from studies IRB felt that behavioral research was Because of the shut-down some conducted by undergraduates in their small potatoes. But that IRB did not investigators could not start studies that research-methods classes to multisite meet the standards set forth by the were funded and so surrendered federal mega-grants—in a carefully managed Office for Human Research Protection funds back to the sponsor. At least 2 process. I am a member of one of these (OHRP, formerly OPRR) in the U.S. researchers in psychology who were panels, for I wanted to watch the group Department of Health and Human conducting longitudinal studies were at work and learn how to get my Services (DHHS, formerly DHEW). Its unable to collect data for 6 months, studies and my students' studies inadequacies were so worrisome that creating a clump of missing data that approved. Our panel strives to apply, on January 11, 2000 OHRP suspended reduced the value of the data set. systematically and without bias, the all human-subjects research at my Because untenured faculty could no federal regulations to each proposal but university after receiving an longer conduct research their tenure an IRB is a group and hence displays insufficient response to its complaints clocks had to be reset, and standards some of the decisional biases that about procedures and omissions in for merit pay were revised downward. social psychologists have come to (Continued on page 15) oversight. This OHRP "death penalty" Several older faculty who were active DIALOGUE Page 15

Prejudice Against IRBs, back after a year has passed, an entirely minds do not actually exist). These new set of issues may be raised and the shifts are natural and unavoidable, and Continued group may reverse its earlier decision. are caused both by changes in federal (Continued from page 14) Hence the researcher who helps the focuses and by local events. For expect from groups. Rarely do any IRB remember key aspects of its earlier example, our university's standard disastrous group processes set in--we decision will be rewarded. The IRB template made no mention of the don't experience groupthink (because also has a fascination for minutia, and requirements of "recruitment of we don't like each other much), we so sometimes obeys Parkinson's Law of subjects" until a subject complained to don't oversample shared information Triviality, which states that the time a the ethics office that she was being (mostly because we use the two-reader group spends discussing any issue will called, repeatedly, by a researcher who method in which each protocol is be in inverse proportion to the was pressuring her to take part in his reviewed by the entire group but two members are primary and secondary Where did Part 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations, readers), and we use appropriate titled Protection of Human Subjects, come from? decision rules. But we are sensitive to reading into the proposals evidence of According to OHRP lore the federal regs were developed the investigator's savvy regarding by a group—an unhappy, unstable triad, in fact. When ethics. Like a manuscript reviewer who issues of subject abuse in the medical profession arose in begins to question the quality of a paper because there are just too many the 1970s DHEW staff members were asked to draw up typos in the references, each inattention federal regulations for improving oversight in the area of to some (admittedly small) detail of ethics raises a red flag. If too many medical and social science research. Two members of the flags are raised, then the protocol is in group disliked each other so much that they refused to trouble. Investigators who are precise talk to one another, and so communicated all their points in their attention to the details of the ethics of their work move quickly to the third person—who created the basic tenets of the through the review. Investigators who current regulations. And while we many not agree with commit basic errors in the protocols (e.g., they fail to use the word the content of the regulations, they are so deeply "research" in the consent form; they do enmeshed in the documents of so many governmental not describe steps to take to protect the entities they can probably never be amended in a confidentiality of the data; they do not explain the risks clearly; they do not substantial way. provide a contact address of the office which processes complaints about the ethics of research; they do not provide consequentiality of the issue. study. A meeting was held on the a verbatim list of each and every Undeniably, social and personality matter, and from that moment on all question they will include on their research often raises questions about protocols needed to describe their surveys and questionnaires; they do not ethics and human rights. Do we have recruitment methods, and to be provide assent forms even though they the right to intrude on the privacy of approved they needed to use such will be studying students who are 17 others? Do we have the right to deceive language as "no subject will be years old your younger; they ask others by giving them a cover story that contacted a second time if he or she questions that are considered highly provides a rationale for the declines participation initially". risky, such as "have you ever felt so manipulations and measurements, or Because of the IRBs’ sensitivity to angry you wanted to harm someone expose them to noxious stimuli to test emerging issues, researchers must also else" or "are you ever bothered by their reactions? Unfortunately, IRBs be ready to comply with the demands thoughts of suicide?") find that their spend so much time dealing with typos of the system--even when the rules work is bogged down. But once an and the size of the check boxes on the change rapidly. investigator establishes a reputation for consent form that they sometimes being aware of, and in compliance, overlook these more fundamental These limitations of IRBs, although with the "rules," then their protocols matters. frustrating, are not sufficiently grating are reviewed more expeditiously. that they justify IRBism: an irrational Perhaps even more irritating is the hatred of Institutional Review Boards. The IRB also has a poor memory, as tendency for IRBs to change their Perhaps my own tolerance of IRBs most groups do. If a protocol comes collective mind (even though collective (Continued on page 29) Page 16 DIALOGUE

Activities of the SPSP Graduate Student Committee By Michèle M. Schlehofer half-day long career pre-conference at bigger and better than last year’s: not the 2004 SPSP Convention in Austin. only will we be able to accommodate President, SPSP Graduate This year, we’ve made the event bigger more students, we will be offering Student Committee than ever, and are pleased to announce more mentoring topics from which to Ever since its formation, the SPSP we will be independently hosting a day choose (roughly 18 in all!). Student GSC has continually expanded upon its long Career Pre-Conference at the 2005 SPSP members had many great projects, seeking to increase student convention! In addition to information recommendations for mentoring topics visibility and communication, and on non-academic careers, this year’s and mentors. If you are a Ph.D.-level offer opportunities for professional pre-conference will feature training and member, don’t be surprised if you development to student members. This discussion on interviewing skills and receive an invitation to serve as a year is no exception, and I am happy to the interview process, post-doctoral mentor for the luncheon! Students, report that the SPSP GSC has made fellowships, and grantwriting tactics, although attendance at the event is significant strides in getting several of all geared toward individuals who are free, you will be asked to pre-register our goals accomplished. In particular, either students or in the beginning so that we can best match mentors and we are offering a wide array of stages of their careers. The modest mentees. Look for registration activities at this year’s SPSP registration fee ($35.00) includes information posted on the SPSP convention, and it is these activities breakfast and a mid-afternoon snack. student listserv. that I’d like to take this opportunity to Additionally, the committee will be first describe to you. coordinating lunch reservations for For the third year in a row, the GSC those interested, to encourage will again be holding the Graduate Perhaps the biggest change to this networking and communication. We on Poster Award competition at the SPSP st year’s convention activities will be our the GSC are looking forward to this convention. With an October 31 Career Pre-Conference. The Career event, and hope that you can attend! deadline, the applications for the award Pre-Conference has its roots in a Based on the success of last year’s have been rolling in! As in past years, symposium on non-academic career mentoring luncheon, we are again secret judges will select one graduate opportunities the GSC hosted two pleased to sponsor, with co-sponsorship student during each poster session years ago, at the 2003 SPSP from the Training Committee, a second whose presentation reflects excellence Convention in Los Angeles. Due to mentoring luncheon, also to be held at in research, clarity in presentation, and interest generated from this the 2005 SPSP Convention in New personal knowledge to receive an presentation, we co-hosted with APA a Orleans. This year’s event will be (Continued on page 31)

