SPSP Theoretical Innovation Prize Announcement
Todd Heatherton
Please consider nominating a paper (published in 2007) for the SPSP
Theoretical Innovation Prize. Details are below, as well as at:
http://www.spsp.org/theory.htm.
The SPSP Theoretical Innovation Prize recognizes an article or book chapter
judged to provide the most innovative theoretical contribution to
social/personality psychology within a given year. Any kind of innovative
theoretical contribution can be considered for the prize, including
presentations of new theories, new theory-based integrations of disparate
areas of inquiry, and significant extensions of existing theories to new
areas of inquiry. Theoretical contributions are eligible for the prize
regardless of the format of their presentation, whether in stand-alone
theoretical papers, within conceptually based literature reviews, or in some
other written format that highlights conceptual innovation.
The prize recognizes theoretical articles that are especially likely to
generate the discovery of new hypotheses, new phenomena, or new ways of
thinking about the discipline of social/personality psychology. Theoretical
contributions may be judged innovative and generative even before they have
accumulated substantial empirical support. Therefore an article may be
judged worthy for the prize even if it runs the risk of empirical
invalidation in the future. The emphasis of the prize is on a contribution's
conceptual innovation and potential to motivate new research and further
conceptual investigation, rather than on its current level of empirical
support.
Eligible articles are those published as papers in peer-reviewed journals or
as book chapters during calendar year 2007. Books and unpublished
manuscripts are not eligible.
The committee this year consists of Todd Heatherton (chair), Randy Larsen,
Sandra Murray, Steven Heine, Mark Leary, and Mahzarin Banaji. The prize
recipient will receive a cash award of $750. The Prize Committee has the
option of not awarding a prize. Eligible articles may be nominated by their
authors or by other members of SPSP. To nominate an article or chapter for
consideration, individuals should send an electronic file (PDF or Microsoft
Word format) of the nominated piece to the Chair of the Prize Committee,
Todd Heatherton, at todd.f.heatherton at Dartmouth.EDU, along with a brief
(e.g., one-page) nominating letter, also in electronic format, describing
how the nominated article excels on the prize criteria. The Prize Committee
may also consider additional eligible papers even if not nominated by their
authors or other individuals. The deadline for nominations is July 1, 2008.