Highlights a meeting in Washington, D.C. sponsored by the American
Psychological Association, which proclaimed 2000 to 2010 as the Decade of
Behavior. Challenges to be faced in the Decade of Behavior; Activities
during the Decade of Behavior.
By
Nancy Dess, published on January 01, 2001
INITIATIVE
How could we ever top the Decade of the Brain, lust completed last
year? Well, representatives of Congress, federal agencies and the
scientific community recently gathered in Washington, D.C., to usher in
the new one: the Decade of Behavior, another American Psychological
Association (APA) "brainchild."
Endorsed by more than 50 behavioral and social science societies,
the Decade of Behavior, 2000-2010, focuses on the country's major
challenges--such as improving education, health and safety. The coalition
was designed to inform the public and public policy-makers about diverse
research in these areas. Event attendees included APA executive director
for science Richard McCarty, U.S. Representative David Price (D-North
Carolina), and U.S. Representative Brian Baird (D-Washington), also a
clinical psychologist.
Future coalition activities will focus on energizing both the
scientific community and the public. For example, currently under way is
Behavior Awareness Week, a school outreach program in which graduate
students will visit classrooms to introduce various disciplines like
psychological science. Also in the works is a public television series,
which will cover topics like violence and relation ships. The series will
partner with a companion Web site exploring the crucial role of
behavioral and social sciences in important public issues. To learn more,
visit www.decade ofbehavior.org or contact science@apa.org.
Adapted by Ph.D.
Tags:
American Psychological Associa,
american psychological association,
behavior,
brainchild,
clinical psychologist,
education,
education health,
graduate students,
psychological science,
public policy,
social science,
social sciences