Executive Committee Future Concerns, Hope, Continued

(Continued from page 25) for greater visibility and/or income. As committee’s purview (e.g., production and the Social Psychology Network Eliot Smith’s tenure as Editor is of brochures), future funding for was pleased to announce the receipt of nearing its end, there is an ongoing Summer Institute, and an endowment additional funding from NSF to support search for a new editor for PSPR. The for the Diversity Fund. the site. Traffic to the website is up, search is in its earliest stages (see and Scott reported tremendous interest announcement on p. 8). Thanks to Harry Reis. The Editors of in the Stanford Prison Experiment Dialogue take this opportunity to thank website— a quarter of a million hits per Planning and development committee. Harry Reis for his long and productive day during the Abu Ghraib prison The Society is forming a Planning leadership as Executive Director of the scandal. Committee, which will consider a Society (see parting words from Harry number of programs for the Society’s on p. 26). His service has been Publications. Generally, the Society and field’s future. This committee will characterized by growth, stability, and publications are doing well. The PSPR work on development issues, a wide variety of new initiatives contract with Erlbaum ends in 2006, particularly fund-raising. Possible coupled with fiscal soundness. The and the Society is forming a committee specific targets for gifts include an Society has been prospered for several to explore options from other international student’s scholarship years, and the security and constancy is publishers. Several highly visible fund, a research grants program, due in large part to Harry’s good publishers have expressed an interest in support of congressional fellows, an offices. We also thank him for his taking on the journal, and we can hope endowment to expand training constant support of Dialogue and its Editors. ■ DIALOGUE Page 17 Behavioral Research at NIMH: What is going on? By Thomas R. Insel, MD, workgroups—Translating Behavioral given high priority; (3) research and Science into Action (2000) and Setting training that is interdisciplinary should be Director NIMH Priorities for the Basic Sciences of Brain more heavily emphasized in the basic and Behavior (2004)—specifically portfolio; and, (4) the time is right to The public health mission of NIMH is to address how the behavioral science of invest more in developing the tools that reduce the burden of mental and mental health can help us reach our will allow intensive study of how behavioral disorders through research on public health goals (see http:// complex interpersonal, social, and mind, brain, and behavior. The burden of www.nimh.nih.gov/council/advis.cfm for full cultural environments affect behavior at these disorders is staggering in terms of copies of each report). the integrative systems level. Based on both morbidity and mortality. Mental these principles, the report goes on to The Translating Behavioral Science into illness represents four of the top six outline specific tools and areas of Action report describes the critical role of sources of disability from medical causes research particularly ripe for increased the behavioral sciences in building for Americans ages 15-44; suicide investment, areas ready for refocus, and translational clinical science. The report accounts for more deaths each year than areas better served by other Institutes. either homicide or AIDS. Recent notes the large, extant body of research estimates put the economic costs of that identifies the specificity and Taking these reports into account, as well treating mental disorders at $150 billion, variability of basic behavioral processes as solicited input from our various with elements of these costs increasing in normal populations and that describe a stakeholders—patients and their beyond 20 percent per year. To reduce powerful range of methods and advocates, scientists, physicians and their this burden, NIMH has $1.4 billion per technologies for studying behavior. “This professional societies, Congress, and the year to support research, increasing in work now needs to be extended to NAMHC, which includes public the near term at roughly 3 percent per include clinical populations, both to test members—NIMH is re-setting priorities year. Clearly, we have a formidable the generalizability of the basic findings for the research portfolio. Three key challenge, one that will require the and to clarify how people with certain factors are being used to evaluate new creativity and dedication of basic and illnesses or symptoms differ from the applications submitted for funding: applied scientists in many disciplines. population at large” (p. 15). The body of relevance to the mission, traction for the report provides rich examples of basic making rapid progress, and innovation. Behavioral science is crucial to our behavioral science ripe for translation in Given that some areas of basic behavioral success in meeting these challenges. three priority areas: (1) how basic science are far removed from rapid Refining phenotypes, detecting gene- behavioral processes are altered in mental application to etiology, diagnosis, or behavior-environment interactions, illness and how these basic processes interventions, how can these criteria be developing diagnostic tests and new relate to neurobiological functioning; (2) applied? We are looking for basic interventions for prevention and how mental illnesses and their research that (a) links behavior, brain, treatment, and enhancing rehabilitation interventions affect the abilities of and experience and (b) is informed by and recovery all require basic behavioral individuals to function in diverse settings and, in turn, informs our understanding of science. The methods, skills, and and roles; and, (3) how social and other etiology, our need for diagnostics, and principles of behavioral science provide environmental contexts influence the our quest for new interventions to prevent fundamental knowledge about mental etiology, prevention, treatment, and care or treat mental and behavioral disorders. of those suffering from mental disorders. Let me clearly state that not every basic and social processes, how and why certain behaviors occur in specific The second report, Setting Priorities for science grant must focus on a specific situations, and provide the tools by the Basic Sciences of Brain and disorder, nor include clinical populations, which behavior can be accurately Behavior, builds on these priorities by nor have a disorder named in its title, nor measured, shaped and changed. The recommending additional strategies to include measures of brain, behavior, and Institute has an extraordinary record of sharpen the focus and impact of the basic environment. However, we are placing achievement in this area, but with an science portfolio to better serve the higher priority on basic behavioral increasing burden and slowing fiscal mission of the institute. The over-arching research that either is informed by growth, we must seek ways in which we principles that guided this report provide biology or seeks to translate to solving can push the envelope of scientific a frame of reference for advancing basic mental health problems. discovery and optimize our impact on behavioral science in mental health. public health. These include: (1) basic brain and Also important is the appraisal of a line behavioral research should be undertaken of research. At some point, lines of To help NIMH with this process, several in the service of the public health mission research should move forward to workgroups of the National Advisory of NIMH; (2) basic research that application. What is the point at which Mental Health Council (NAMHC) have integrates or translates across levels of basic research should advance to directly been convened over the past five years to analysis – from genetic, to molecular, to inform clinical understanding? It varies address both clinical and basic research cellular, to systems, to complex overt tremendously across the many facets of (Continued on page 32) priorities. Reports from two of these behaviors and situations – should be Page 18 DIALOGUE

APA COUNCIL REPORT — July/August 2004 By Ed Diener & June Tangney the Practice Directorate and the Science mental illness currently untreated. Directorate would work together to Ed Diener and June Tangney attended insure that the scientific basis of public the APA Council of Representatives education messages was included when APA Council voted to meetings in a dark hotel ballroom, steps appropriate to effectively and reaffirm its policy of from Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, accurately communicate the message. representing Division 8. In addition, it was agreed that Science opposition to all and Practice directors work together on discrimination of GLBT The APA science community is alive future program evaluation of the PEC’s individuals in the and excited by the arrival of Steve reach and impact. Breckler as the new Executive Director military, and to end the of the Science Directorate. At the helm APA believes that it is “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” a mere two or three months, Steve has unfair and worked with BSA to obtain funding current policy. (about $500K over the first two years) discriminatory to deny to a support a new initiative – PSY21: same-sex couples legal Leading Psychological Science into the The race for APA president is heating 21st Century. Initial efforts of PSY21 access to civil marriage up. This year, especially, we need your will be organized around three themes: and to all its attendant vote and the vote of your colleagues Responsible conduct of research (RCR) benefits, rights, and and friends. The SPSP Executive –building on the BSA Task Force on Committee has unanimously endorsed Research Regulation. The task force privileges. Sharon Brehm for President. APA uses has been reviewing the current the Hare system, thus your ranking of regulations governing IRBs to identify other candidates is important, as well as ways in which review of minimal risk The Association’s financial situation is your first place vote. psychological research might be much improved, in part due to last streamlined (e.g., clarifying criteria for year’s restructuring of the real estate Please let your Div. 8 representatives expedited review, identifying debt, and improvement in other know what APA might do further to requirements that do not pertain to non- investment returns. Membership enhance Personality and Social medical behavioral research), and to remains stagnant, although attendance Psychology, and psychological science develop resources for behavioral at the APA convention was strong. more generally. Direct your thoughts to scientists and their IRBs. Ed Diener [email protected]. Culture of Service to the Discipline The Council enthusiastically endorsed (COS) – encouraging scientists in serve a Resolution on Sexual Orientation and This is June Tangney’s final meeting as activities (governance, journal editing, Marriage, including a fine summary of representative to the Council of journal and grant reviewing, the relevant theoretical and empirical Representations. She is delighted to administration, etc.) by providing literature. The motion that was welcome Janet Swim, your incoming programs that train for, recognize, and approved states that “APA believes that representative. ■ motivate service. it is unfair and discriminatory to deny Infrastructure for the Science of same-sex couples legal access to civil Psychology (ISP) – identifying marriage and to all its attendant infrastructure needs and advocating for benefits, rights, and privileges.” support for technology related to cognitive neuroscience, longitudinal In addition, Council voted to reaffirm data sets, virtual environment its policy of opposition to all technology, etc. discrimination of GLBT individuals in the military, and to end the “Don’t Ask, Regarding the multimillion dollar Don’t Tell” current policy. Society for Personality and Public Education Campaign (PEC) run Social Psychology Louisiana recently joined New Mexico out of the Practice Directorate, June Visit us at www.spsp.org Tangney introduced motions that asked in allowing prescription privileges for that in future years, the PEC include psychologists. Council welcomed this mention of empirical support for the as a major victory for the profession message content. Council agreed that and for the many individuals with DIALOGUE Page 19

