psychology_Sons_(2003)

CHAPTER 26

Professional Organizations

WADE E. PICKREN AND RAYMOND D. FOWLER

535

INTERNATIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL
ORGANIZATIONS 535
The International Union of Psychological Sciences 535
The International Association of Applied Psychology 536
The International Council of Psychologists 536
International Associations: Regional 537
Other Regional Meetings 538
International Associations: Specialized 538
NATIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATIONS 538
Europe 538
Asia 539

The Near and Middle East 539

South and Central America and the Caribbean 539

Africa 540

Others 540

North America 540

Applied Psychological Organizations 544

Psychological Organizations in the Public Interest 545

Accreditation and Credentialing Organizations 548

Interdisciplinary Organizations 549

CONCLUSION 550

REFERENCES 551

Among the scientific societies that proliferated across Europe
and North America in the latter half of the nineteenth century
were psychological societies and organizations (Appel, 1988;
Gundlach, 1997). At the beginning of the twenty-first cen-
tury, there are well over 1,000 psychological associations,
societies, or organizations. In this chapter, we will provide a
descriptive history of the development of organized psychol-
ogy, beginning with international organizations, then moving
to national, regional, and, finally, specialty organizations. We
will not be exhaustive in our description; rather, we will at-
tempt to present a representation of the various types of psy-
chological societies.

INTERNATIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL
ORGANIZATIONS

As the possibility of a new science of psychology grew across
Europe in the late nineteenth century, the first cohort of psy-
chologists loosely organized themselves into local societies
or participated in the organizational life of other scientific so-
cieties. Improvements in transportation and communication
were instrumental in facilitating more formal associations by
making travel to distant sites quicker and safer. Beginning in
1889, psychologists began to meet their colleagues from
other cities or universities at international congresses of

psychology. The diverse interests that were represented in

these meetings reflected the heterogeneity of psychology dur-

ing the period. For example, organizers with interests as di-

verse as hypnosis and psychical research sponsored the first

two International Congresses of Psychology. Jean Martin

Charcot (1825–1893) and his colleagues in the Société de

Psychologie Physiologique organized the first International

Congress of Psychology held at the Paris World Fair of 1889.

Charcot was president of this first congress, and his research

and clinical interests in hypnosis were represented in approx-

imately one-third of the congress papers (Silverman, 1989;

Smith, 1997). The London Society for Psychical Research or-

ganized the second International Congress of Psychology in

1892. Although their themes were perhaps peripheral to the
      interests of most scientific psychologists, these first two con-
      gresses provided a venue for psychologists to gather, discuss
      research, and make plans for future cooperation. The interna-
      tional congresses helped bring together scholars with a com-
      mon interest in the new discipline and played a vital role in
      the establishment of psychological associations.

The International Union of Psychological Sciences

The international congresses eventually led to an umbrella

organization of psychological science. For many years, the

International Congress Committee served as the steering