DIALOGUE Page 1 Volume 21, No. 2 DIALOGUE Dialogue—Fall, 2006 The Official Newsletter of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Chris Crandall & Monica Biernat, Co-Editors Going to Memphis: SPSP’s 8th Inside the Annual Meeting, January 2007 Current Issue: By Steve Harkins and Monica Biernat As in past years, activities will begin on SPSP Executive Committee 2 Thursday (January 25) with 13 Report preconferences. Take a look at all the choices SPSP is going to Memphis, Home of the at: http://www.taramillerevents.com/spsp2007/ Blues, Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll!! preconferences.htm Report fromt the APA 4 Council of Representatives The 8th Annual Meeting of the Society for The convention itself will begin Thursday Personality and Social Psychology will be held afternoon at 5:30 with the Presidential in Memphis, Tennessee on January 25-27, Symposium, which will be followed by a Convention Programming 5 Decisions 2007. welcome reception. On Friday and Saturday the program will continue with a host of The Conference will be held in the newly- symposia, poster sessions, invited addresses, Comings and Goings 6 renovated Memphis Cook Convention Center publisher exhibits, and special events. in the heart of downtown Memphis. The Each year we think that we must have headquarters hotel, the Memphis Marriott reached asymptote in terms of numbers of Pettigrew on Contact in 8 Downtown, is connected to the Convention submissions. That certainly was the case last South Africa Center and has a full range of facilities year, but once again we have been proven including an indoor pool and a fitness center. wrong. This year, we received 124 symposia Overflow will be accommodated at the submissions (up from last year’s 107) and Prestigious Awards for 9, Gable, Richeson 17 Wyndham Garden Hotel, which is only a block 1,340 poster submissions (up from last year’s away. The complex is 12 miles away from the 1,197). An article on p. 5 provides some Memphis International Airport, which is detail about the review process faced by the News from the Graduate 11 served by direct flights from many national (Continued on page 18) Student Committee airport hubs. Passings 12 New Society Officers Elected Smith on Talking Points for 13 This past spring, Society Dr. Dovidio is Professor of M. Lynne Cooper, Professor Social/Personality Members voted in elections Psychology at the University of Psychology at the Psychologists for the positions of President of Connecticut, and Editor of University of Missouri, was Social Psychology at NSF 14 Elect, Secretary Treasurer, JPSP: IRGP. elected to a 3-year term as a APA Council Representative, Division 8 representative to and Member at Large of the The Society’s new Secretary/ the APA Council of SPSP Executive Committee. Treasurer is Jennifer Crocker, Representatives. Announcements 16, 24 Professor of Psychology at The winner of the presidential the University of Michigan. These new members will election was Jack Dovidio, have voting rights on the What Makes an Excellent 20, who will serve as President- The new Member-at-Large is SPSP Executive Committee. Review? 23 Elect in 2007, President in Lisa Feldman Barrett, Congratulations to our ■ 2008, and past-President in Professor of Psychology at colleagues! CV Humor by Rob Foels 26 2009. Boston College. Page 2 DIALOGUE Report from the Executive Committee The SPSP Executive Committee held by Rick Robins, noted that PSPB is on weeks, and a publication lag of 9.8 its bi-annual meeting following the target for another year of more than months. There was some discussion of APA convention in New Orleans, on 600 journal submissions! Roughly 22% how submissions to PSPR might be August 13-14, 2006. Headed by of submissions are now being triaged – increased. One suggestion was that President Brenda Major and Executive rejected without review, and the overall authors might be encouraged to submit Officer David Dunning, a theme of this rejection rate is at 76%, with an review articles (and not only “big meeting was to “think bigger” about average editorial lag of 9.2 weeks and a theory” pieces) to the journal; also the Society—to consider the publication lag of 6.8 months. Reports discussed was the possibility of possibility of developing new journals, are that new editorial structure—in publishing the SPSP annual establishing new directions for training which editor Judy Harackiewicz heads Presidential Address in the journal. of graduate students and members at a team of 2 Senior Associate Editors Prospective authors are encouraged to different career stages, and broadening and 9 Associate Editors—is working read editor Galen Bodenhausen’s the reach of social/personality well. The Executive Committee voted mission statement that will appear in psychology into other disciplines. The to continue this structure through the the February issue of PSPR. Society is in good financial shape, and end of Harackiewicz’ term, but to the time may be ripe for stretching