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN The first was a New York Times op ed (8/1/04) by Henry Louis Gates. Many groups in American have constricted Thinking Outside the Person life chances because of poverty, Gates By Hazel Rose Markus divisions of NIMH (i.e., the Divisions writes, yet he worries that drawing attention to the of structural causes of of Adult Translational and Treatment unemployment, school dropout, drug If I ask you to play psychology word Development, the Division of Services abuse or crime gives the impression association and I say "cognitive and Intervention Research), and to that people are helpless rag dolls. Gates psychology," what comes to mind? If other agencies and foundations for equates explanations which emphasize the collection of people in my wing of funding. To increase our chances of factors outside the individual with Jordan Hall is a reasonable sample, you success in both of these endeavors, we saying “the devil made me do it.” Why are likely to say "memory." If I say could do ourselves some good by is focusing attention on the social neuroscience, you will say "brain." If I devising what I called in the last structural factors that define our say developmental psychology, you Dialogue “a communicable and immediate situations viewed as excuse- will say "babies," and if I say "clinical applicable social psychological model making? And why is implicating psychology," you will say of behavior.” We have been too situations and the ways they form our "depression." But what if I say "social modest. We need to devise ways to thoughts, feelings and actions system- psychology?" You are likely to say represent our perspective more simply blaming, weak, and generally un- “uhhhhh,” and then to say, "can I use a and more effectively. We need a American? Why is there no mark of phrase?" I have been worried that signature, a brand. social psychological thinking in the social psychology is not having the writing of the American intelligentsia? impact it could have in science or in the Perhaps in the ideal world we larger world. When I saw that the few academics could stick to the science The second experience was a bad apples theory dominated the and leave it to others to make music remarkable conference called “Policing mainstream media coverage of Abu with our theories and findings. Racial Bias.” Organized by Jennifer Ghraib, and there was virtually no Certainly, many of us were trained with Eberhart, it included 25 social counterpoint, I began to think that we this idea. Yet the imagined community psychologists and an equal number of need to work together to create and who would translate from lab to police chiefs and officers from cities distribute a simple and compelling everyday social problem is just that, across the country. Both camps were social representation of ourselves. The imagined. Looking across a wide eager to be in conversation and saw the long latency in the word association variety of domains—education, potential for collaboration. The first game is instructive. Social psychology politics, interethnic and global day focused on implicit stereotyping covers many topics—attitudes, relations, the law, business and and featured great keynote talks by stereotyping, prejudice, self, identity, economics, health—the mark of the Jack Dovidio and Patricia Devine. group dynamics – but very social psychological is faint at best. For Most police officers appeared significantly, it is also a particular the most part, it is completely missing. fascinated with the scope and approach to human behavior. And none Taking stock of what we agree on, consequences of unconscious and of this is easy to communicate. developing a unified social automatic processing. They were eager psychological model, and finding ways to take part in IAT demonstrations and In the Spring Dialogue, I wrote about to communicate this more broadly will then were deeply gratified to learn that an impending reorganization of NIMH illuminate the importance and they were only garden variety racists, and about a potential cut in funding for distinctiveness of our approach and on par and no worse, than their social basic behavioral science research. The help justify ourselves to ourselves and psychological counterparts. threatened reorganization has occurred to potential funders. and the Division of Basic Behavioral On the second day of the conference, Science Division has been elided and In many middle class American the police had their turn. They talked now appears within the Division of contexts, making the case that behavior about policing in communities where Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral is ineluctably social—a product of our trust was low and hostility was high. Science. The full consequences of this relationships with other people and How to improve community/police action are unclear, but some moves are their products—is still a hard sell. relations was high on their collective clearly indicated. We should work with Several events and experiences of the agenda. They wanted help from us, the our colleagues throughout the field and last few months have convinced me of social psychologists, with what they seize every opportunity to lobby for the the pressing need to be explicit about perceived to be their problems. The importance of basic behavioral science. what it means to take a social (Continued on page 20) We should also look to the other psychological approach to behavior. Page 20 DIALOGUE

elementary school classrooms and I was further reminded of the need to Thinking Outside asking why it is that in some inject social psychological thinking (Continued from page 19) classrooms, the students perform into the public discourse by another previous day’s presentations by the relatively well compared with collaborative project. This one is an psychologists had not succeeded in statewide averages, while in other analysis of media coverage of the communicating the idea that our classrooms, students, matched on a Olympics of 2000 and 2002 in the implicit stereotypic attitudes are variety of SES factors, are performing United States and in Japan. In the U.S., mental habits that arise from living in relatively poorly. We theorized that in across newspaper, magazines, and social worlds saturated with particular racially and ethnically integrated television, our studies find that historically derived ideas about who is classrooms, some practices (e.g., athletes, commentators, and journalists good and who is bad. Instead, many tracking, color-blind approaches, rigid share the same powerful model of police officers had taken away the idea teaching strategies) will activate widely behavior. In the U.S., good that it should be possible to develop a held negative stereotypes linking performance and bad performance test to use at recruitment to find the ethnicity to academic achievement and alike are most often explained in terms flawed people and weed them out will be associated with reduced student of internal personal strengths or before they began policing. They performance. In contrast, other attributes – “he is built for speed,” “a proffered that although most of the practices (e.g., a focus on positive perfect blend of muscle and police were “nice people who want to classroom relationships, high motivation,” “She’s a phenom, a help others,” that some among their expectations, challenging curriculum) prodigy who is peaking at just the right ranks “had low self-esteem,” “came will cultivate a sense of identity safety moment,” or “don’t shed a tear for from dysfunctional, often alcoholic (a sense of freedom from stereotypes him, he just wasn’t hungry enough.” In parents” “were conservative” and linking ethnicity to academic the Japanese coverage of the “liked excitement too much.” When performance) and will be associated Olympics, athletes and commentators the discussions turned to racial with improved academic performance. also focus on the role of physical profiling, the police talked about how attributes, but they have a much more officers were “only human” and The teachers were very receptive to the holistic take on performance which explained that they were “highly ideas and to our results which confirm includes frequent references to intuitive people” who in emotionally the links between the students’ ongoing athlete’s past experience and the charged situations responded with their classroom experience and achievement. training regime, (“he has been so “fight or flight” instincts. Yet as with the police, teachers’ serious about this event for four theories of academic underperformance years,”) the nature of relations with The police officers in this conference quickly drift back to the culturally others (“her close ties with her coach were very articulate about their shared pervasive “inside” theory. Many should really help her”) and how the theory of human behavior. Not teachers are quick to implicate the athlete is feeling in the immediate surprisingly, their theory was the usual attributes of students who are unhappy situation. The American idea that it is American theory. It is what’s inside the or who can’t sit still and parents who what’s inside that counts is not merely person that counts – traits, instincts, say they value education but don’t a cultural construal used to make sense intuition. People respond on the basis provide a living situation conducive to of behavior after it has occurred, rather of these internal entities. That we can learning. These common everyday it is lived and in the process becomes find some sources of behavior in a explanations are compelling, and the the shape of everyday reality. We person’s situation, that behavior possibility that the teachers could noticed that American coverage was emerges in relationship with others, reduce the identity threat inherent in most compelling when it engaged the and that if we want to change behavior, many integrated classroom by common sense models, the models that we can profitably look outside rearranging classroom situations, focus on the athletes’ internal individuals to their situations and relationships, and dynamics seems a attributes. contexts are ideas that just don’t stick. difficult idea to hold onto. Saying that students behave differently depending That the fundamental attribution Yet another source of my growing on the classroom situation or that tendency is pervasive and the stuff of sense of the need to refine and situations are powerful is not everyday discourse by teachers and articulate the notion of social influence sufficiently persuasive. As a field we police and journalists and politicians came from a meeting with elementary have yet to develop compelling (e.g., good leaders are those who stay school teachers. In an ongoing language or images or examples for the course, are steadfast, resolute and collaborative project with Claude and communicating in efficient and unyielding, regardless of the political Dorothy Steele and a number of others, memorable ways how it is that social situation) is not news, but it is a serious I have been examining integrated influence shapes behavior. (Continued on page 21)

