American Psychological Association

American Psychological Association (APA) is a professional organization representing psychology in the United States. It has more than 121,000 members, including researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. The APA has an annual budget of around $115m.

History

The APA was formed in 1892 by a group of 26 psychologists. It was initially a scientific and professional body representing psychology in the U.S. The APA grew rapidly and by the early 20th century, it had over 31,000 members. The organization's growth was due to the increasing professionalization of psychology as a discipline.

Structure

The APA is governed by a Council of Representatives and a Board of Directors. The Council is composed of representatives from divisions and state, provincial, and territorial psychological associations. The Board of Directors includes the president, president-elect, past president, treasurer, CEO, and six members-at-large.

Divisions

The APA is divided into 54 divisions, each representing a specific subfield of psychology. These divisions often organize their own conferences and publish their own journals.

Publications

The APA is known for its many scholarly journals in various areas of psychology. It also publishes books through the APA Publishing imprint and databases such as PsycINFO and PsycARTICLES.

APA Style

One of the APA's most known contributions is the APA Style, a set of rules and conventions for writing, citing, and formatting academic papers. APA Style is widely used in the social and behavioral sciences.

Controversies

The APA has been involved in several controversies, including its stance on homosexuality and its involvement in the torture controversy during the War on Terror.

See also

• Psychology
• APA Style
• Homosexuality
• War on Terror