Jeanne N. Knutson, from the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the University of California in Los Angeles, founded the Society in January of 1978. The International Society of Political Psychology started as a small group, but today it has more than 800 members. Those who have in interest in the field of political psychology may find that membership in the Society is one of the best investments that they can make. The Society is interdisciplinary so it doesn’t matter what your area of specialty might be. Forensic psychologists can find a great deal of useful information and benefits from becoming a member of the group.

The Annual Meetings

One of the best things to note about the International Society of Political Psychology is the annual meetings that it holds. The meetings are generally four days long and include workshops, panel discussions, invited keynote speakers, as well as a number of special events. Each of the meetings of the International Society of Political Psychology will have a large number of panels, often more than 100. They will have hundreds of presentations as well. Since the Society is international, the meetings can be hosted anywhere in Europe to North America and even beyond. Forensic psychologists who have in interest in this area of psychology should be able to get quite a bit of information out of these annual meetings.

Benefits of Membership in the International Society of Political Psychology

Becoming a member of the International Society of Political Psychology has some great benefits no matter what field of psychology you are in. You will receive all six issues of the Society’s Journal Political Psychology each year. You will also have access to both the ISPP News and the Society’s newsletter. In addition, members will have reduced registration fees at all of the annual scientific meetings.

Voting privileges are another one of the benefits that you might want to consider when you are thinking about membership. Each year, the Society holds a number of awards events, such as Best Dissertation, the Erik Erikson Award, and the Jeanne Knutson Award. When you are a member of the International Society of Political Psychology, you will be able to vote for those eligible for the awards.

Of course, one of the best reasons to become a member of the International Society of Political Psychology is for the networking and the close-knit community of professionals that you are going to find within the Society. You will have access to many of the top minds in the field of political psychology, and while this might not seem as though it’s the most logical choice for a forensic psychologist, you have to remember there are many different people who are a part of this group. Networking and having those contacts can always be very useful to you.

They offer a grants program, as well as many different other programs on their website. The site includes programs, information on workshops, and even videos of past conference talks. It is a great resource for everyone who has an interest in political and forensic psychology in our culture and society today.

Please visit http://www.ispp.org/ for more information about The International Society of Political Psychology.