DIALOGUE Page 21

SPSP Announces 2005 Summer Institute in Social Psychology—Graduate Student Applications Invited By Lou Penner The Self: Sander Koole (Free which covers tuition, housing in University, Amsterdam), Abraham double-occupancy rooms, and meals. With funding from the National Tesser (Univ. of Georgia), Students are also responsible for their Science Foundation, SPSP will offer a Communication, Language and own travel to and from the SISP site in two-week intensive summer school for Cognition: Robert Krauss (Columbia Ann Arbor, Michigan. A limited predoctoral students in social University), Gün R. Semin (Free number of scholarships (covering the psychology. The 2nd Summer Institute University, Amsterdam), $200 fee and an additional amount in Social Psychology (SISP) will be Social Justice: Linda Skitka (Univ. of toward travel expenses) will be held at the University of Michigan, Illinois, Chicago), Tom Tyler (New awarded to students on the basis of Ann Arbor, Jul. 24-Aug.6, 2005. The York University). financial need and academic merit. institute can accommodate a total of 100 students. Students will also take one of two one- Eligibility. Students who are members day methodological workshops held in of SPSP and who are enrolled in Courses. Each student will enroll in the middle of the two-week course graduate programs in the U.S. or one of five full-length courses, each period. The one-day workshops and Canada, who are in their second taught by two highly prominent instructors are: through fifth year of graduate study at instructors. For 2005, the instructors the time of application, are eligible to and courses are: Analysis of non-independent data: apply. A limited number of predoctoral Deborah Kashy (Michigan State students from outside the U.S. will also Judgment and Decision Making: Nick University), be accepted. Applications must be Epley (Harvard University), Reid The psychology of self-reports: received by Feb. 15, 2005. Hastie (Univ. of Chicago), Implications for data collection and Culture and Social Psychology: questionnaire construction: Norbert Complete information on SISP, Shinobu Kitayama (Univ. of Schwarz (Univ. of Michigan), including important details regarding Michigan), Hazel Markus (Stanford application procedures, is available University), Costs. The fee for each student is $200, at http://www.siisp.org [Note this URL has a double "i"]. ■

my belief that we need a concerted research related to incidents at Abu Thinking Outside, effort to spell out the basic social Ghraib psychological model. Next we need a (http://www.apa.org/ppo/issues/ Continued community wide effort, mobilizing all abughraibbrief04.html). We can emphasize the resources we can imagine and those elements of the general social (Continued from page 20) muster, to effectively represent the model psychological that fit with popular problem for advancing the science of ideas that individual behavior emerges cultural notions. In particular, we should social psychology. Our social in relationship with others and that the stress that the social psychological actor psychological insights have not patterning and the dynamics of our is active and agentic. For example, above trickled down and are missing in our social contexts matter. all, the social psychological model holds everyday explanations of ourselves that people are malleable; it embraces because we are swimming upstream Inscribing the social psychological change and makes a claim that people against powerful cultural currents. model in the American imagination is a can change their contexts and become The “inside” model of behavior challenging task, but it doesn’t seem their better selves—always a winning reflects and buttresses the Protestant impossible. We could be more simple idea in America. Encouraging people to ethic, the American Dream, and a and direct about what it means to take a think about their situations and how they whole set of deeply entrenched ideas social psychological perspective on can construct them differently also of individualism, independence self- behavior (for recent exceptions see a allows people to feel in control, reliance, control, and determination. piece by Scott Plous and Philip optimistic and efficacious. Explaining Claiming that behavior varies with Zimbardo on How Science Can Reduce that social contexts are not separate from the situation can seem imprecise and Terrorism (http://chronicle.com/cgi2-bin/ people, but in fact the products of human unscientific, worse, it can appear printable.cgi?article) and Steve Breckler’s activity may help dispel Gates’ worry unpatriotic. These realizations fuel congressional briefing on psychological (Continued on page 23) Page 22 DIALOGUE

Funding Opportunities at the National Science Foundation By Amber Story www.ehr.nsf.gov/rec/programs/research). A research instrumentation needs. The great deal of social psychological 2005 announcement has been posted These are challenging times for our research has implications for recently and can be found at http:// discipline. The overarching understanding the foundations of www.nsf.gov/od/oia/programs/mri/start.htm. perception among researchers in learning and the promotion of academic social psychology is that the equality and achievement. The ROLE There are also the NSF-wide priority reorganization of NIMH has program supports such research, as it areas. The Human and Social substantially reduced the number of relates to education in Science, Dynamics (HSD) priority area opportunities for federal funding of Technology, Engineering and represents an important and exciting basic research in our field. Although Mathematics (STEM). One of the opportunity for social psychology. there is some truth to this statement, program directors, Gregg Solomon, has Social Psychology has much to basic research in Social Psychology a background in Social Psychology and contribute to understanding how will always have a home at the Social would be happy to field your questions people react and adapt to change Psychology program at the National ([email protected]). within their social, physical, political Science Foundation. That much is and technological environments, as clear. But what is also clear is that well as how people affect change for the next few years, our program For the next few years, our within those environments. HSD is budget is unlikely to increase, and budget is unlikely to increase, designed to support research that yet our submission rate is very likely and yet our submission rate is addresses fundamental questions about to increase given the current how and why people do what they do, circumstances. What are we to do? very likely to increase given the and the answers to such questions will current circumstances. What require innovative and interdisciplinary Fortunately, there are other are we to do? teams of strong researchers. The opportunities for funding at NSF, overall focus is on change at multiple though we might have to extend Are you in need of funding to develop scales and there will be three specific ourselves and our research interests competitions reflecting the differing in real and creative ways to take full or acquire equipment and instrumentation for your research? The scales of change—Dynamics of advantage of them. Within the Human Behavior, Decision Making, Directorate of Social, Behavioral, Major Research Instrumentation program (MRI) may be ideal for you. Risk and Uncertainty, and Agents of and Economic Sciences (SBE) at Change. We need to be a part of this NSF, there are other programs that This is a cross-directorate program, and each directorate receives a budget for opportunity and the research it have historically supported social supports. By the time you read this psychological research, including the this activity, including money set aside for non-Ph.D. granting institutions. A article, the announcement for the 2005 Developmental and Learning HSD competition will be posted Sciences and the Cognitive successful proposal would describe how the equipment would broaden (http://www.nsf.gov/home/crssprgm/hsd/ Neuroscience programs within the start.htm) and I encourage you to read Division of Behavioral and Cognitive scientific inquiry, how it would promote collaboration with other about and consider this competition Sciences, and Decision, Risk and carefully. The HSD priority area will Management Sciences; Sociology; institutions or within a department, or how it might be used for educational be continuing annually until 2008. Methodology, Measurement and Statistics; and the Law and Social purposes or to meet a need in the regional community. The important Other programs stemming out of Sciences programs within the priority areas that may be relevant to Division of Social and Economic consideration is that any one given institution may only submit three MRI research in social psychology include Sciences. Go to the SBE website at proposals (2 acquisition proposals the Mathematical Social and http://www.nsf.gov/home/sbe/ for maximum) so many universities have Behavioral Sciences program within information and for the name of the within-institution competitions. The the Mathematical Sciences priority directors of these programs. Social and Behavioral sciences area (SBE representative is Cheryl

typically aren't as costly as other Eavey, [email protected]) and the Outside the SBE Directorate, there sciences, in terms of needed equipment, Dynamics of Coupled Natural and are other opportunities. Take, for so our SBE directorate does not receive Human Systems program stemming example, the Research on Learning many proposals. However, we have from the Biocomplexity in the and Education program (ROLE) money to spend, so please consider this Environment priority area (SBE within the Directorate of Education (Continued on page 23) program as a way to meet your major and Human Resources (http:// DIALOGUE Page 23

