2. Activities of IAAP

International Congress of Applied Psychology (ICAP)

Every four years IAAP organizes a world congress of applied psychology which serves as a review of advances in applied psychology and unites several thousand psychologists from all over the world. Thus, the ICAP '90 (Kyoto) counted more than 2,000 participants, ICAP '94 (Madrid) some 3,500. The ICAP '98 will be hosted by the American Psychological Association in San Francisco. These congresses belong to the main responsibilities of IAAP inasmuch as they are a particularly suited instruments to pursue the Association's mission of bringing applied psychologists in world-wide contact with each other. In addition, the ICAP offers the unique opportunity to demonstrate the societal significance of applied psychology.

Regional Psychological Conferences

IAAP, through its Divisions and as a whole, contributes to international regional conferences of psychology by organizing symposia and by contributing to the funding of such conferences. These regional meetings are especially important for younger psychologists and colleagues from less developed countries who may not be able to afford the travel cost and congress fees for world congresses. Besides, they help to bridge the periods between two ICAPs, thus facilitating continuity of contacts and cooperation.

Regional Meetings of Divisions

Sometimes IAAP Divisions organize theme-oriented workshops and unite colleagues from a particular region in focused scientific exchange.

Awards

One way of highlighting the relevance of applied psychology is to honour colleagues who have made important contributions to the field by giving them a special IAAP Award. Three types of awards were created for this purpose:

(1) An award "for recognized international impact in Applied Psychology"
(recipient 1994: Donald Super, USA, posthumously)
(2) An award "for outstanding contributions to the advancement of the
profession of Applied Psychology internationally" (recipient 1994: Jyuji Misumi, Japan)
(3) An award for "promising young applied psychologists" (to be given for
the first time in 1998)

Training

IAAP cooperates with other international Psychological Associations in the organization of "Advanced Research Training Seminars - ARTS" for colleagues from Third World countries. These Seminars are carried out in connection with international congresses and focus on particular themes such as cognitive psychology and developmental psychology. It is envisioned to expand training activities by IAAP members either coincidentally by renowned colleagues during their travels or through workshops in connection with international congresses.

Publications

IAAP publishes a quarterly Applied Psychology - an International Review (Lawrence Erlbaum) which ranks among the best scientific periodicals in psychology. In 1997 Applied Psychology appeared in its 46th annual volume. Among its more recent editors were colleagues such as L.S. Hearnshaw (Great Britain), Claude Levy-Leboyer (France), Gerry Randell (Great Britain), Bernhard Wilpert (Germany), Michael Frese (Germany). Guest editors of special issues have included Donald Super (USA), Lars H. Ekstrand (Sweden), Lorraine D. Eyde (USA), Maurice de Montmollin (France), Charles Spielberger (USA), Claude Levy-Leboyer (France), Dov Elizur (Israel), Henk Thierry (Netherlands), J. Misumi (Japan), Jose M. Prieto & A. Avila (Spain).
Among the quarterly issues readers will find
  • General issues, with freely submitted contributions.
  • Lead articles with open peer comentaries.
  • International replication notes.
  • Special issues, with guest editors and invited contributions with a particular thematic focus.
  • Regional issues, from particular parts of the world

The European Work and Organizational Psychologist (Lawrence Erlbaum), also a quarterly Journal, is published in association with the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology (EAWOP). This periodical aims particularly at bridging the gap between practicing and scientifically active applied psychologists. An IAAP - Newsletter is published twice a year to inform members about important developments and events in applied psychology and within the Association. In addition, several Divisions of IAAP inform their members with periodical editions of Division Newsletters.

The Proceedings of the 22nd ICAP in Kyoto 1990 were published (Lawrence Erlbaum) in 1992 in three volumes (editors: J. Misumi, H. Motoaki, B. Wilpert).

The Proceedings of the 23 ICAP in Madrid 1994 are available in the World Wide Web at:
http:// www.ucm.es/23ICAP/23icap.html

International Cooperation

With the aim to promote the world-wide growth and significance of the discipline of psychology IAAP cooperates closely with other major international organizations of psychology, particularly:

with the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS), the federation of national psychological associations, which also organizes quadrenniel international congresses of psychology every second year after an ICAP;

with the International Council of Psychologists (ICP);

with the International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology (IACCP);

with the International Ergonomics Association (IEA).

This cooperation takes the form of joint sponsorships and organization of regional conferences or training seminars, the harmonization of congress planning, and active involvement in each others' congresses.

Further, IAAP keeps close contact with international organizations of the United Nations family, e.g., as Affiliate Member of the International Social Science Council (ISSC) of UNESCO it maintains and expands direct contact with the International Labour Office (ILO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

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José M. Prieto
psdif01@emducms1.sis.ucm.es -- Universidad Complutense
Last modified: June 21st, 1997