The International Union of Psychological Science, abbreviated IUPsyS or the Union, is the global umbrella organization for

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between ...

History

Starting in 1889, an International Congress of Psychology has been held every few years. The International Congress of Psychology committee was established to organize this. A few years after a statement by the United Nations which encouraged the establishment of international scientific societies, the 1948 International Congress in Edinburgh agreed to establish an international society similar to those which existed for other sciences. At the 1951 International Congress in Stockholm, the IUPsyS was officially established and statutes for it were accepted.

Current functions

IUPsyS represents around one million psychologists worldwide. It is composed of 93 National Members (national psychology organizations or coalitions of national psychology organizations, one per country), 7 regional members, and 19 affiliate or special liaison organizations. Together, these organizations represent the large majority of organized psychology today. The overall mission of IUPsyS, as specified in its statutes, is the development, representation and advancement of psychology as a basic and applied science regionally, nationally, and internationally. This is accomplished through a variety of activities, including quadrennial international congresses (the IUPsyS is the sponsor of the International Congress of Psychology), regional conferences and workshops; publications;

capacity building Capacity building (or capacity development, capacity strengthening) is the improvement in an individual's or organization's facility (or capability) "to produce, perform or deploy". The terms ''capacity building'' and ''capacity development'' ha ...

; development of standards; promulgation of policy; and information dissemination. IUPsyS operates according to a strategic plan. IUPsyS is a member of the International Council for Science (ICSU), the

International Social Science Council The International Social Science Council (ISSC) was an international non-governmental organization promoting the social sciences, including the economic and behavioural sciences. It was founded in Paris, France between 6 and 9 October 1952, u ...

(ISSC), and is accredited with the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...

(WHO), and the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

(

ECOSOC The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC; french: links=no, Conseil économique et social des Nations unies, ) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields ...

and

DPI A Daytona Prototype International (DPi) was a type of sports prototype racing car developed specifically for the International Motor Sports Association's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, as their top class of car, acting as a direct replaceme ...

). The ''

International Journal of Psychology The ''International Journal of Psychology'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed academic journal covering all aspects of psychology. It was established in 1966 by Paul Fraisse, and is published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International Union of Ps ...

'' (''IJP'') is the official journal of the IUPsyS, published by Psychology Press. It provides articles and reviews in every domain of psychology and informs the international community about issues of common interest in its International Platform Section. The IUPsyS website provides information about IUPsyS and its activities. IUPsyS hosts Psychology Resources Around the World, a web portal with information on the organizations and structure of psychology in 190 countries, and links to psychology information and resources around the world. Other publications include a news Bulletin, Newsletter, informational brochures, and books, including a History of the Union, the International Handbook of Psychology, and an international compendium of Psychological Concepts. The activities undertaken by the IUPsyS are generally organized through its three Standing Committees: Strategic Planning,

Capacity Building Capacity building (or capacity development, capacity strengthening) is the improvement in an individual's or organization's facility (or capability) "to produce, perform or deploy". The terms ''capacity building'' and ''capacity development'' ha ...

, Publications and Communications, and their associated Work Groups. The IUPsyS also continues to run the International Congress of Psychology.

Capacity Building Programs

The IUPsyS sponsors a variety of capacity building programs. These include: * The Biennial Advanced Research Training Seminar (ARTS) program that provides training opportunities for scholars from low-income countries, to learn about new and up-to-date

methodologies In its most common sense, methodology is the study of research methods. However, the term can also refer to the methods themselves or to the philosophical discussion of associated background assumptions. A method is a structured procedure for bri ...

that they can carry forward to their own research programs and to other psychologists in their home communities; * Capacity Building Workshops at Regional Conferences of Psychology, and topic-driven capacity building workshop series. In 2012, the IUPsyS sponsored a capacity building workshop on the Asian-Pacific region. The IUPsyS supports cooperation and exchange among members of the world community of psychologists through regular communication with its National Member organizations, in the biennial meetings of the Assembly of the Union, and through its web and print publications.

International congresses and leadership

References

External links