Dawn W. Foster, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry, co-chaired an American Psychological Association committee that sought to improve the public’s appreciation and understanding of psychological science.
The committee, “Translating Psychological Science for the Public,” was formed in 2014 by then-APA President Nadine Kaslow, PhD, to “assist APA staff in creating and disseminating new public education materials that translate psychological science to the public.”
The committee made several recommendations to APA, including expanding the use of podcasts, creating special topical issues of APA journals, optimizing APA web content for search, continuing and possibly expanding APA’s amicus briefs program, and requiring APA journal authors to submit a translational abstract or significant statement.
A report of the committee’s work published in the APA Monitor may be read here.
Foster was a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health at the time of her appointment as committee co-chair. Her research at Yale focuses on social psychological principles related to etiology, prevention, and treatment of substance use among adolescents and young adults.