Theoretical Innovation Prize Winner Announced

The Theoretical Innovation Prize Dean Keith Simonton, for this paper: An honorable mention was also (TIP) for 2003 has been announced. awarded to: The committee was chaired by John Simonton, D. K. (2003). Scientific Levine and included Jenny Crocker, creativity as constrained stochastic Jost, J. T., Glaser, J., Kruglanski, Jack Dovidio, Jeff Simpson, and behavior: The integration of A. W., & Sulloway, F. J. (2003). Wendy Wood. The committee product, person, and process Political conservatism as members read and evaluated 33 perspectives. Psychological motivated social cognition. submissions, and are pleased to Bulletin, 129, 475-494. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 339- announce that this year’s winner is 375. ■

the long-term cost to society and to Funding at NSF, Breckler on NIMH, science that we need to worry about. Continued Continued Our goal should be to produce the best outcome in support of the NIMH (Continued from page 8) mission, to put others’ interests ahead (Continued from page 22) standards are applied to all NIH representative is Tom Baerwald, of our own. In the end, we will all be proposals. Proposals do not merit ■ [email protected]). In both of these winners. funding simply because they happen to programs, new announcements are fit better with new priorities; they must anticipated in spring or summer of also exhibit technical and scientific 2005, but for information you can look Thinking Outside, merit. If the review panels do not at the previous competition continue to include behavioral Continued announcement. See http://www.nsf.gov/ scientists, then who will be left to judge pubs/2004/nsf04548/nsf04548.htm for the the merit of proposals that rely on (Continued from page 21) previous announcement of the behavioral science? that a focus on situations leaves us Mathematical Social and Behavioral Science program and http://www.nsf.gov/ human actors looking like rag dolls. Think hard about whether NIMH is Spelling out the way in which people geo/ere/ereweb/fund-biocomplex.cfm for the really the most appropriate place from previous announcement of the actively construct their worlds and which to seek funding. Perhaps your create meaning with other people, Dynamics of Coupled Natural and research will have a better home at one Human Systems program. appropriating some aspects of their of the other NIH institutes–NCI, NIDA, contexts while resisting others, and or NICHD. Consider other agencies, As always, read the program how the result is a diversity of ways of such as NSF. Keep in mind, however, being can mitigate the fear that social solicitations carefully and talk to the that other agencies (such as NSF) may program officers involved. Each engineering will reduce unique and not be prepared for a sudden surge in special individuals to replicas of one program has different priorities and you proposals, and an increase in proposal must respond to those to maximize another. load elsewhere may take some time to your chance of success. accommodate in terms of budget We might begin the project of building allocations. Also, some friendly advice a unified and general social These are challenging times for our if you do this: do your homework, and discipline. However, with challenges psychological model through a series be sure you understand the rules and of short papers drawing out the social come new opportunities-— the priorities of those other funding opportunities to broaden ourselves and psychological approach to a whole sources—they are not all the same. variety of topics, particularly topics our interests, to trumpet our past Sometimes, the very same proposal can achievements and to plan our future that tie to the concerns of various be submitted to both NIMH and NSF; national agencies and foundations – ones, to reach out and link to other other times, you will need to submit sciences, and to put into action the mental health (e.g., depression, different proposals. alcoholism and drug abuse), physical important implications of our accumulated knowledge. And I, for health, happiness and well-being, The changes at NIMH threaten the delinquency, violence, academic one, think that we are up to that future vitality of social and personality challenge. ■ achievement and underperformance, psychology. But that is not why we economic decision-making, etc. This need to be vocal and vigorous in (Continued on page 29) expressing our concerns. Rather, it is Page 24 DIALOGUE DIALOGUE Page 25

Executive Committee: Concerns, Hope, Continued (Continued from page 3) talks they’d like to see. Not all advocacy skills for working scientists Executive Office from the Harry Reis’s conference locations can provide six and scholars. There was a very well- University of Rochester to David meeting places at the same time, so this attended workshop at last year’s Dunning’s Cornell University. This has arrangement will likely change in Convention. required a short period of simultaneous future years. There were requests for expenditure. scheduling 14 separate pre- The committee is now considering conferences, and the Society should be working on issues related to career The SPSP Conference in Austin made a able to accommodate all of them. The transitions, particularly retiring, leaving good profit—this was due to some very pre-conferences have been a huge academe, or shifting career areas. If favorable circumstances. The hotel in success and their cost to the Society is you would like to contribute to these Austin offered a very good financial minimal in dollars (although substantial initiatives, contact the new chair of the deal to the Society because the contract in time, energy and coordination). committee, Yuichi Shoda at the was signed while the hotel was still University of Washington. under construction and nearly a year The 2006 convention will be in Palm from opening. We will not be able to Springs, CA, January 25-29. Look for Graduate Student Committee. The GSC repeat that profit next time; New more information in the next issue of is planning a variety of activities— Orleans does not offer quite the same Dialogue. many linked to the upcoming opportunity for budget convention— that build on its mission accommodations. Awards. The recipient of the 2005 of focusing on professional Donald T. Campbell Award was Mark development for student members. The Convention Committee. The 2005 Snyder of the University of Minnesota New Orleans convention will feature a Convention is slated for New Orleans (see p. 7). The recipient of the 2005 day-long Career Pre-Conference, a on January 20-22 (with preconferences Henry A. Murray Award was Salvatore mentoring lunch, and a Graduate Poster on Thursday, January 20). Lynne Maddi of the University of California, Award competition (see more news in Cooper’s story on p. 3 offers a quick Irvine/Riverside (see p. 6). the article on p. 16). glimpse at the event. Because of the desirability of New Orleans, especially The winner of the third SPSP Summer training for graduate students at this time of the year, conference Theoretical Innovation Prize was the in social psychology. The Summer expenses will be higher. Registration paper “Scientific creativity as sustained Institute in Social Psychology (SISP) fees will increase by $20 across-the- stochastic behavior: The integration of will be held in 2005 in Ann Arbor, board, for members, non-members, and product, person, and process Michigan. Announcements and students alike. (Much of the increase perspectives” by Dean Keith Simonton, application forms are available at comes in the form of meal costs, soft published in Psychological Bulletin www.siisp.org. The local organizer for drinks or bottled water costing the (2003), 129, 475-494 (see p. 23). SISP is Lou Penner (see p. 21). Society $4.65 each!) The Convention will continue to feature box lunches The SPSP Award for Service to the The European Association for and sodas because lunch time and Society was given to Jim Blascovich; Experimental Social Psychology has poster sessions have been remarkably for Service on behalf of Social/ run a summer institute successful at keeping attendees on-site, Personality psychology, the co-winners for many years, and by arrangement facilitating interaction. were Todd Heatherton and Molly with the Society, five students affiliated Oliveri. with SPSP will be able to go to the The Program Coordinator, Ed Diener, EAESP summer school in 2006. reported that there were 1,120 poster The Executive Committee also submissions, and the committee discussed developing several other new Diversity Committee. Michael Zárate, anticipated a 15% rejection rate. There awards. More information on these the new head of this committee, gave a were 83 symposia submissions, which awards will appear in the next issue of brief report on activities and plans. This is a 36% increase over last year. About Dialogue. group is working with the Training half of these have been worked into the Committee and Graduate Student schedule. The committee is planning Training Committee. The purview of committee, and is interested in for six simultaneous sessions during the the Training Committee has broadened advocacy for ethnic/minority interest. conference. This has increased the beyond the graduate student years, symposium acceptance rate but may creating a network of graduate training Website info. Scott Plous, who does a reduce people’s ability to attend the directors, along with a training listserv. wonderful job maintaining our website The committee has focused on creating (Continued on page 16) Page 26 DIALOGUE

