Spring Consolidated Meetings

The Board of Scientific Affairs (BSA), the Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessment (CPTA), and the Committee on Animal Research and Ethics (CARE) met in March with 24 other APA boards and committees. This consolidated meeting format provides those involved an opportunity to discuss and reach quick decisions regarding issues affecting several boards and committees. A summary of the activities of BSA and its committees follows:

Board of Scientific Affairs (BSA)

BSA reviewed all Science Directorate activities and programs. The Board then recommended that the Science Directorate expand its contacts with basic science divisions and departments of psychology. After an intensive review, BSA agreed to continue its support for the scientific conferences program. In addition, the Board decided to devote time at its November 1995 meeting to review science advocacy activities.

BSA also contemplated the usefulness of several Directorate activities to graduate students (e.g., electronic communications, Psychological Science Agenda, and the student awards program) and considered ways to make them more attractive to this constituency. Randall Rule, Chair of the APA Science Student Council, attended the BSA meeting and agreed to discuss this issue at the spring Student Council meeting. He will report back to BSA at its fall meeting.

The Board also reviewed its relationships with other scientific societies (e.g., American Association for the Advancement of Science, Social Science Research Council, Society for Neuroscience, and College on Problems of Drug Dependence) and appointed individuals to serve as APA liaisons to these groups. BSA agreed to continue to review the activities of its standing committees and decided to begin to review the activities of CARE.

In addition, the Board selected speakers for the Master Lecture program, which was taken over by BSA from the Committee for Continuing Education. Speakers will be contacted to find out if they are available to present their research at the 1996 APA convention in the following areas: animal learning and behavior; developmental; sensation, perception, and action; social and cultural; and psychopathology.

BSA also reviewed the progress of the Task Force on Scientific Perspectives of Intelligence Tests and Group Differences and the Joint Task Force To Revise the Ethical Principles in the Conduct of Research With Human Participants.

Committee on Animal Research and Ethics (CARE)

CARE members discussed several new initiatives for the group including a survey of animal use in departments of psychology. A similar survey was conducted in 1985-1986, but the new one, which would focus on number and types of animals, will examine patterns of animal use during the past 10 years.

The Committee's planned educational activities include developing materials for use by high school teachers and increasing the use of the Internet for disseminating accurate information about animal experimentation. Committee members also discussed public policy issues related to animal experimentation, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection program.

Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessment (CPTA)

CPTA reviewed a preliminary release of the U. S. Department of Education's proposed regulations for assessing eligibility requirements for remedial education programs for disadvantaged students (see p. 7). The Committee then developed recommendations for the regulations addressing the technical aspects of the assessments to be used.

The Committee also discussed its ongoing review of employment testing under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). CPTA decided to inform APA members about the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's enforcement guidance on medical examinations, which affects employment testing under ADA. CPTA concluded that APA members need to be alerted because the implications for psychological and personality tests are still unclear.

CPTA also reviewed the progress of the Joint Committeeţs revision of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. The Joint Committee expects to release first drafts of some sections of the Standards later this year.