The International Association of Applied
Psychology (IAAP) is the oldest association with individual membership that
encompasses all applied areas of psychology. According to IAAP’s constitution,
IAAP establishes contact between those who, in different countries, devote
themselves to scientific work in the various fields of applied psychology, and,
on the other hand, to advance the study likely to contribute to scientific and
social development in these fields. IAAP provides a worldwide network of likeminded colleagues
with opportunities to develop close cooperation and exchange in research, teaching and the practice of psychology. The
function of IAAP is to promote applied research all over the world and to
promote the use of psychology in all important areas of application. IAAP has a
mission to provide sound, scientifically based and impartial knowledge to
decision makers both nationally and internationally. To produce generalizable, and transferable knowledge, it is
necessary to understand and accentuate the differences of people, of cultures, and of
theoretical approaches. For these functions
IAAP provides and develops effective international networks and structures.
Further, IAAP provides support and helps to develop research and professional
skills worldwide and diffusion of knowledge.
Our journal Applied Psychology: An
International Review and our Newsletter
as well as the Divisional Newsletters
are important vehicles to such effect.
One of the functions of IAAP as the oldest general-purpose
international association of applied psychology is to provide a platform for meeting and exchange amongst applied
psychologists. In addition, IAAP provides a clearinghouse of psychologists focusing in specific fields.
Therefore, IAAP has been a co-promoter of the World Forum of Presidents of
international worldwide psychological associations, which is a meeting point
for such international special purpose
organizations.
IAAP’s mission is to pursue the application of
psychological competence. This demands not only strong cooperation within
international psychology, but also cooperation with other disciplines. IAAP is
working cooperatively with all other
international organizations, particularly the International Union of
Psychological Science in furthering this aim. The same aim of mutual
cooperation also applies to the International Association of Cross-Cultural
Psychology. We also cooperate with the International Council of Psychologists.
In order to increase networking possibilities of its members and for applied
psychologists worldwide, IAAP organizes the International Congresses of Applied
Psychology every fourth year (the First International Congress of Applied
Psychology took place 1920 in Geneva, Switzerland) as well as regional conferences;
it is also a co-founder and co-organizer of the ARTS Workshops (Advanced
Research Training Seminars), which provides knowledge for participants from
developing countries. Our international outlook also implies that we are
working with United Nations bodies and that we provide help and support to
international endeavours from our psychological perspective (for example, we
work with the International Social Science Council, as an affiliate member, and
we maintain and expand direct contacts with the International Labour Office,
the World Health Organization, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs
(ECOSOC) of the United Nations, as well as the Department of Public Information
(DPI) of the United Nations).
Our mission also implies that we want to help
distribute teaching models in applied psychology, that we want to help students
to develop stronger links worldwide and that we encourage people to visit each
others’ institutions and to collaborate on research. The wider aim of IAAP is
to promote peace and non-violent pursuit of conflicts. Further, our aim is to
promote individual freedom and non-discriminatory practices in societies, in
jobs, and in health care. In short, IAAP’s mission is to
make life better and to use psychological knowledge to improve the well-being of individuals and communities throughout
the world.