What’s Next? So what does an Executive Officer do? Some Parting Comments All of the above and yet none of the above. That is, the Executive Officer’s from the Outgoing Executive Officer mandate is to organize and administer the Society’s many activities: By Harry Reis most cited journal in the field. Our Providing reminders about tasks that journals do more than disseminate the need to be done; coordinating elections SPSP Executive Officer latest findings to a wide audience. and the distribution of information and Symbolically, they define our reports; delegating initiatives and As my decade-long term as your collective identity as a discipline of planning meetings; keeping a watchful Executive Officer winds down— scholars. In one respect, the journals eye on budgets; and of course officially the move 90 miles southeast, are like t-shirts. See a stranger in a far- collecting dues and writing checks. It’s from Rochester to Cornell, past the away train station reading PSPR or a little bit like being Leo McGarry on glorious Seneca Lake vineyards, will st PSPB or Dialogue and you know the “West Wing”—you don’t get to do take place on December 31 , at the instantly that they are part of your in- all that much yourself but not too much stroke of midnight, with a celebratory group. happens that you aren’t involved in! transitional bottle of Veuve Clicquot Grande Dame at my side—I am In the modern era, professional Another thing that Executive Officers reminded of a question a colleague organizations must be more proactive do is identify emerging opportunities once asked, with a quizzical, almost to foster growth in their disciplines. In and responsibilities for the sheepish look: “What is an Executive 1999, SPSP inaugurated an annual organization. (That’s even easier for an Officer?” I guess I should have asked conference that possessed so much outgoing Executive Officer, because I Jim Blascovich, my predecessor, that intellectual vigor and collegial won’t have to do the work!) In the question before accepting the post. But enthusiasm that it quickly became a spirit of relentless self-examination, I didn’t, and because Dave Dunning “must-go” for social and personality then, let me mention a few areas in has already agreed to accept the torch, psychologists. Last year, SPSP started a which SPSP’s activities might grow. maybe it’s time to take a stab. The Summer School, the SISP, intended to There’s one obvious and insistent temptation is to explain by analogy— nurture our future colleagues’ research. candidate. Actually, this one has been an Executive Officer is to SPSP as an Over the years, SPSP has also added to lurking in the background for a long administrative assistant is to a its portfolio several diversity and time. The recent debacle about NIMH department. That’s a bit glib, though, international outreach initiatives to funding for basic research in social and besides, even ETS has dropped broaden the field, and awards to psychology has brought it out into the analogies from the SAT and GRE. To recognize our best and brightest. These stark reality of the midday sun (see answer the question, then, let me first and our many other activities are not Hazel Markus’s Presidential column answer a prior question: What is SPSP? just “benefits of membership,” as they and Steve Breckler’s article elsewhere are sometimes called—in different in this Dialogue): There are many in I have had the extraordinary pleasure of ways, they inform and inspire all of us, the corridors of science, government, watching from the inside the about the cutting edge of what our and academe who question the value of tremendous growth of SPSP in the past colleagues are doing, and about how our scientific contributions. To be sure, decade. Whereas once we were a together we strive to fulfill our all of us can convincingly recite a relatively casual organization that scientific mission. litany of findings and a plethora of published a journal and held a small arguments that explain why our science meeting at APA, SPSP is now a full- I take particular pride in SPSP’s rock- is central and vital to the study of fledged, multi-service professional solid financial base. Although we are human behavior (much less organization. This didn’t happen easily far from wealthy, SPSP now has the applications thereof). The problem is, or overnight; many people have financial security to be future-oriented. there are many who do not share this devoted countless hours and precious Thanks to the shrewd planning of view. gray matter to making it happen. Our SPSP’s early leaders, we have the journals are our intellectual center. opportunity to develop new initiatives To some extent, this situation is Building on the long-term success of to advance our science and its impact. nothing new. Threats to funding for our journal of empirical reports, the All this, while membership dues social-personality research have Personality and Social Psychology remain a bargain by almost any popped up from time to time for as Bulletin, eight years ago we started a standard. Most of us are members of long as I have been around (and that’s theoretically oriented journal—the other organizations that cost more and longer than I care to admit). But this Personality and Social Psychology offer less. situation is different, in at least two Review—that now ranks as the second- (Continued on page 27) DIALOGUE Page 27

(Continued from page 26) ways: The peremptory, “I-don’t-need- The good news is that SPSP has the anyone else’s-input” nature of the resources and organizational structure decision to eliminate social psychology to allow us to begin to address these from the NIMH portfolio (a decision concerns as never before. We possess that explicitly violates NIMH’s talent, expertise, and good will in Congressional charter), and the abundance. Other professional societies opportunity we have to respond actively promote their science on vigorously, collectively, and creatively. multiple fronts—SRCD, the AMA, the In the past social-personality Society for Neuroscience, and the psychologists have responded to such American Economic Association are challenges in a fairly low-effort way— obvious examples—and it is high time letter-writing, email campaigns, we did so too. Making this a priority grousing to colleagues, and pleas to will not come easily—it will take APA and APS that they argue on our sustained effort and commitment by behalf. In the modern world of science many of us, and probably money as and government (and as the 2004 well. Perhaps more challenging, it will Presidential election has surely take a change in attitude. We can no instructed us) this kind of response is longer expect that others will speak on inadequate. Exhorting others to our behalf, nor can we afford to just recognize the intrinsic merits of our hope that things will get better, sooner contributions just doesn’t pass muster. or later. Until we act, they won’t. In plain language, social-personality psychology has a marketing problem. Of course SPSP cannot sit still in other realms, and I am sure we won’t. Our What’s next for SPSP, in my view of vitality is impressive and we would do the academic world, is a concerted well to build on it. Maintaining and effort to market our science more strengthening the quality of our effectively. Such an effort will publications and meetings must be an necessarily be multi-layered and ongoing endeavor. We need to add to continuous. We need to become a our current efforts to attract talented presence in Bethesda and on Capitol and diverse scholars to the field. There Hill, so that administrators and are ever-more channels for improving legislators come to understand in a and accelerating the dissemination of fairly deep and genuine way the value knowledge, and we might do a lot more of our contributions. (This to significantly enhance resources for understanding would preclude the teaching and research. Another unfortunate and more-common-than- challenge will be to recognize and we-care-to-admit view of social- encourage our colleagues whose personality psychology as imaginative contributions, through research, but trivial, an attitude that the recent education, and service enrich all of us. fiasco about “dormitory decoration” studies made plain). We must do a far SPSP’s house is in good order. Now it better job with scientists from other is time to work on our front yard and disciplines—social, behavioral, the street that connects us to the rest of biological, and medical—so that they the world. As for me personally, it’s appreciate the value-added of our been the treat of a lifetime to share the scholarship and the desirability of ride with so many of you. Your collaborating with us. We need to commitment to our science, your enlighten those in funding agencies dedication to our international who seem convinced that our science is community of scholars and students, not cumulative, sophisticated, nor and your generous contributions of relevant to their mission. And we will time, effort, and ideas has been an have to educate the media to recognize inspiration. I thank you for giving me that there is more to social the opportunity to get to know you, and psychological research than clever I look forward to our future. ■ studies with college undergraduates. Page 28 DIALOGUE Unanimity May be Improbable; Dictatorship is Worse: Comment on The Dangers of Unanimity by R. B. Zajonc By David R. Mandel equal to the probability of choosing S, on would be misleading. Moreover, the probability of ten out of ten different decision makers would In the last issue of Dialogue, R. B. decision makers choosing S is exactly probably vary in what they knew. Each Zajonc made an interesting claim— the same. might be misinformed in one way or namely, that the requirement of another, but they would be unanimity in political decision making Now here’s the problem: Without the misinformed about different things. can be dangerous because the requirement of unanimity, the Thus, a team of consensus-bound probability of having many decision probability of a unanimous outcome is decision makers would have an makers each arrive at the correct additive: 2(.510) = .001952. That is, opportunity of doing better than chance decision is exceedingly small. spontaneous unanimity of decisions provided that they were required to Certainly, world history provides no from ten unconstrained decision express the evidentiary bases for their shortage of examples that illustrate the makers is an improbable type of decisions and other members were dangers of uniformity pressures, about outcome. Roughly 998 times in 1,000 encouraged to challenge the evidence which social psychologists from LeBon we would expect that the outcome with appropriate counter-evidence. (1896) onwards have commented. would not be unanimous. However, Zajonc’s argument is quite By contrast, a lone dictator would not different and deserves closer However, if unanimity is required, as have this advantage. Of course, if the examination. Zajonc stated in his example, then there consensus reached by a team of are only two possible outcomes. Either decision makers was imposed by a In his example, ten decision makers everyone chooses S or else everyone leader in a manner that implied “you including the President, Vice President, chooses W. In this case, the probability are either with me or against me,” then the Secretary of State, the Secretary of of the group of ten decision makers the most would not be made of the Defense, the National Security reaching the wise decision must be consensus-reaching process. After all, Advisor, and five other White House reconditionalized on the new leaders can hardly expect to reap the decision makers have to choose possibility space, which has been benefits of consensus if they impose between a preemptive war in Iraq or pruned from eleven possible outcomes the requirement in a dictatorial manner. continued weapons inspections, and the to a mere two (i.e., assuming the reader is asked to assume “that one of substitutability of decision makers). Zajonc proposed that “of the various these outcomes is by far the wiser” (p. With an even chance of choosing S or decision schemes one can imagine, 14). Further, the reader is asked to W, the probability that the team of unanimity is absolutely the worst” (p. assume that each decision maker has an consensus-bound decision makers 14). I disagree. Reaching a unanimous even chance of picking the wiser would reach the wiser decision is .5— decision without unanimity being alternative. According to Zajonc: not .510. imposed as a constraint may be improbable, but dictatorship as a mode If unanimity is required, then this group of ten From a probability standpoint alone, of political decision making is certainly decision makers has less than one in a thousand the chances of reaching the wiser worse. If you doubt this claim, just look chances (.510 = .000976) of reaching the wiser decision is the same for ten consensus- at the statistics (e.g., Rummel, 1994). decision. Even dictatorship, is much better. A bound decision makers as it is for a On average, dictators still offer much dictator, acting alone under the above single dictator. However, this analysis more favorable odds for bringing about constraints, would have 1 in 2 chances of ignores the causal bases that give rise outcomes like genocide, democide, and selecting the wiser course of action. (p. 14) to the equal chance of choosing W over war than even the most narrow-minded S. A scenario that ascribes a random democratically-elected leaders. Does dictatorship really give us a better chance of picking the wiser of two Dictators also tend to stick around for statistical chance of arriving at the plans to expert decision makers is much longer given that they cannot be wiser decision than forced consensus? maximally pessimistic—the decision voted out of office. Probably not. If the probability of any might as well be made by flipping a given decision maker choosing the wise coin. Why would expert decision Notwithstanding the importance of decision (W) over the silly decision (S) makers have such poor chances? critically examining the policies of the is .5, then Zajonc is right that the Surely, they would have a considerable current U.S. administration and, for binomial probability of ten out of ten amount of information at their disposal, that matter, other administrations, decision makers choosing W is less but with such poor chances of choosing social scientists and ordinary citizens than one in a thousand. However, given wisely it is likely that at least some of alike should be careful how they rank that the probability of choosing W is the information that they were acting (Continued on page 29) DIALOGUE Page 29