revisit the issue when a new editor Society Archivist boundaries. Any suggestions about the steps in. SPSP is interested in developing an direction of SPSP should be forwarded In the context of discussing the very archive of photographs, videos, and to members of the SPSP Executive tape-recordings that might be of committee (see the back of Dialogue Reports are that new interest to members of the society. If for a listing of current members). you have any such items, please contact editorial structure—in Dave Dunning, Executive Officer of Newly elected Executive Committee which the editor heads a SPSP. members were announced at the team of 2 Senior Associate meeting. The new President-elect is Convention Committee Jack Dovidio, Secretary/Treasurer is Editors and 9 Associate This year’s convention committee, Jenny Crocker, Division 8 APA Editors—is working well. headed by Steve Harkins, has been hard Council Representative is Lynne at work organizing the Memphis Cooper, and the new Member at Large meeting. Registration is open, and the is Lisa Feldman Barrett. These new EC high rate of submissions to PSPB, The committee is pleased that the members will join the meeting that will Executive Committee brainstormed registration fee will stay the same as it follow the SPSP convention in about the possibility of establishing has for the past two years. More about Memphis in January. other journals. There is obviously a the convention appears in the cover need for outlets from the growing story of this issue. Membership and Treasurer’s Report community of personality/social SPSP membership as of August was psychologists, and Sage, our current The Executive Committee also voted to 4,827, the highest figure yet. This publisher, is open to moving forward to change the Student Travel Award reflects some burst in membership another journal. Some formats that amounts. For the 2007 meeting, all based on the membership requirement were discussed included an on-line travel awards to students (both from the for submitting posters/symposia for journal, a journal focused on public Graduate Student Travel Award and the consideration in the conference. Partly policy applications, a journal modeled Diversity Fund Travel Award) will be because of increased membership as on Psychological Science (short, for $500. This represents an increase well as good income from our journals, punchy articles with quick turnaround), from $300 for last year’s Graduate the Society had a higher-than- and/or an inter-disciplinary journal Student Travel Awards, but a decrease anticipated surplus this year that will with thematic content in each issue. from $800 for last year’s Diversity allow for some cushion should a tight Fund Travel Awards. There was broad year arise. The cushion also allows for PSPR, under the new editorship of support for equating the amount of the the luxury of thinking big about new Galen Bodenhausen is experiencing a awards from these two funds, and for a journals and programs as well as other slight rise in submissions relative to funding figure that would cover more investment opportunities. last year; 36 papers were submitted than merely airfare and registration. during the first 6 months of 2006. The Publication Committee journal is operating with an 82% The SPSP Executive Committee also The Publications Committee, chaired rejection rate, an editorial lag of 9.5 (Continued on page 3) DIALOGUE Page 3 (Continued from page 2) GLBT alliance in Social and meeting in New Orleans. Toni and her voted on recommendations for sites for Personality Psychology. Both of these committee (including Veronica Benet- the 2008 convention. The winning city social events are open to all SPSP Martinez and Laura King) put together is Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the members. The Diversity Committee has a great slate of speakers, covering 29 dates are set for February 7–9. Mark been involved in fund-raising as well, program hours. As is typical of the your calendars! making appeals to publishers (often APA meeting, attendance was not great through SPSP members who author for the personality/social talks, but Training Committee books) to contribute to diversity topics related to clinical psychology The Training Committee has been initiatives. If you would like to were better attended, as were those focused on training current and “next contribute money to the Diversity offering Continuing Education credit. generation” social and personality Fund, or have suggestions for any The Chair of the Division 8 program at psychologists, and has therefore been aspect of Diversity initiatives, please the 2007 APA convention in San working closely with the Graduate contact Committee chair Keith Francisco is C. Raymond (Chip) Knee, Student Committee to coordinate its Maddox, at [email protected]. University of Houston. The deadline efforts. One joint effort is the Graduate for program submissions is December Student Mentoring Lunch which will Graduate Student Committee 1.