DIALOGUE Page 1
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DIALOGUE Page 1 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.