The 2003 SPSP Student Thinking Outside, Publication Award Winner Continued By John Levine (Continued from page 23) type of work would strengthen our The Society for Personality and Social Psychology announces that the recipient of social psychological understandings the 2003 Student Publication Award is Maya Tamir of the University of Illinois at and allow us to illuminate what is Urbana-Champaign, for her article (co-authored with Michael Robinson, Gerald distinctive about the social Clore, Leonard Martin, and Daniel Whitaker), “Are we puppets on a string? The psychological approach. contextual meaning of unconscious expressive cues,” published in Personality and

Social Psychology Bulletin (2004, Vol. 30, pp. 237-249). Increasing the appeal and the sway of

the social psychological model may Honorable mention was awarded to Grainne M. Fitzsimons and Aaron C. Kay, for ultimately require the skills of Madison their article, "Language and interpersonal cognition: Causal effects of variations in Avenue. A recent campaign to increase pronoun usage on perceptions of closeness," published in Personality and Social the awareness of the dangers of high Psychology Bulletin, May 2004 (vol. 30, pp. 547-557). cholesterol levels is a model. The ads

ask did you know that cholesterol Papers authored by predoctoral students and accepted for publication in a society comes from all the good fatty foods we journal by December 31, 2003, were eligible. A total of 17 papers were eligible this like (pictures of cookies, cakes, year, and the selection was made by the award committee consisting of Joanne hamburgers and ice cream), but also Wood, Richard Robins, and Gifford Weary (Chair). ■ from Grandma Florence and Uncle Fred (pictures of goofy looking relatives )? We could benefit from such IRBism, Continued a public information campaign: Did you know that from our behavior emerges in our relationships with (Continued from page 15) others.? How smart we are, how merely confirms the contact hypothesis creative, how well we do at work, how of prejudice, for my membership on a happy, aggressive or confident we are Society for Personality panel has caused me to be more depends on our situations and contexts. accepting of their meddlesome ways. and Social Psychology Is Jason behaving badly at school? Are But my current IRB system, despite its Visit us at www.spsp.org you depressed at work? Why has that cost, is a far better system that the team stopped winning? Have you poorly-functioning IRB that cost me thought about your situations and your and many of my colleagues two years relationships? These questions could be of research productivity. Indeed, if your accompanied by cartoons of kids or IRB does not have a full-time staff Dictatorship Is Worse, adults whose behavior changes as they member, training for IRB members and Continued enter differently configured situations investigators, a web-site that includes a (i.e., smiling or scowling people). consent form template and protocol Obviously some expertise is needed guide, a system for distinguishing (Continued from page 28) here, but the point is we need to invest between the three types of studies the alternatives. resources to create and disseminate (exempt, expedited, and full-board References some powerful public representations review), face-to-face meetings where LeBon, G. (1896). The crowd. of the social psychological model. minutes are taken, and a means of London: Unwin. (Translated from Such efforts could lead to an responding very promptly to subject Psychologies des foules. Paris: integration of social psychological complaints, then I would pressure your Oleon, 1895.) perspectives and findings and generate university's administration to shift Rummel, R. J. (1994). Democide in new interest in both the basic science of some resources in that direction. As totalitarian states: Mortacracies and social psychology and its many with any social trap, the short-term megamurderers. In I. W. Charney potential applications. The goal here advantages may be seductive, but the (Ed.), Widening circle of genocide would be to encourage social long-term costs of noncompliance with (pp. 3-39). New Brunswick, NJ: psychological thinking and to think federal IRB regulations are huge. ■ Translation. ■ outside the box, or in this case, outside the person. ■ Page 30 DIALOGUE

can still yield real progress in understanding. Qualitative research has a Announcements distinctive role in natural history but cannot replace quantitative methods, and Social Psychology Winter Conference unrecognized forms of psychological the spread of postmodernism from the Jan. 5-8, 2005 Park City, Utah manipulation that undermine the humanities undermines the basis of

