A chronology of noteworthy events in American psychology.1970-1985: A partnership of science and practice.

Abstract

When considering events of the most recent decades, the line between history and current events becomes less distinct and the lasting significance of events becomes more difficult to judge. Some events of the recent past relate to legal and legislative issues, such as testing standards, experimenter ethics, and patients' rights, that have been of continuous concern to psychologists. Other issues, such as drug abuse, media violence, insurance coverage of independently provided services, and ethnic minority issues, might have been unfamiliar to the founders of the American Psychological Association (APA) or might have seemed to them improper concerns for a psychological scientist. Indeed, the current membership and the profession at large is divided on whether a professional organization should be actively involved in matters of legal advocacy and public policy. It is useful to separate these advocacy activities into two groups, the application of psychological knowledge to social issues and legal cases affecting the status and conduct of psychological practitioners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved)