DIALOGUE Page 1 Volume 18, No. 2 DIALOGUE Dialogue — Fall, 2003 The Official Newsletter of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Chris Crandall & Monica Biernat, Co-Editors 2004 Convention: Looking Inside the Forward to Austin, Texas Current Issue: meeting in this new property, one of a dozen By Rick Hoyle State of the Society; New 2, 3 we anticipate an enthusiastic preconferences ranging in Arrangements for the 2004 reception by hotel focus from the latest Executive Director chosen convention, to be held management and staff. research findings in specific areas of personality and Student Pub/TIP Winners; 4 January 29-31 in Austin, Carlston on Writing Texas, are nearly complete. The program committee, led social psychology, to career Construction of the new by Mark Leary, has put development, to the art and The first Summer Institute 5, Hilton Austin, convention together the most varied and science of teaching in Social Psychology 16 headquarters, is ahead of extensive SPSP program psychology. schedule. ever (see p. 8 for an article PSPB News; call for Editor 6 from the Program Chair The convention officially Nominations Hotel management projects a about how the decisions opens with a welcome were made). reception at 5:30 on Report from the 7 “soft opening” by November th and a full opening by early Thursday the 29 . As a Publications Committee January. As one of the first If you can make it to Austin reward for our willingness a day early, then you’ll have to commit to holding our SPSP Convention 8 organizations to stage a Programming the option of participating in (Continued on page 3) President’s Column: Jim 9 SPSP Election Results: New Officers Chosen Blascovich on Rumors SPSP Elections were held Blascovich will become Past- term, and represents the Dan Wegner on Discovery 10 and Debate in Science this spring; the Society President. interests of Div. 8 at APA elected a new President- Council meetings twice a The new Secretary-Treasurer year. Dr. Deiner is a former SPSP is distinct from APA 11 Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, Division 8 APA Council Representative is Timothy Wilson, of the SPSP President. and Member-at-Large. University of Virginia. Dr. Mel Manis on the Value of 12 Wilson received a Ph.D. from The new Member-at-Large Retirement The President-Elect is the University of Michigan. is Nalani Ambady of Dr. Wilson replaces Sharon Harvard University. Dr. 13, Margaret Clark, of Carnegie- Campbell, Block, Murray, 17, Mellon University. Dr. Clark Brehm and Leslie Zebrowitz Ambady received a Ph.D. Service Award Winners 19, 20 received a Ph.D. from the who were simultaneously from Harvard University. University of Maryland. elected Secretary-Treasurer. The Member-at-Large Update from the Graduate 14 Although the position of The Secretary-Treasurer serves a 3-year term, and Student Committee President-Elect is elected serves a three year term. represents the interests of each year it is, in effect, a the SPSP membership. EAESP Summer Institute 18 Announcement three year term. Each SPSP The new APA Council President serves one year Representative is Ed Deiner All elected office are voting of University of Illinois- members of the Executive Passings; 21, each as President-elect, Announcements 30 President, and Past- Champaign. Dr. Deiner Committee, and attend the President, with substantive received a Ph.D. from the twice-a-year council Comings & Goings 22 duties in each year. Dr. Clark University of Washington. meetings, once at the SPSP replaces Hazel Markus, who The APA Council conference, and once at the will become President. Jim Representative serves a 3-year APA Convention.■ Classic Book Review: 28 Seduction of the Innocent Page 2 DIALOGUE The State of the Society: Report from the Executive Committee Despite concerns about SARS, at 3,892, the largest in our history, and In addition to the issue of membership, terrorism, and power outages, the SPSP it's expected to crack 4,000 in 2004. In we do not have a large SPSP/Div. 8 Executive Committee met in Toronto, the figure below, you can see the presence at APA conventions. This, August 10, 2003 for what we believe breakdown of the nationality of SPSP too, is a continuing problem, and the was the 30th annual meeting. President membership, separately for Student and APA convention program committee is Jim Blascovich welcomed the Full status. We do not know—because working hard to create something Executive Committee and other we do not ask— about the gender or desirable for personality/social members, and then related a disturbing the ethnicity of the membership. psychologists. Next year's convention story that a provost at a prominent Another trend in the Society is that will be in Hawaii, and a strong program university, who suggested publicly that fewer SPSP members are also members that emphasizes personality psychology "social psychology