The Social Psychology Winter integrity of American jurisprudence. The applied psychology as well of the science. Conference will be held in Park City, chapters are authored by psychologists, A major theme of the book is to take the Utah on January 5-8, 2005. Participants criminologists, and legal scholars who critiques of feminism, social arrive on Tuesday the 4th and leave on have contributed significantly to our constructionism, etc., as resources for Sunday the 9th. The conference location understanding of the pressures that improving our always provisional is the Radisson Park City Hotel. The insidiously operate when the goal of law science.” Social Psychology Program at the enforcement is to elicit self-incriminating University of Utah, hosts of the behavior from suspected criminals. For Cambridge University Press conference, invite all who are interested further description, chapter contents and Announces Volume 5 of the Sydney contributors, and purchase information, Symposium of Social Psychology in attending to consult the conference web page, which is: visit the publisher's website at Social Motivation: Conscious and Unconscious www.psych.utah.edu/social/winterset.html or www.wkap.nl/prod/b/0-306-48470-6. Processes, edited by J.P. Forgas, K.D. Williams to contact Fred Rhodewalt at & S.M. Laham [email protected] for more Collected Writings of M. Brewster Smith Published by NYU Press The volume surveys recent theories and information. research on the psychological New York University Press has mechanisms involved in the planning an Call for Teaching Award nominations published For a Significant Social Psychology: execution of motivated social behavior. The Society for the Teaching of Collected Writings of M. Brewster Smith. The book should be of interest to Psychology (Division 2 of APA) students, practitioners, and researchers announces its 2005 program of awards This new book is intended to foster a interested in the psychology of for outstanding teachers of psychology. personality and social psychology that is motivation. Visit http://uk.cambridge.org/. Teaching awards of $750 and a plaque at once scientific in its concern for are bestowed for outstanding empirical evidence, humanistic in Guilford Press Announces performance in each of four categories: concern with meanings and values and The Social Psychology of Good and Four-year Colleges of Universities respect for interpretive methods, Evil, edited by Arthur G. Miller. involved with the difficult social issues (Robert S. Daniel Award); Two-year This volume explores key concepts and Colleges; High Schools (Moffett of our time, a field open and active at its interdisciplinary boundaries. Smith takes findings pertaining to some of the most Memorial Teaching Award); and fundamental issues in social life: the Graduate Student (McKeachie Graduate advantage of his 60 years as a participant observer, and provides an interpretive conditions under which people are kind Student Teaching Excellence Award). and helpful to others, or conversely, The deadline for submission of commentary for each section for the readings. under which they commit harmful, even supporting materials is January 14, 2005. murderous, acts. Visit Renominations and self-nominations are The book begins with chapters that http://www.guilford.com.. acceptable. Submission of materials, evoke the launching of personality and queries, and requests for nomination social psychology at mid-20th Century Haworth Press Introduces criteria may be sent to the Chair ot the before and during World War II. A International Journal of Transgenderism Teaching Awards Committee: Elizabeth second section draws on Smith’s Yost Hammer, Department of contributions to personology and the The official journal of the Harry Psychology, Box 194, Loyola University, conceptualization of selfhood. A third Benjamin International Gender 6363 St. Charles Av. New Orleans, LA, section includes appraisals of Dysphoria Association, Haworth Press 70118; e-mail [email protected]. psychological contributions to the will begin publishing in 2004. The treatment of social issues, especially journal will cover issues in gender Announcing the publication of prejudice and racism, war and peace. The dysphoria, social and legal acceptance of Volume 20 of the Perspectives in Law last section considers aspects of the hormonal and surgical sex reassignment, and Psychology Series major change in fundamental and educational matters related to Interrogations, Confessions, and Entrapment assumptions of Smith’s six decades in transgenderism. The editor will be G. Daniel Lassiter, Editor psychology. Smith writes “I rejoice in the Noelle Gray, Program in Human Sexuality, University of Minnesota. Subtle but nonetheless coercive liberation from dogmatic positivism that was prominent at mid-century, but do Sample copies can be obtained from influences exist in our system of criminal [email protected] or from justice. The purpose of this edited not take that liberation to mean that www.Haworthpress.com.■ volume is to help expose these largely ‘anything goes.’ Discipline and evidence DIALOGUE Page 31

Graduate Students, open to SPSP student members, pass like to encourage any student SPSP Continued them along to us at [email protected]; member interested to run for a position. we’d be happy to include them in our Likewise, Ph.D.-level SPSP members (Continued from page 16) next compilation! are welcome to recommend students award. Blair Jarvis of Empirisoft has for the committee. Nominations are due again generously donated a financial The GSC also publishes a quarterly by November 15th, 2004, with elections award and 1-year individual user newsletter, the FORUM. This year, the commencing in late November/early license for MediaLab/Direct RT, and GSC has used the FORUM to provide December and terms starting March 1st, would like to publically thank him for information on GSC activities and as a 2005. And, even if the nomination his continued support! professional development resource. deadline passes, it is still possible to get Each quarter, a section of the involved—the GSC always welcomes In addition to our conference-related newsletter is devoted to a professional student involvement. Please just activities, the GSC has worked to development article—grantwriting tips, contact us and share your thoughts— increase communication and developing networking skills, and we’d be happy to get you involved in dissemination of available resources publishing, etc. If you are interested in the activities. among student members. First, we contributing to FORUM, please contact All in all, the GSC is pleased with the continue to regularly publish (via the us at the email address above—we’d projects we have accomplished. We student listserv) a monthly compilation love to include contributions from welcome your suggestions for the of non-academic job announcements. individuals outside the GSC. development of new initiatives, as well These announcements contain not only as feedback on how to improve projects calls for non-academic researchers, but Finally, I’d like to announce that it is currently underway. Please don’t be also program evaluators, data analysis again time to elect incoming GSC hesitant in contacting any of the specialists, and post-doc opportunities. members. Serving on the GSC is a committee members—we’d love to If you know of any non-academic jobs great experience! I would personally hear from you! ■ PageVolume 32 19, No. 2 DIALOGUE Dialogue — Fall, 2004

Published at: SPSP Officers and Committee Members, 2004 Department of Psychology Hazel Markus President University of Kansas Margaret Clark President-Elect Lawrence, KS 66045 Jim Blascovich Past President Harry Reis Executive Officer Phone: 785-864-9807 Fax: 785-864-5696 David Dunning Executive Officer-Incoming Email: [email protected] or Tim Wilson Secretary-Treasurer [email protected] Fred Rhodewalt Editor, PSPB Eliot Smith Editor, PSPR News of the Society Since 1986 Chris Crandall Co-Editor, Dialogue Monica Biernat Co-Editor, Dialogue Behavioral Research Lynne Cooper Convention Committee, Chair Steve Harkins Convention Committee at NIMH, Continued Tim Strauman Convention Committee Ed Diener SPSP Program Committee (Continued from page 17) basic science. The two NAMHC reports Jud Mills APA Program Committee, Chair mentioned above discuss numerous areas Michael Zárate Diversity Committee in which basic behavioral science is ripe Greg Herek Diversity Committee for translation to clinical issues and Tiffany Ito Diversity Committee integration with brain sciences. Rick Robins Publication Committee

To facilitate this translation and Gifford Weary Publication Committee integration, the NIMH extramural Joanne Wood Publication Committee research programs have been reorganized Yuichi Shoda Training Committee, Chair into five divisions (from three). I urge Cathy Cozzarelli Training Committee you to visit the NIMH website for a full Steve Drigotas Training Committee description of each new division and its Theresa Vescio Training Committee programs that support research funding, including specific areas of emphasis, and Judy Harackiewicz Fellows Committee consider where your research is most David Dunning Member at Large applicable (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/). Nalini Ambady Member at Large For example, researchers interested in Judy Harackiewicz Member at Large individual and interpersonal functioning Ed Diener APA Council Rep/Member at Large or understanding stigma in relation to June Tangney APA Council Rep/Member at Large mental disorders may look to the Division of AIDS and Health and Gina Reisinger-Verdin Office Manager Behavior. Researchers interested in Mission Statement behavioral processes with implications investigators—prior to writing Dialogue for explicating risk and resilience in applications—to discuss ideas with Dialogue is the official newsletter of the Society mental disorders, prevention, or treatment NIMH program staff who are actively for Personality and Social Psychology. It ap- development may look to one of the two pears twice every year, in the spring and fall. Its evaluating specific portfolios. We hope to intended readership is members of the Society. translational divisions (adult and inspire the creativity and ingenuity of our The purpose of Dialogue is to report news of the pediatric). Researchers interested in behavioral science community to address Society, stimulate debate on issues, and gener- studying basic mechanisms of cognition these challenging issues and push the ally inform and occasionally entertain. Dialogue or social cognition with implications for publishes summaries about meetings of the scientific envelope to advance public Society’s executive committee and subcommit- understanding brain-behavior mental health. ■ tees, as well as announcements, opinion pieces, relationships may look to the Division of letters to the editor, humor, and other articles Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral of general interest to personality and social Science. psychologists. The Editors seek to publish all relevant and appropriate contributions, al- though the Editors reserve the right to deter- Of course, we at NIMH recognize that mine publishability. Content may be solicited by the Editors or offered, unsolicited, by mem- the changing landscape of science holds the possibility for novel approaches that, bers. News of the Society and Committee Re- Society for Personality and Social Psychology ports are reviewed for accuracy and content by in time, will yield benefits for issues we Visit us at www.spsp.org officers or committee chairs of SPSP. All other are interested in, so we encourage content is reviewed at the discretion of the Editors.