is dead" and that in APA. This trend is a continuing (and is tied to the Association for further hires in social psychology concern in the Executive Committee, Research in Personality) is expected. should be avoided (see p. 9 for the and several past Dialogue articles and Presidential Column which relates the columns have discussed the value of a Budget. As in the past few years, SPSP story). strong connection between SPSP and finances are in good shape. Compared APA. Is there a perception that APA is to many comparable organizations, And so the meeting began with serious not responsive to personality/social things are very good--we're showing a discussion for about raising the scientists', scholars' and teachers' modest surplus from last year, and we visibility of social/personality needs? Harry Reis pointed out that to expect to run a modest surplus next psychology in circles such as National make APA serve personality/social's year. The Executive Committee is Research Council, where science policy needs, we must make APA know what considering ways to use these small is made for Congress and Executive our wishes are—historically APA has amounts of extra money in ways to branch. More local to psychology, a been able to deliver on our request— benefit the Society and its membership. new Director for the Board of when we ask. Members should feel free to contact the Scientific Affairs (within APA) will (Continued on page 15) soon be chosen, and it is important that the position is filled by someone with respect for and understanding of social-personality psychology. In addition, the APA Chief Executive Office will soon be choosing a new head of the Scientific Directorate, and this person will have the opportunity to shape lobbying of Congress (purse strings) and executive branches (actual disbursement). SPSP members are currently working to advise the responsible parties, and trying to shape these policies. Elections. The results of the recent elections was announced (see p. 1). Peggy Clark will be the new President- Elect, Tim Wilson will be the new Secretary-Treasurer, Nalani Ambady will be the new Member-at-Large, and Ed Deiner will be the new APA Council Representative. Membership. Harry Reis reported that the membership in the Society is now DIALOGUEDIALOGUE PagePage 3 3 Executive Committee Appoints David Dunning Next Executive Officer Recently, Harry Reis informed the smooth as possible. contracts with publishers and maintains Executive Committee that he intended the membership lists, handles all to resign his position as Executive Dunning is Professor of Psychology at Society funds, and serves as the Officer of SPSP at the end of calendar Cornell University. He received a institutional memory for the year 2004. Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford organization, among many other duties. University in 1986. He is a past The subsequent search has been member and Chair of the SPSP Harry Reis will have served the successful. The Committee has Publication Committee and is currently organization as Executive Officer for a unanimously approved and is pleased a Member-at-Large on the Executive decade. His contributions to SPSP have to announce the appointment of Prof. Committee. Such experience is one of been immeasurable. He will leave the David Dunning as Executive Officer- his many qualifications for the new organization with strong fiscal Designate for calendar 2004 and position. David will resign his position foundations and multiple programs for Executive Officer for a five-year term as Member-at-Large when he takes the membership, not the least of which commencing on January 1, 2005. over as Executive Officer in 2005. is the annual SPSP Convention. On behalf of the membership, the Reis will serve as Past-Executive The Executive Officer is perhaps the Executive Committee wishes to express Officer during calendar 2005. Hence, most important office in SPSP, as the its sincere gratitude to Harry for his there will be a two-year transition EO oversees all meetings, keeps track unparalleled service.■ period so that the changeover will be as of the business of the society, oversees At about 6:00, there will be a brief htm (Inoperative links will become Convention 2004: program featuring welcoming remarks, operative as the information to which announcements, and recognition of they lead becomes available.) Austin, TX winners of several awards given by (Continued from page 1) SPSP. Then, in an area adjacent to the New this year is the capacity to pay for meeting at the hotel before construction welcome reception, a poster session convention registration by credit card was complete, the Hilton will provide will run from 6:15 to 7:45. through this Web site. Look for this free “heavy” appetizers and two free feature to come online in late drinks per person at the reception. Plan For complete information about the September.